SOUTH AFRICA VS ENGLAND 3RD TEST DAY 5 PREVIEW AND BETTING TIPS

Andrew Strauss’ England have a tall order ahead of them to keep South Africa from evening up the test series. England secured a deserved innings victory last week in the previous test match and South Africa have replied well with Graeme Smith putting together a quality knock of 180.
The English will be trying to hold out for the draw here and must effectively bat out the day. England’s late order has proven in the past that they’re up to the task and a stubborn performance from England’s middle order (which has saved their skin in the past) could really ease the pressure on the tail enders.
Don’t count on England to win the test, Betfair punters have laid England at a lengthy 50.0 to win. However, the draw is still very much in-play and you’ll find that trading at around 4.0 at the moment. South Africa to win the match is obviously the favoured option with a price trading at around 1.35 for the outright victory.
There are plenty of markets available on Betfair and there is plenty of cash to be made. As it currently stands, Jonathan Trott is favoured to be named England’s top batsmen for the 2nd innings with his 2.84 price. He is currently on strike with night-watchman Jimmy Anderson. England will have 90 overs to defend their 7 remaining wickets and I don’t see them getting the draw should they play defensively. I think they need to be slightly aggressive and not allow the Proteas to dictate the tempo. Their attack has proven that they are up to the challenge, but the punters seem confident in Trott’s ability to handle the situation. You’ll also find Paul Collingwood trading at 4.6 while Any Other Batsman can be backed at 3.6 (with Graeme Swann still to bat, this looks a tidy option in my opinion).
England are listed at 2.4 to have one of their players record a century on the final day while they are 1.56 to not do so. In terms of getting to a 50, Trott trades at 1.5 (the big favourite as he’s nearly halfway there) while Paul Collingwood is listed at 2.32. Ian Bell (who could stamp his authority on another English innings) is listed at 2.62. Matt Prior is 3.05 and he is capable although his cameos tend to be a bit short-lived. Stuart Broad trades at 4.1 while in-form Graeme Swann can be backed at 4.4. Jimmy Anderson is 10.5 to get to 50.
Punters seem to fancy this one going the distance, with the Test Match End market listing the evening session as the odds-on favourite for when the test ends (this includes a victory or a draw) at 1.71. Should the test end in the afternoon (South Africa win or England get some form of miracle victory) you’ll be getting paid out at 2.02. Should England completely collapse and lose it all in the first session, you’re looking at odds of 7.8.
I think England are more than capable of this one, and South Africa need to take wickets in the first session. The English won’t be facing a new ball for some time into the day, so I think that they could certainly frustrate the Saffers during the morning session. On the outset, especially for the price, I’ll be backing England to draw the test and retain a 1-0 series lead.