Let the Tests Begin!
Spread punters will hope that England's magnificent Ashes victory in the summer can be the catalyst for a great Test run. If Andy Flower's men are to win back-to-back Test series they will have to negotiate their way past a strong South African side playing on their home turf. Buyers of England's series win index spread (25 points per test win, 10 points per draw) will be delighted to see that Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott have continued their fine form from the summer and that big-hitting Kevin Pietersen's fitness is improving all the time. Spread punters should note that these two sides have met 73 times in South Africa since 1889, with England winning 28 and losing 17, meaning 28 Tests were drawn. England's win/loss ratio in South Africa is therefore an encouraging 1.64 and punters following England on the spreads can also take heart in Australia winning their last Test series here.
Those spread bettors to have bought England's series win index will have been encouraged that the side are showing strong form in the ODI series. Spread punters looking at England's record at the Centurion, venue for the First Test, will see that the Three Lions have played there just three times, winning once and drawing twice. Sellers of the South Africans' series win index spread will have taken note that, in their last 14 matches here, England are the only team to beat the Proteas. However, they have won their last five matches at the venue, beating Pakistan, New Zealand and Bangladesh. Buyers of SA's first innings supremacy will be pleased that all of five victories were comfortable, the largest by an innings and 59 runs against New Zealand.
Punters looking for a spread bet on total series runs will be interested to learn that England amassed a total of 2918 run in the 2005 series in South Africa and averaged 584 runs per match. The Proteas accumulated 3030 runs during the same period, at a slightly better 606 runs per match. England's highest total in the last series in South Africa was 570 runs in the second Test of the series held in Durban and although the Proteas had a larger average run total they were some way off England's highest total, with a highest of just 441.
Keen punters on Sporting Index's player spread markets will have been looking at the form of the current squad and any injury concerns. Pietersen will attract plenty of spread betting attention although buyers of his runs or ton-up spreads may reserve judgment until later in the series when the fullness of his recovery is clear. Buyers will be pleased that against his country of birth, he averages 60 from four matches while his highest score is 152, as will buyers of Andrew Strauss's spreads - he averages 52.25 from nine matches against the Proteas and his top score is 147. For buyers and sellers of England player ton-up spreads throughout the series, seven English players scored centuries in the last series in South Africa and a total of 239 runs were offered to those players' ton-up spread make-ups.
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