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Hockey World Cup. One of the greatest rivalries in the sporting world will get re-ignited again on Thursday, as the first semi final of the Hockey World Cup sees the match up of Germany v England. England have had a fairly impressive World Cup campaign, winning four of their five pool matches, including victory over the much fancied Australians. The path to the final of any world cup is seldom easy, and with just two games standing between England and gold, their semi final pits them against the number one ranked team in the world. It has been a tournament full of passion, grit and determination for the English, as they have had to deal with injuries to key players, and hostile, feisty atmospheres and highly charged games.

After stretching their legs at the top of Pool B, Spain put a blemish on their group record, running out 2-0 winners. That mean that Australia had the chance to leapfrog England at the top of the pool, and they took that chance with a 2-1 win over Pakistan, which gave them the goal difference they needed, as both they and England finished on 12 points. Australia’s only defeat came against England in their opening fixture, and they remain strong. The second semi final sees Australia go up against the Netherlands, who have looked impressive during the tournament. The Dutch finished one point behind the Germans, equal on points with Korea, but their superior goal difference saw them squeeze through at the death.

Germany are Ranked number one in the World, Australia second, the Netherlands fourth and England 6th. Spain (3rd) and Korea (5th). That is the strength of the competition left in the final four. With England being the lowest ranked team left in, an appearance in the final would be a major accomplishment. They were full of confidence going into the tournament, with their aim being able to get out of the pool. They have achieved that target with some aplomb, but will need to dig deep again in order to get the better of the Germans. Germany went undefeated through their pool matches, the only points being dropped by them, coming against the Netherlands. That match ended in a close 2-2 draw. Both of the semi final matches are played on Thursday, with the culmination of the tournament, held in India, coming on Saturday.

Germany to win: 13/10 at Paddy Power
Draw: 10/3 at Ladbrokes
England to win: 8/5 at Coral

Australia to win: 4/5 at Bet365
Draw: 7/2 at William Hill
Holland to win: 10/3 at Ladbrokes

All the cricket betting attention turns towards the One Day action in New Zealand, as the Black Caps look to take down their old foes Australia in a prospectively thrilling five match series. The two sides produced an edge-of-the-seat thriller in the second of two Twenty20 Internationals, needing a Super Over (equivalent of a football penalty shoot out) to decide the winner, after both teams had finished level on runs. The Kiwis won that one with a cracking performance from Brendon McCullum over all on the day, tying the series at one a piece.

If you are looking for betting strategies beyond the match and series outrights, Kiwi bowler Tim Southee is one to watch out for, as he looks sharp at the moment, and in line to be New Zealand’s top performer with the ball in the One Day series. There are two Test Matches between the nations to follow after the five One Day International encounters. The series stars in Napier, which, historically has been a happy hunting ground for batsmen, with some heavy scoring on the pitch.

New Zealand have won just 13 of 41 One Day International matches against Australia on home turf, and the Australians look to have the firm upper hand again. Australia are looking their normal formidable selves over their summer, with triumphs against Pakistan and the West Indies. New Zealand will be firm underdogs in the series, despite being on a bit of a winning streak themselves in ODI. They thrashed Bangladesh 3-0 recently, but of course, facing a quality Australia is a whole different prospect.

For the Kiwis to win, they need the likes of Brendon McCullum to consistently spark, and they have drafted Scott Styris back into the team to add some weight and stability to the batting. The Black Caps will also need to keep the bowling tight. For that, Southee, captain Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond will have an enormous task against the big hitting Aussies. But trying to cage Australian batsmen, is one of the toughest jobs in the cricketing world. After retiring from international Twenty20, Australia welcome back Ricky Ponting to the side to make for a powerful batting line up, alongside the likes of Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and Cameron White.

New Zealand v Australian First ODI Outright
Australia to win: 2/5 at Blue Square
New Zealand to win: 11/5 at Bet365

ODI Series Outright Betting (Five Matches)
Australia – 1/4 at Bet365
New Zealand – 3/1 at Totesport

Australia vs. Pakistan: First Test
Melbourne
Dates: 26-30 December

While England are hoping for better things at the start of the second Test on Boxing Day, there will be another major contest going on down under in Melbourne. Visitors Pakistan will be looking to give Australia a good test in their series, and it will be a step up in difficulty of opponents for both of them. Ricky Ponting’s Australia recently concluded a successful series against the West Indies, which was full of excitement and a fracas involving three players, which got West Indian bowler Sulieman Benn banned for two One Day Internationals. Australians Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson were the players involved, who received a slap on the wrist with fines, leading Ponting to call for an improvement in discipline from his men.

Australia won the series 2-0, while Pakistan recently tied a 3 match Test series against New Zealand. Pakistan were a little on the ropes in the third and final test, with New Zealand set at the crease in their second innings, ready to chase down the target they had been set. The game ended in a draw however, when the heavens opened and washed out play. Pakistan probably have at their disposal, the most complete, all round team of all test international sides at the moment. They have strength both in batting and an envious amount of variety in their bowling line up. However they do not always quite pull it together as much as they should, certainly not as often as their bitter rivals, India.

Ricky Ponting, who has four test centuries against Pakistan, is a doubt for the Aussies, after getting whacked on the elbow in the third Test against West Indies. Naturally the Australians are hoping that he will be fit and ready to go, but even without him, they can call on the expertise of Phillip Hughes, which is the kind of quality that England wish they had in reserve. Ponting hasn’t been able to get any batting practice in, but has been participating in fielding drills. The Aussies do have a few injury worries over Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus.

Australia do have the upper hand in contests between the two nations, having won twice as many Test series as Pakistan have when they have squared off. Australia have more than double the amount of test match victories over Pakistan too, having won 24 games to Pakistan’s 11. This series is a match of teamwork and ethics from Australia, against an enterprising, often maverick Pakistan.

Australia vs. Pakistan Series Betting (4 matches)
Australia to win – 8/15 at Boylesports
Draw: 9/2 at Totesport
Pakistan to win: 11/2 at 888Sport

Australia vs. Pakistan First Test
Australia to win: 8/11 at Stan James
Draw: 11/4 at Bet365
Pakistan: 9/2 at Bet365

With so much cricket having been enjoyed this year, and plenty to enjoy at the moment, we take a look at some good cricket bets, which will hopefully guide you towards some profits. Again the cricketing world will be busy next year, and we look at some of the current action, as well as towards 2010.

1) South Africa vs. England Drawn Series
The Proteas are favourites to take the series, but with the inclement weather on show so far on the tour, taking the series to draw 7/2 at Bet365 is not a bad shout at all. Still, if you would rather get off the fence and back either the home nation or the visitors to win, consider placing the stake instead on a Draw No Bet. England are 3/1 at Bet365 for that option, while South Africa are 4/9 at William Hill. This a Test Match Series of four matches, not the usual five, so the chances of a drawn series are increased a little. Sports fans are always happier when a definitive result is produced, but if England can manage a draw, then they will be relatively happy with the tour, especially after surprisingly winning the One Day International Series.

2) Sri Lanka To Win Twenty20 World Cup.
They are joy to watch at Cricket, and have made steady progress towards the top of the World Rankings, and they still have a lot to prove in order to silence critics who think they are lacking a little something when it comes to major tournaments. They are however, one of the most complete teams in terms of all-round skill, along with Pakistan. The Twenty20 World Cup takes place next April in the West Indies, and Sri Lanka should be a major factor in the tournament with players like Dilshan, Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Mendis, Muralitharan and Malinga, in their current series against India, they are proving they have good depth coming through the ranks too. A force to be reckoned with. Early prices has them at 5/1 at Ladbrokes to win the Twenty20 World Cup in 2010.

3) Durham To Win County Championship.
Winners of the County Championship Division One title, by some stretch, will start next season’s campaign as favourite. Currently providing Paul Colllingwood and Graham Onions to England, Durham look set to continue their reign, but will probably be most closely challenged by Nottinghamshire. With Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad on their books, Nottingham also have some good international experience to call upon, not that the England players get to enjoy much county cricket. But Durham got the better of the encounter with Nottingham last season, and will be hoping to build upon that success. Early days yet until the season starts, but a good time nonetheless to get an early punt on them, even if it just each way. Durham are currently 2/1 at Boylesports to retain their title.

4) New South Wales To Win Sheffield Shield.
As most England cricket fans won’t really pay too much attention to the domestic cricket scene down under, their domestic levels are nothing short of fantastic. As a sporting nation, Australia often puts England to shame, and the wealth of top class cricketers they produce, all stem from a great domestic setup, from the youth stages to the organisation of their top flight leagues and tournaments. Everything is done to condition and promote the development of players, and it is what keeps Australia on top of the cricketing world. New South Wales won the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League earlier this year, and have some famous international names on their books, such as Simon Katich, Michael Clarke, Muralitharan, Phillip Hughes, Brad Haddin, Nathan Brackan, Nathan Hauritz and Nathan Bracken. They are a good solid side and a really good price to win the Sheffield Shield, which is a round-robin league format of First Class cricket (which is the 4 day format). They will likely need to overcome the stronger team of the Victorian Bushrangers, but they stand in good stead. They are 36/5 at BetFair to win the Sheffield Shield.

5) Sri Lanka to Beat India.
Yes, again, but this time some current action. They are currently involved in a five game One Day International series against India, with the score level at 1-1. Both games have been incredibly tight, dramatic and some of the most entertaining cricket seen all year. Hopefully that will continue throughout the series. A great price at the moment for Sri Lanka to nick the series, is 6/5 at Coral. There really is not much to chose between the two teams at the moment, and while India do have home advantage in front of some of the most passionate cricket fans in the world, Sri Lanka are more than happy to roll up and play party poopers. India had the upper hand in the Test Match series between them, but Sri Lanka’s dynamic and enviable batting power will come into play more in the ODI’s.

The Autumn international Rugby matches come to a conclusion on Saturday, with Ireland, Scotland and Wales all in action. The most exciting game will be happening in France though, as the New Zealanders see what they can do against the French, who pulled out a big win over Tri-Nations winners South Africa a couple of weeks ago. After beating Samoa in the interim, one of the favourites for next year’s Six Nations, France will want to test themselves again against the unbeaten tourists. The All Blacks have beaten England, Italy and Wales on their tour this year, and will look to head back down under with a four game victory by beating the French. This should be a well contested match-up, with the French looking very good at the moment. France of course, have a reputation of being hit and miss, but if they can add the consistency to their game, they will be a dominant force alongside Ireland in the forthcoming Six Nations.

Ireland are the next team to take on South Africa, and the Irish will be looking to build upon the last gasp draw they managed against Australia at Croke Park. The Irish and the French are the best of the Six Nations teams at the moment, and some of the familiar names were rested for last weekend’s 41-6 rout against Fiji, Ireland should be somewhere near full strength to take on the Springboks. This should be one almighty clash of two good teams, and France have already shown that the South Africans are vulnerable. The one surprising factor in the South African game is how easily their scrum has been destroyed by France and then Italy. It is one area of their game that needs work, while the Irish are very strong up front.

Meanwhile, brave Scotland, who pulled off a famous win over the Australians last weekend, will look to build some momentum themselves, by beating Argentina. After giving England a good game, the Pumas didn’t play very well in their defeat against Wales at all. The Scot’s 9-8 win over Australia was a backs-to-the-wall rear guard action for sustained period, and they actually made a lot of errors which would have made their life a little easier had they been more composed. The result, surprising probably to even the Scots, was hard fought for, and only a failed late kick at goal from Australia’s Matt Giteau secured the win for the Scottish. Their forward pack will be tested again this weekend by Argentina, who are a rough, raw power house up front. They simply never turned up for some mysterious reason against Wales though, losing 33-16.

Wales, after losing to New Zealand and beating Samoa, go in search of their third win, and a chance to get some more practice in the scrum. That is Wales’ weak area at the moment, but they have enough in the backs with their running game to gloss over the cracks a lot of the times. They could get dominated by the Aussies in the pack, and one thing is for sure, is that the defeat against the Scots will have hurt the Wallabies. They came on tour looking for a Grand Slam against the four home nations, and that loss rained on that parade for them, along with the draw against Ireland. Wounded Wallabies are not to be taken lightly, and while they have been looking ok, they definitely have looked the weakest of the Tri-Nations teams. If Wales manage to beat them, then it will only serve to leave England with further egg on their faces, being the only team that Australia managed to beat on their Autumn tour, and that would leave Martin Johnson’s England reeling even further behind the progress of the other home nations.

France to win: 5/4 at SkyBet
Draw: 20/1 at Paddy Power
New Zealand to win: 4/5 at Stan James

Ireland to win: 6/5 at Stan James
Draw: 20/1 at Paddy Power
South Africa to win: 10/11 at SportingBet

Scotland to win: 4/7 at Boylesports
Draw: 20/1 at Bet365
Argentina to win: 15/8 at Totesport

Wales to win: 11/10 at ExtraBet
Draw: 20/1 at Paddy Power
Australia to win: 10/11 at SkyBet

AUTUMN RUGBY UNION INTERNATIONALS

While England are trying to contain the killer instincts of the New Zealand back three at Twickenham, the other three home nations are also in action.

Millennium Stadium
Saturday, 21 November
Kick-off: 2.30pm

After suffering a narrow, and somewhat unfortunate defeat against England last week, Argentina head across the border to take on Wales in Cardiff. This will be a good battle up front between the two sets of players, as Argentina know how to scrum and do it very well. They will rely on it as one of their strengths, and it is part of their game plan which has helped them gain a noticeable status on the platform of world rugby. Wales, on the other hand, are not so impressive there are the moment, and look like a unit that needs some more work, or perhaps just more time to gel together.

The Argentineans like to play on the edge, and with a raw passion that almost put England to shame on the scoreboard, as well as in performance last week. Wales struggled against Samoa in the scrum, which is something that should be unheard of in the Valleys. Although the Welsh squeezed past their southern hemisphere opponents 17-13, they were struggling to hold on against the Samoans. That was after a game against New Zealand, in which the Welsh pack did ok, but when New Zealand turned up to play Italy, the Italians showed how you could really disrupt and turn on the power against the Kiwi pack.

Wales’ strength though will be running in the backs, but they will have to be ready to scrap for every morsel against the South Americans. They will have watched the tapes of Argentina against England, and have witnessed the strength in their games. This could be a good contrast in styles, as Argentina know that they can attack in the pack, and the Welsh know that they can attack with backs. With ball carrying in the packs being the dominant element of the game, it will be down to Wales to either improve on their scrimmaging, or keep the ball in open play as much as possible. They will be hoping to improve their record of having only won two of the last six meetings between the two teams.

Wales to win: 2/9 at Boylesports
Draw: 25/1 at Bet365
Argentina to win: 4/1 at SportingBet

IRELAND v FIJI
Dublin
Saturday, 21 November
Kick-off: 3.15 pm

Brian O’Driscoll scored a dramatic late try in last weekend’s encounter with Australia, to earn the Irish a well fought draw. The Irish, arguably the strongest of the home nations, have decided to ring in the changes for Saturday’s match against Fiji. Despite some of the first team regulars getting a well deserved rest, it will probably be a very strong Irish side still on display, and far too powerful and crafty for the Fijians. It should be a comfortable and domineering ride for the Irish on their home turf.

Fiji, who barely showed up in their 23-10 defeat against Scotland last weekend, have also made changes, in order to put a little fire in their bellies. But it means that it will be a weakened Fiji that takes to the field, something which their coach is bemoaning, insisting that some of their top players were stopped from going on tour by their clubs. Whatever the contraventions to IRB rules that would be if true, it all means that it will probably turn into something of an exhibition match for the Irish, and justifiably, they are seeing how some of the younger blood copes on the international stage. For the Irish, Jonathan Sexton steps in at Fly-Half, and will get his debut chance to see just how ready his is to fill in the massive boots of Ronan O’Gara.

Ireland to win: 1/25 at Stan James
Draw: 50/1 at Bet365
Fiji to win: 16/1 at PaddyPower

SCOTLAND v AUSTRALIA
Murrayfield Stadium
Saturday, 21 November
Kick-off: 5.15 pm

Scotland will be feeling bright after their win over Fiji last weekend, and the players that earned their win have all retained their places in the squad. Australia though, is of course, a bigger fish to fry than Fiji anyway, and the Scots, not the strongest of the home nations to be fair, should find the going tough against the Wallabies. There were two contrasting sides to Scotland last weekend, they were running well and getting creative in their attacking prowess, but lost their way completely in the second half, allowing Fiji to dominate them for sustained periods. If that happens again in the second half, then it will be an all too familiar result against the Australians.

Australia will be aware of the Scot’s strength in the middle of the park and rugged play up front, but these fixtures usually end up as a comfortable win for the southern hemisphere side. Chris Cusiter remains as captain for the home side, while the Australians are maintaining the same team which battled for a draw against Ireland last, all apart from George Smith coming back into the scrum. The draw against the Irish, ruined the Aussies chance for a grand slam over the home nations, but they can still return home unbeaten. For anything else to happen, the Scots, coached by Andy Robinson (yes, he of England, um, fame) will need to keep on top of their game for the entire 80 minutes to keep things close.

Scotland to win: 6/1 at Sporting Bet
Draw: 25/1 at Bet365
Australia to win: 2/9 at Totesport

Ireland v Australia
Croke Park, Dublin
Sunday, November 15th

After Australia’s opening Autumn series win against England at Twickenham last weekend, the Aussies are off to Croke Park on Sunday, to try and maintain the possibility of a rout over the home nations. With none of the home nations exactly lighting up the rugby world, with Wales scraping past Samoa and Scotland just doing enough to see off Fiji, who are now managed by ex-England boss Andy Robinson, this could be the big outbreak of excitement of the Autumn internationals.

France did surprisingly beat South Africa on Friday, and with England looking less than good in their win over Argentina, Northern Hemisphere rugby could do with another boost. Ireland v Australia has thrown up some great games in the past, especially at the 2005 World Cup. The Irish are in a large part, the most accomplished of the home nations, in control, poise and attacking flair, and they will be led onto the park by Brian O’Driscoll who steps up to claim his 100th Test cap for his nation. It was against Australia that O’Driscoll, the creative midfielder won his first cap ten years ago.

Australia did an easy job on England, beating them 18-9, but Ireland should pose much more of a threat to the Tri-Nations side than Martin Johnson’s men did. The Irish, 2009 Grand Slam Champions, are a stronger unit, and have the individuals, as well as the team structure to attack and get over the gain line, whereas England just went from side to side and backwards. Australia will start with the same team that beat England, except for David Pocock coming into replace George Smith. The Australians started slowly in the match, and that is the area in which Ireland will look to capitalise. A strong start will help to build momentum for the match, especially with the passion flowing from the home support.

Up against Australia though, they will be playing against a thinking rugby team, who are tactically aware of what the opposition are doing, and can find ways to change the game. The Aussies are considered to be the weakest of the Tri-Nations teams at the moment, finishing bottom of the group and struggling to keep up with South Africa and New Zealand. Ireland though have only beaten the Aussies 8 times in 27 attempts. This is probably the strongest Irish team for some time and likely to give Australia a real test on home soil. The Irish are strong up front, and if they can keep the ball in hand, they have the strength and technical ability to push a relatively young Australian pack backwards. The Irish have experience and enthusiasm. The Aussies have great natural, technical ability.

Ireland to win: 4/5 at SportingBet
Draw: 20/1 at Paddy Power
Australia: 20/8 at Stan James

Betting Advice: Even though the result for the Australia against England wasn’t a massive gap, this should be even closer. With a strong Munster and Leinster presence, this is an Irish team which are familiar with each other and can pull of a good win here.

Twickenham
Kick Off 2.30 pm

The Rugby Union Autumn Internationals kick off on Saturday, with the home nations taking on some of the best in the World. Martin Johnson’s England has been ravaged by injury, and there are a good seven or eight potential starters which have not even made the squad. This has thrown the selection doors wide open for fringe players and debutants. One famous name though has been selected for the first time since March 2008, and that is the irrepressible uber-hero Jonny Wilkinson. The legend that is Jonny Wilkinson has found a new lease of life this season with his new club, French side Toulon, where he has managed to stay free of injury. After being plagued for six years with injury after injury, Wilkinson has recently stated that he is better than he has ever been. Australia coach Robbie Deans has cited to the press, what a difference having to play against a team with Wilkinson in it will be.

Only three of the 2005 World Cup Winning side remain in the squad, with Wilkinson being one of them, Steve Thompson and Lewis Moody being the others. For followers of England Rugby, there may be a lot of unfamiliar names lining up to take the National Anthem at Twickenham on Saturday. As well as Jonny Wilkinson’s comeback is welcome, hooker Steve Thompson’s return to the full international fold is even more remarkable. After retiring from the game due to a neck injury in 2007 Thompson has rebuilt his career to reach the pinnacle again. The likes of Thompson and Wilkinson, who have bags of experience, will be vital components to balance the youngsters in the squad.

So much change has there been, that from the loss against Australia earlier in the year,  only four members of that team will be on display on Saturday. A lot of the changes have been enforced due to injury, but one would hope that coach Martin Johnson, an England legend in his own right, will be seeing this as the first building block towards the next World Cup. A lot of work has to be done between now and then, and it is a good chance to see how some youngsters are developing, and how they can cope with the pressures on the International stage. The longer that Johnson can keep a cohesive unit together, the stronger England will be.

There will be two debutants on show for England in the starting 15, that of Shane Geraghty, who has been impressive at centre for his club Northampton, and at the back of the pack there will be a new number eight, with Jordan Crane taking up the important role. Two new caps start on the bench, Courtney Lawes and Ayoola Erinle.

The pivotal scrum half shirt will be filled by Harlequins’ Danny Care, who has relegated Paul Hodgson to the bench, while inside centre will be filled by Northampton’s Shane Geraghty, who gets to play alongside Jonny Wilkinson. Geraghty has only made three appearances for England, all as substitute, but he is one of the raw youngsters who are up for the challenge, and will be looking to take their chance while more senior players are out injured.

After the Australia game, there will be two further tests for Martin Johnson’s England, against Argentina and New Zealand to follow over the coming weeks. Australia will be the stronger side, and it will be an immense test for the new look England. The Aussies finished bottom of the Tri-Nations table this year though with just one win, and will be looking to up the stakes of their own development. The home side will need to hear Swing Low Sweet Chariots echoing around the arena for that extra competitive lift, and with the Premiership in full flow, Johnson will be hoping at the very least, for a strong, competitive match, even if the win is out of sight.

England to win: 8/5 at 888Sport
Draw: 22/1 at Paddy Power
Australia to win: 4/7 at Bet365

Betting Tips:
Australia to win by 1-5 points – 5/1 at Coral
Jonny Wilkinson Match Points 17 or more: 13/8 at SkyBet

England Team: M Banahan (Bath), S Borthwick (Saracens, capt), D Care (Harlequins), J Crane (Leicester), T Croft (Leicester), M Cueto (Sale Sharks), L Deacon (Leicester), S Geraghty (Northampton), D Hipkiss (Leicester), L Moody (Leicester), U Monye (Harlequins), T Payne (Wasps), S Thompson (Brive),  J Wilkinson (Toulon), D Wilson (Bath).

Replacements: D Bell (Bath), C Lawes (Northampton), A Erinle (Biarritz), A Goode (Brive),  D Hartley (Northampton), J Haskell (Stade Francais), P Hodgson (London Irish).

2010 ASHES DEFENCE
The England cricket team have had some of the future mapped out for them, as the announcement of the fixtures for the defence of the Ashes has been announced. At the end of next year, they will head down under and try to do a little better than the last time they were Down Under, when they lost 5-0. This time the planning has been improved, with England spending more time there ahead of the important Test matches, and getting plenty of action in first class warm up games. That was something which did not happen last time around, but should not have been any excuse for being so dismal.

2010-11 Ashes Test series dates:
First Test Brisbane: 25-29 November
Second Test Adelaide: 3-7 December
Third Test Perth: 16-20 December
Fourth Test Melbourne: 26-30 December
Fifth Test Sydney: 3-7 January

WINTER TOUR
In the immediate future, England are about to embark on a winter tour in South Africa. After crashing out of the Champions Trophy in the semi’s, there is renewed hope that Kevin Pietersen will be making a return to action on the tour. He was suffering through the initial two Ashes games in the summer, and he missed the final three games, the ODI series, and the entire Champions Trophy. His batting prowess was sorely missed over the entire summer and it will be a welcome sight to see him padding up again. He has been named in both the test and ODI squads.
Possibly more good news is that Steve Harmison has been excluded from selection, instead in comes Liam Plunkett, who has proven to be more consistent over the course of the domestic season. Wicket-keeper Steve Davies, who was called up as cover for Matt Prior in the Champions Trophy gets a place, along with Ashes late arrival Jonathan Trott and the re-emergence of Ian Bell in the Test Squad. Luke Wright also gets a place in the Test Squad and the patiently waiting leg-spinner Adil Rashid continues his development with a place.
The One Day Squad for the South Africa tour, is pretty much the one that appeared in the Champions Trophy. The ODI team definitely needs a lot of improvement, and has a long way to go to catch up with Australia. England did beat South Africa during the Champions Trophy which will give them some heart, but the short formats of the game is where England need to improve significantly. They are presumably sticking with the same squad in order to build some team-spirit and cohesion, Sajid Mahmood is the newest face to re-appear, and there is no place for Ravi Bopara or Owais Shah in either Squad.

The Winter Tour is quite extensive, and the culmination of a long year of Cricket for the national team. The action begins with all of the Twenty20 and One Day Internationals.

Test squad: Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell,  Paul Collingwood, Steven Davies, Matt Prior, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright, James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Graham Onions, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann.

One-day squad: Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Joe Denly, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Jonathan Trott, Luke Wright, Matt Prior, James Anderson, Tim Bresnan, Sajid Mahmood, Graham Onions, Adil Rashid, Graeme Swann.

South Africa ODI and Twenty20 Tour Dates
Twenty20: November 13
Twenty20: November 15
ODI: November 20
ODI: November 22
ODI: November 27
ODI: November 29
ODI: December 04

TO WIN TWENTY20 SERIES
South Africa: 6/4 at Ladbrokes
Draw: 11/10 at Totesport
England: 4/1 at Ladbrokes

TO WIN ODI SERIES
South Africa: 2/5 at Totesport
England: 5/2 at Ladbrokes

TO WIN TEST SERIES
South Africa: 8/15 at Ladbrokes
Draw: 4/1 Boylesports
England: 9/2 at Stan James

CRICKET WORLD CUP
The draw has also been made for the 2011 Cricket World Cup which takes place in India. England have been drawn against the host nation in their group. There has been a significant change of format from the last World Cup, and sees the competition return to a two-group format, as opposed to the four group system which was employed in the Caribbean. The other main threat in Group B which contains England, will be South Africa. This competition is a long way off of course, and the two groups of seven was settled on to make the competition shorter than its predecessor. There are will be two less teams participating and it all just adds up to being two games fewer than the previous tournament.

Cricket World Cup groups:
Group A: Australia, Canada, Kenya, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe
Group B: Bangladesh,, England, India, Ireland, Netherlands, South Africa, West Indies

TO WIN WORLD CUP
India: 7/2 at Coral
Australia: 9/2 SkyBet
Sri Lanka: 6/1 Ladbrokes
South Africa: 13/2 Totesport
Pakistan: 7/1 Stan James
England: 10/1 at BetFred

In two acts of fate, one unexpected and one very familiar, New Zealand reached the ICC Champions final and England crashed at the hands of Australia. England crumbled miserably at the batting prowess of Australia. Ricky Ponting and Shane Watson both hit heavy centuries as they cruised to a nine wicket win. The old batting problems came right back to haunt England, with only a determined stand by all rounder Tim Bresnan getting them towards a reasonable total. Bresnan hit a swashbuckling 80 (from 76 balls) out of the 257 total, with only Luke Wright really adding any kind of decent contribution with a handy 48. While the batsmen again couldn’t handle the Aussie bowling attack, the England bowling attack without Stuart Broad only made one significant breakthrough, with Graham Onions taking out Tim Paine. So desperate was Captain Andrew Strauss to take a wicket that he used seven bowlers, but it was all in vain, as the Aussies strolled into the final.

Joining them will be neighbours New Zealand, as they pulled off a momentous win against Pakistan. No-one would have given the Kiwis much of a chance coming into the tournament, and added to that the injury problems they have had, they deserve much credit for their fine battling displays. In contrast to England’s batting display, the top order of the Kiwi’s all contributed well, with Grant Elliot’s rather dull, but unbeaten 75 being the highlight. Pakistan never really looked as fluent as they could be, with Kiwi bowler Ian Butler taking an impressive 4-44 to keep Pakistan’s innings to a moderate 233.

This sets up the clash between Australia and New Zealand in Monday’s final, and there is no surprise who the favourites will be. Australia, the defending champions, will definitely start as strong favourites to retain the title, as their batting looks in consummate condition. Do the Kiwis have enough in the tank to take down the Aussies? That will be the all important question ahead of the game. In retrospect, the Kiwis, despite reaching the final, struggled to beat a hopeless England, lost to South Africa and made hard work of the run chase in the semi final. Their one all round solid performance came in their win against Sri Lanka.

The Aussies on the other hand just look dominant whenever they stride onto the pitch. They looked set to bat India out of the game, beat Pakistan comfortably if not spectacularly, and then disposed of England without so much as lifting a finger. If you are looking for some proof of dominance by Ricky Ponting’s men, then they have won 80 out of the 117 ODI meetings between the two nations.

Australia to win: 4/9 at Boylesports
New Zealand to win: 7/4 at William Hill

Betting Advice: If you are going to go with form, class and ability, then your money will be going down on the Aussies to retain the title.