England vs West Indies 2nd Test Preview
- By A.J. Ryder on May 24, 2012 18:37 GMT
England were able to pull off some heroics after it looked as though their test match against the West Indies was about to go awry. Despite Andrew Strauss' impressive first innings knock, the English side almost let it all slip away against West Indies at Lord's before securing their victory by five wickets.
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Once again, the English side go into their test fixture against West Indies with a distinct edge from the bookmakers. There's a lot to like about this England side and their impressive bowling line-up continues to work wonders against high quality players. Chanderpaul was the stand-out for Windies in the last test and he'll be looking to avenge the previous loss this time out.
With this fixture unfolding at Trent Bridge, West Indies know this is a must-win situation for them if they're going to emerge from their test tour with some momentum heading into the one-day series.
One of the most interesting aspects of the test is whether Steve Finn will get the nod ahead of Tim Bresnan. Stuart Broad described Finn as one of the best in the world at what he does and he will be looking to make headlines should he get the start.
England are priced at a slim 1/3, just as they were for the last test, and many of us know that the real value in test cricket comes from the live wagering. West Indies are a lengthy 7/1 to get the win while the draw can be backed at a 4/1 price tag.
James Anderson, Alastair Cook and Stuart Broad are all in the mix for Man of the Match with each of them carrying an 8/1 price to headline the second test. Jonathan Trott, Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen are all trading just behind them at a 10/1 price tag.
The real variable here is Graeme Swann, who is 12/1 for a Man of the Match performance. With Trent Bridge's conditions favouring slower bowling, he may be able to lay into the West Indies and produce a performance to be remembered.
England will be favouring themselves even more in the next two tests after this one so if West Indies are going to salvage anything, this is truly the time and place.
