England Listed as Heavy Favourites for Windies Test

 After a very lengthy winter season in Dubai and the sub-continent, England will be hosting West Indies in their first home test fixture of the season. It's been a hard slog for many members of the side but England continue to hold onto their #1 world test ranking. They know that nothing short of a considerable victory over the West Indies side will suffice.

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England are getting some considerable confidence from the bookmakers as they have been priced down at a very slim listing at the outset of the opening five day match. The first ball is due at 11 local on Thursday.

The Three Lions are as short as 2/5 for the outright victory in the test while West Indies are trading at a lengthy 10/1 price tag. A drawn test, which would likely suit Windies just fine at this point, can be spotted at an 11/4 margin.

In the draw no bet market, England can be had as low as 1/7 while West Indies are trading at 4/1. In this case, your money is returned if the outcome is a drawn test.

Bowling, and the batting performances from the bowlers, will likely make the difference in this test series just as it did during the winter tour. James Anderson is considered a firm favourite for man of the match honours. He's listed as short as 7/1 while Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook are available at 10/1.

There's a nice price on Graeme Swann to take over 2.5 wickets with a 6/5 listing being floated at the moment while Anderson is 5/6 for over 2.5 wickets. Stuart Broad is priced at even money to notch a haul of three wickets or more.

If this is to be the resurgence of English captain Andrew Strauss, he's 12/1 to be named man of the match.