England vs New Zealand: Third Test preview

They've won four of their last five Test matches and named an unchanged line-up for the fifth successive game but there is still something naggingly wrong with the bookmakers' blind faith in the England cricket team.

Click here for a free £200 to bet on England vs New Zealand with Canbet 

You could argue that the current three-match series against New Zealand has seen England dominate but in turth both sides have had their moments. in fact in a rain-affected first Test at Lord's both sides were medicore and the draw was a fair result. Then at Old Trafford England looked to be heading for defeat at lunch on the third day and if it were not for Monty Panesar and Andrew Strauss and an inept batting and bowling performance from the Kiwis, Michael Vaughan's side would, and should, be 1-0 down in this series and fighting for credibility before South Africa come knocking on July 10.

What is clear is that England don't rate the Kiwis and are using the third Test at Trent Bridge to try and get several of their first team back into some sort of shape. James Anderson may take wickets but if he goes for five runs plus an over as he did at Old Trafford, his home ground remember, then he is not of Test-match class. Paul Collingwood meanwhile has openly admitted he is out of sorts with the bat - at times in the second innings at Old Trafford he looked like a club player rather than an England vice-captain - and he will be hoping to reassert himself at Trent Bridge.

Bar Andrew Flintoff there are not that many players knocking on the door for Test inclusion and thus the selectors are left with very few options but to stick with the current side. Therefore questions should be asked whether England should be 8/11 favourites.

Trent Bridge will swing and in Ryan Sidebottom England have a potential matchwinner. Look further down the list however and if Sidebottom fails to fire then the onus is on a very young and inexperienced duo in Anderson and Stuart Broad. The Kiwis meanwhile always have a matchwinner in Daniel Vettori and destructive batsmen in the shape of Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum.

The sides are too evenly matched for England to be such clear favourites thus laying England is the way forward. A small wager on New Zealand and a saver on the draw (especially with the first two days set to be rain-affected) should see profits ahead of the business end of the season when the South Africans rock up at Lord's. 

Verdict: 1pt New Zealand @ 11/2; 1pt draw @ 13/5

Click here for a free £200 to bet on England vs New Zealand with Canbet