England v Sri Lanka
Alastair Cook earns his 27th ODI cap for the Three Lions. It will be his first since being named full-time captain of the fifty over side and buyers of his performance index for the first match at the Oval, where runs (1 point), catches (10 points), wickets (20 points) and stumpings (25 points) are rewarded, will be banking on the Essex batsman transferring his fine Test form – he has scored half-centuries in his last six innings and tons in three of those – to this format of the game. Spread sellers of his performance index will point to the fact that Cook was overlooked for a place in the World Cup squad and, despite being made skipper, has not played an ODI for his country since 5th March 2010.
The two biggest-name absentees from the squad are wicketkeeper Matt Prior and Paul Collingwood, who may have played his last limited overs match. Replacement gloveman Craig Kieswetter is not an unfamiliar name to cricket spread punters, but like his captain, Kieswetter did not make the World Cup squad and has not played 50-over cricket for England this year. Buyers of his runs spread with Sporting Index at the Oval will know that his scores in twelve appearances, all of which came between February and July 2010, have been inconsistent, but that he does boast knocks of 69 and an England career-best 107 in a Three Lions shirt.
Samit Patel is another notable call-up and Sporting Index traders will be keen to see just what shape the Nottinghamshire man is in for the first match after previous omissions based on a lack of fitness. Buyers of his performance index spread will argue that Andy Flower wouldn't have handed him a re-call if doubts remained and that the level of his performances this season for his county side speaks for itself.
Spread sellers in this market must beware of a man who has demonstrated himself as powerful, destructive middle order batsman and very capable slow left-arm bowler. Patel will be looking to make a place in the side his own after almost three years in the international wilderness. His most memorable match for the Three Lions came back in August 2008 when he scored 31 runs from 33 balls before recording match-winning bowling figures of 5 for 41. He also claimed two catches to compile a whopping make up of 151 in the player performance market.
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