Having shared the NatWest Series trophy after a thrilling final at Lords, England and Australia have just three ODI’s to find a winning formula before the start of the Ashes. Despite England’s heroics on Saturday, the Aussies remain firm favourites to win the NatWest Challenge. Is another upset on the cards or will the visitors underline their superiority at just the right time?
Spread betting bookies Sporting Index are offering clients the chance to bet on the NatWest Challenge clashes between England and Australia as a whole, meaning that your punting decisions are not completely affected by which side wins the toss for each game. With a free £100 cash on offer to new clients* (see below for full details) and the chance to back players to perform well or badly, they offer an interesting addition to your usual punting. Here are our thoughts ahead of Thursday’s opening match:
Sub Story
England’s remarkable escape on Saturday should not detract from the fact that Australia’s revival is still in progress. The hosts won a key toss at Lord’s, and with substitutions being introduced for the first time on Thursday, both teams will be all the more desperate to bat first at Headingley. The new rules being showcased during the Challenge should make this one all the more difficult to predict, although another draw is highly unlikely!
Both teams are expected to bring in batsmen as their substitutes, allowing the key bowlers on each side to have a breather. For Australia, Simon Katich is expected to come in for McGrath at some point. Katich is a sound middle order batsman, who also offers a spin bowling option. England are likely to replace Harmison with Matthew Prior – an impact player as a batsman, who could be introduced at the top of the order.
With the rule changes expected to make the first 10 overs even more of a dash, we should see higher than average scoring rates. Headingley is traditionally a good ground for scoring runs, averaging around 265 per innings for ODI’s. However, with these extra batsmen expected we could see around 275 runs scored by each side.
England will again look to Harmison and Flintoff to inspire them to victory, but there is no denying that the visitors have the stronger side. Accordingly, Sporting Index have made the Aussies favourites to win the Challenge. But, considering Saturday’s impressive fightback, and all the rule changes, write England off at your peril...
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*Credit and suitability checks, **terms and conditions apply. See site for further details about an account with Sporting Index. Sports spread betting involves a high level of risk and you can lose more than your original stake. It is not suitable for everyone so please ensure that you understand the risks involved and only bet with money you can afford to lose. Sporting Index is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
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(c) 2002-2010 Online Betting Guide (OLBG), part of Invendium Ltd 20/03/10 23:18:29
