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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

Alastair Cook, who is leading England at the moment on the tour of Bangladesh at the moment, was dealt a blow as he was left out of the England Twenty20 Squad for the ICC Twenty20. While only the provisional squad has been named, the England opener’s name was not one of the thirty, and is something of high profile omission. This is somewhat of surprise, as Cook’s form, which was under some debate for most of 2009, has picked up dramatically, with his scoring heavily and regularly with the bat during the tour of the UAE and Bangladesh, both in Twenty20 and One Day Internationals.

England have named five newcomers to the full international Twenty20 fold, with four spinners and one batsman looking to earn spots in the team at the tournament. Bowlers Steven Finn, Peter Trego, Chris Woakes and David Wainwright have been drafted, along with another South African born batsman, Michael Lumb. Whoever makes the final 15 will be under the captaincy of England stalwart Paul Collingwood, who keeps going and going, and still delivering for his nation, in all formats of the game. Collingwood remains one of the most decidated cricketers to the England cause, never seemingly taking a break from international cricket.

Perhaps this is not as much of a knock on Cook’s confidence as it may first appear to be. To be fair he has not really excelled at the Twenty20 game, looking more of a patient player. But his form at the moment, may just have seen him turn the corner in both of the shorter formats of the game, and there will be time, if he continues his fine form, to make his mark on the international Twenty20 scene. The young players being called into the provisional squad, have been looking impressive and making strides with the England Lions, and Craig Kieswetter showed that breaking into the full England team can be done.

Someone who may be missing from the ICC Twenty20, which begins at the end of April, is Kevin Pietersen, who could be away on paternity leave, during the crucical stages of the tournament. England are in a three team group along with hosts West Indies and qualifier Ireland. England’s first match of the tournament is against Ireland on May 1st, something which former Ireland star Eoin Morgan will be looking forward too, as he continues to impress for England with the bat.

England’s tour of Bangladesh continues, with the visitors holding on to their unbeaten record against the sub-continent nation. Eoin Morgan came to the rescue in the second of three ODI’s, with a cracking 110 scored from 104 balls, which saw England home. Paul Collingwood was the stand out performer with the bat in the first match of the series, in which England started as strong favourites to win. With series now secured, England will look to head into the Test Match series against Bangladesh with a 100% record.

Bangladesh vs. England Third ODI Outright Betting
England to win: 1/4 at Boylesports
Bangladesh to win: 4/1 at Bet365

ICC World Twenty20 Outright Betting
Australia – 9/2 at Totesport
South Africa – 9/2 at SkyBet
India – 5/1 at Ladbrokes
Sri Lanka – 6/1 at Boylesports
Pakistan – 7/1 at Blue Square
West Indies – 12/1 at 888Sport
England – 12/1 at Boylesports
Bangladesh – 80/1 at Bwin
Zimbabwe – 300/1 at Victor Chandler
Ireland – 500/1 at Bet365
Afghanistan – 1000/1 at Ladbrokes

England head into the second of three one day internationals against Bangladesh, with their unbeaten record still in tact. Bangladesh fired themselves into a strong position at the start of the first ODI, with a thrashing 125 from opener Tamim Iqbal. It was a feisty start, which looked as if England might be under the cosh a bit, but once the England bowlers improved around the 10 over mark, there looked to be only one winner. Needing a target of 229 to win, Bangladesh’s bowlers never really put the England batsmen under enough pressure.

Stand in captain Alastair Cook, with Andrew Strauss resting back home, hit another fine knock. He scored regularly to reach 64 from 68 balls, and the experience of Paul Collingwood guided the England crew home with a fine 75 off 100 balls. New boy Craig Kieswetter hit a rapid 19 off 26, before being stumped. Kieswetter’s inclusion came at the expense of Joe Denly after all, and not fellow wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

There may well have been calls, and justifiable ones to include two spinners in the attack, with James Tredwell awaiting his chance at full international level. But only front line spinner Graham Swann was selected, and enjoyed the conditions in the sub-continent, taking 3-32. England used a total of seven bowlers, which may highlight the fact that there is room for improvement, especially in the front line pace attack. Still, England look strong and will have to face some more spin in the second ODI on Tuesday.

Second One Day International
England to win: 3/6 at Bwin
Bangladesh to win: 5/1 at BetFred

Series Outright
England to win: 1/66 at Totesport
Bangladesh to win: 20/1 at Bet365

A brilliant batting performance by Eoin Morgan, ably backed up by Kevin Pietersen, helped England to a convincing win in the first of two Twenty20 matches against Pakistan. After some great bowling from Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, England put in one of their great fielding performances, to restrict Pakistan to 129 for 8 after their 20 innings. Things didn’t start well in England’s riposte, as openers Jonathan Trott (4) and Joe Denly (1) both fell incredibly cheaply. Fortunately, coming to England’s rescue was Kevin Pietersen, who has looked nowhere near his immaculate best since returning from injury on the tour of South Africa. He looked steady though, getting back to what he does best, creaming the ball all over the park, scoring 43 from 43 balls. It was Eoin Morgan’s heroics though, coming in after Captain Paul Collingwood had gone for a duck, that really pushed England along. His blistering attack, scoring 67 from 51 balls, was full of control, composure, and some fine stroke play. He won the game for England, with two fours and a six, with an over and a half to spare.

The seven wicket victory by England, will boost the players, who haven’t exactly showed a lot of promise in this abridged version of the game. These are warm ups ahead of the tour of Bangladesh, and good practice ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 Championships in April. There are, evidently, still problems in the opening positions, but England have tinkered and juggled players around the top batting order so much, they look to be sticking with this duo. But that will only last as long as they are performing. Waiting in the wings is Craig Kieswetter, who is on tour with the England Lions, and is tearing up the bowling which is being thrown at him, even helping the Lions to defeat the senior England squad in a warm up match.

But Pakistan, who should have all the tools in place to be a great side, will welcome the return of Shahid Afridi on Saturday. Afridi was banned for two games after being caught biting the ball in a match against Australia recently. Pakistan are also without their star bowler Mohammed Asif for the games in Dubai, as the UAE won’t let him in after being stopped for opium possession in 2008. There should be some kind of fight back from Pakistan on Saturday, and although they have not been in great form since winning the Twenty20 World Cup last year, they are still an awesome threat with some quality players. Recent infighting and discipline problems in the team though, won’t have helped either.

Second Twenty20 International
Pakistan to win: 10/11 at Boylesports
England: Evens at Totesport

England are set to play Pakistan in back to back Twenty20 Internationals, on Friday and Saturday. These are warm up matches ahead of the tour of Bangladesh, which runs from February 23 to March 24. The two matches are a stern test against one of the best exponents of the shortened format of the game. Although England do not play Bangladesh at Twenty20 during the tour, there is a matter of three ODI’s and two Test matches. England’s first team warmed up against the England Lions, a match which the selectors should have been casting a good eye over, as the Lions, essentially England’s B team, beat the star studded main team.

The Lions’ success was largely down to South African born wicket keeper Craig Kieswetter, who is having a remarkable tour with the Lions. His average in his matches on tour? 93. Yes, 93. That’s stark contrast to the England senior top five, who all went cheaply in the friendly contest. But England have ruled out any place for Kieswetter in the two Twenty20 matches against Pakistan, simply because they are trying to build a top order around Joe Denly and Jonathan Trott. England apparently want to put trust in gaining some kind of continuity. This will of course mean that keeper Matt Prior will be under severe pressure to perform. Spinner Adil Rashid always made a claim for his future in the senior England squad after taking 3-22.

But as England’s next endeavour in Twenty20 doesn’t come until April in the ICC World Twenty20, England are choosing not to switch up the order again. There is of course no Andrew Strauss on the tour of the UAE and Bangladesh, as controversially he has decided to take himself a break away from the game after a long year. The tour of Bangladesh should be England’s easiest contest in another action packed year of cricket, but Strauss’s decision has left pundits scratching their heads as to how the England captain can walk away from leading his team at his leisure. The England captain’s argument is that he wants to be sharp and ready for the year ahead, which includes the defence of the Ashes. Opening batsman Alistair Cook takes over the captaincy for the Test Matches in Bangladesh, while Paul Collingwood will carry on captaining the Twenty20 side.

England 2010 Tour of Bangladesh Dates

One Day Internationals v Bangladesh
February 28th, Mirpur
March 2nd, Mirpur
March 5th, Chittagong

Test Matches v Bangladesh
March 12th to 16th, Chittagong
March 20th to 24th, Mirpur

BANGLADESH v ENGLAND BETTING

First ODI (3 matches)
England to win: 1/4 at Totesport
Bangladesh to win: 15/4 at Bwin

ODI Series Betting
England to win: 2/7 at SkyBet
Bangladesh: 4/1 at Blue Square

PAKISTAN v ENGLAND BETTING
1st Twenty20 International
England to win: 6/5 at Totesport
Pakistan to win: 10/11 at SportingBet

SERIES BETTING: England v Pakistan Twenty 20 (2 Matches)
Pakistan to win: 11/5 at Stan James
England to win: 7/2 at Totesport
Drawn Series: 11/10 at Ladbrokes

While England gear up for the two Twenty20 matches against Pakistan on February 19th and 20th, there has been some fascinating cricket going on in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers. What is this you may ask? It is a competition for the associated cricket nations (those nations who are yet to gain Test status) to gain entry into the ICC World Twenty20 Championships in April. Eight teams started the competition, Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Holland, Scotland, USA and hosts United Arab Emirates. Looking at the list of nations, it would have been easy to assume who the group winners would have been. After making their mark in the last Twenty20 World Cup by beating England, the Netherlands, in a group with Kenya, Canada and UAE, started out as favourites. Likewise in the Group A, Ireland, who beat Bangladesh in the World Cup, should have been a lot stronger than USA, Scotland and Afghanistan.

But the tournament threw up some major surprises with Afghanistan winning Group A, and the United Arab Emirates winning Group B. Yes, really. Both of those nations won all of their three group games (including a fascinating tussle where Afghanistan beat the USA) to progress to the Super Four league stage, along with runners up Ireland and Netherlands. In the Super Four stage, Ireland already have one foot in the door of the final, but need a win against the Dutch on Saturday to book their place at the full tournament to be held in the West Indies. With all four teams winning one and losing one match in the Super Four, it all boils down to a semi final shoot out really, with the winner of Ireland v Holland, playing the winner of Afghanistan and the UAE. Both of those games and the final will be played on Saturday.

Super Four Final Round of Matches
Afghanistan v UAE (started at 8am GMT)
Ireland v Netherlands (12:00 GMT)
Final (4pm GMT)

The top two teams in the Super Four stage will play a Final for the honours of winning the tournament, but both teams will qualify for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Championships which are being held in the West Indies at the end of April. The winner of the Qualifier tournament, will go into a three-team group in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Championship, along with South Africa and India, and the Runner-Up of the Qualifier tournament will go into Group D, which includes hosts West Indies and England.

Super Four Match Price:
Ireland to win: 4/7 at Paddy Power
Netherlands to win: 5/4 at Paddy Power

Groups for 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Championships
Group A: Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia
Group B: Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe
Group C: South Africa, India + Winner of Qualifier
Group D: West Indies, England + Runner Up of Qualifier

Outright 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Championships
South Africa: 9/2 at Totesport
India: 5/1 at Ladbrokes
Australian: 11/2 at Boylesports
Sri Lanka: 11/2 at Boylesports
Pakistan: 6/1 at Victor Chandler
West Indies: 9/1 at Victor Chandler
England: 12/1 at Boylesports
New Zealand: 12/1 Totesport
Bangladesh: 60/1 at Bwin
Zimbabwe: 2501/ at Coral

There has been a major shake up in the world of South African cricket, ahead of their tour in India which starts on February 6th. Coach Mickey Arthur, who was never one to shy away from expressing his personal views, has stepped down from his position, and the board of selectors have also been cleared out. Selectors Mustapha Khan, Craig Matthews and the awesomely named Winky Ximiya have all made way from their position.

The Proteas, who salvaged a Test series draw against England on home turf, could be suffering from a case of political head butting, as Arthur cited too many differences between himself and Cricket South Africa. Apparantly all of this means that he could not take the team in the direction in which he wanted. Corrie van Zyl has stepped in an interim coach, and will lead the national side in their difficult tour in India. There had been many rumblings that Arthur and South African captain Graeme Smith simply did not get, on, but Arthur suggests otherwise, that simply he and the CSA didn’t weren’t heading in the same direction.

Arthur had been at the helm of South African cricket for five years, elevating them to the position of being the best team in the world. Apparently the list of results was not good enough the powers that be, and this caused conflict. South Africa failed to produce in any tournaments in 2009, and the most recent failure to punish England in the Test series, clearly didn’t help matters behind the scenes either. Their world status had appeared to have started to flatter to deceive. The tour in India now takes on extra precendence in which direction the future of South African cricket really takes.

India to win: Evens at Blue Square
Drawn Series: 9/4 at William Hill
South Africa: 3/1 at SkyBet

South Africa vs. England Fourth Test, Johannesberg January 14th – 18th: It is not often that you see a South African cricket team under so much pressure. Certainly is hasn’t been that way in recent times, as the Proteas have risen to the top of the cricket world. But the arrival of England in the Rainbow Nations has set the cat amongst the pigeons. With the score at 1-0 in the visitor’s favour, and with just one test left to play in the series, the South Africans, led by Graham Smith, needs to rally everything they can to save themselves from utter embarrassment of losing a series on home soil. This is the side that not too long ago in terms of test cricket, who beat Australia somewhat comprehensively, and little chance was given to England on their tour.

It is not as if England have been great, but they have been battling. Boy, have they been battling. From saving the first test, to a brilliant batting performance to win the second, England again had their backs against the walls, needing Graham Onions’ defensive batting skills to get them out of trouble. Onions had to survive the last over to hang onto a draw which should have been a lot more comfortable that it should have been in the end. But there are a lot of positives to take from England’s displays so far, even if they have not collectively been brilliant. On the batting front, Ian Bell has rewarded the selectors with some controlled play, sticking around and posting scores at number six, just when England needed a steadying hand the most.

Where England would have been without Paul Collingwood too, on the tour, makes one wonder. Colly has arguably been England’s star performer, in the field and with the bat. He has that stick-ability to bring everything under control, and when he needs to simply defend his stumps, he looks more than comfortable. He is often the glue that holds performances together. Jonathan Trott has shown glimpses of his value to the England batting line-up, looking accomplished and a fine stroke player, even if he has been ruffling the feathers of South Africa with his long preparations as the crease. Alistair Cook has also found his runs again, but needs to have a little more self belief. The one failure in the batting department has been Kevin Pietersen. OK, he has come back from a long injury, but there will still have been a little more expected of him. He has looked hesitant and a long way out of form.

What has been one of the major factors, is that the South Africans haven’t been whipping down the England wickets as much as they were expected to. At times the bowling from the Proteas has looked as uninventive and predictable as a lot of England’s bowlers were expected to produce. Ntini was guilty of being the worst of the South African bowlers, which cost his place, and only in the third Test did Dale Steyn look anything like the true world class bowler that he is. But the support has not been there, and that was supposed to be England’s problem. Morne Morkel has been blowing hot and cold, and Paul Harris in the battle of the spinners with England’s Graeme Swann has definitely looked second best. Now with Friedel de Wet, Ntini’s replacement looking likely to miss the fourth Test, South Africa could be forced into some changes. Wayne Parnell looks the likely replacement, and will be making his test debut after stepping out of the One Day format. But as well as beefing up the bowling, they need a more steadying presence at opener as well.

Perhaps after beating Australia in the Ashes last year, coming away from South Africa, not having lost the series, should not be so much of a surprise. England have chosen their moments to attack when necessary, despite playing themselves into trouble at times. Even positives can be taken from that, in that they have been on the brink a couple of times, but managed to fall and collapse completely to the point of defeat. The reverse swing of this, will be that it will have been increasingly frustrating for South African cricket that they have not been able to produce that killer instinct when needed. They have pushed England to the brink, but they could not topple them over. A lot of credit has to be given to Andrew Strauss and England for that.

So the Fourth Test should see the Proteas fired up and ready to get stuck into England. It has been reported that Captain Smith wants a quick, attacking track, so that they can try and force the game one way or other (this will reduce the chances of a draw if you are thinking of betting on a drawn match outcome). That is exactly what South Africa will need to do. They need to take the game to England and to try and stop England simply doing their best to sway proceedings towards a drawn game. That is all England need to do, but will need to be wary of not falling into the trap of going out there on the first morning and playing for a draw from the outset. They need to keep doing what they have been doing well, and improve upon the things they have not been. There is plenty to more to come from the England bowlers one feels, even the Stuart Broad and James Anderson have had their moments in the sun, they too need a little more penetration. Graham Onions has been consistent with his bowling but has not taken as many wickets as an England fan would like to see, and much of the bowling spotlight has been rightly focused on spinner Graeme Swann. Swann has dominated with the ball, and made so many important break-through. He has given the South African batsmen plenty to think about, and more, mixing up his deliveries well, something which Monty Panesar could not do.

So the two combatants will enter the arena again on Thursday, with a lot to play for. The crowds have been brilliant so far, and the cricket has lived up to the expectations. There have been thrilling finishes, issues over the referral system and allegations of ball tampering with Stuart Broad standing on the ball. The Fourth Test promises as much excitement again with both a momentous Test series victory, and a morale breaking defeat on the line.

South Africa vs. England Fourth Test Outright Winner
South Africa to win: 13/8 at BetFred
Draw: 15/8 at SportingBet
England to win: 5/2 at Ladbrokes

Top England Batsman – Andrew Strauss 6/1 at 888Sport
Top South Africa Batsman – Hashim Alma 5/1 at Ladbrokes

Top England Bowler – Graeme Swann 11/4 at Stan James
Top South African Bowler – Dale Steyn 2/1 at Blue Square

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

South Africa vs England Second Test
Kingsmead
Starts December 26th

Where do the England cricket team turn to next? There has been much talk of how England’s stubborn defence in the face of adversity, saw them to a draw in the First Test against South Africa, just as it did in the Ashes of the summer against Australia. That’s all well and good, but they got themselves into a situation that should not have transpired. Yes, they survived, but unlike in the summer, the difference here, is that England do not have the comfort of playing at home in condititions suited to their bowlers, and this will be a huge factor considering the South Africans are likely to be getting stronger when pace bowler Dale Steyn returns for the second test.

England’s bowling is in question, perhaps not over the quality, but the variety of threat of which they are able to pose. Aside from Graeme Swann spinning his way through a lot of overs and getting his just rewards, Graham Onions looked the next best bowler, only by the fact that he showed a lot of control and consistency. However, even that did not look as threatening as it should have been against the South African batsmen. England do not have the luxury of calling anyone into the team from the squad, who will provide a spark of something different to help the cause.

One can wax lyrical about the greatness of Andrew Flintoff, but his day as Test player for England has gone, and it is evident that there is no-one there to replace the big man. England are lacking a serious, fast paced impact bowler to mix things up. On his day, James Anderson can tear through defences, but the conditions in South Africa do not appear to be suiting him. England rely heavily on great swing bowling, something that Anderson and Ryan Sidebottom (who is not as fast as Anderson), do well back in England.

There was debate over whether or not Andrew Strauss should have gone with five bowlers for the attack in the First Test. Sidebottom would be the best option, ahead of Liam Plunkett, who does offer a bit more pace, but has been on the periphery. But is there a point, if the ball is not going to swing for Sidebottom? He has made an impact in the tour, taking a five wicket haul after coming back from injury in a warm up game, but Strauss will also be worried by the fact that the batting completely collapsed in the second innings of the first test. Everything on the final afternoon should have been a lot more comfortable than it was. It took Graham Onions to see out the last over and salvage a draw for England.

If another bowler comes in, then Ian Bell, who failed again to make an impact, would go out. That would leave more pressure on Matt Prior and Stuart Broad with the bat, as they move up the order. England have problems at the top of the order with Alistair Cook unable to find an ounce of form, so is it better to have two below par batsmen in, and sacrifice again on the extra bowler. That will probably be the case as the selectors will probably stick with the same team, not expecting conditions at Kingsmead to suit the England style of bowling attack.

Graeme Smith, South Africa’s captain, has already started his Alex Ferguson style mentality games, citing that England are probably scarred from the horrendous collapse they suffered, which started with a rush of blood to the head from Kevin Pietersen when he was looking well set for a century. South Africa, on paper, and on the field, look much the stronger team, but England have this hit and miss quality. They can catch fire and look great, but then look embarrasingly bad at times, mostly when it is largely down to being the orchestrator of their own downfall. Put simply, South Africa have options, where the England touring party do not.

But no doubt Andrew Strauss would see it another way, England could have collapsed and suffered a defeat, which would have been worse, after seeing five wickets go for just 13 runs. Onions and man of the series so far, Paul Collingwood, showed some stiff upper lip to survive. Perhaps it is Smith who would be suffering more, for failing to take advantage of the situation and win. If South Africa get ahead in the series, it could be curtains for England, as they will be demoralised and it will be a long way back. The second test is crucial, and the England coaches have a lot of work to do, to patch up some holes in the England team.

South Africa vs. England Series (4 matches)
South Africa to win – 5/6 at William Hill
Draw: 3/1 at SkyBet
England to win: 100/30 at Boylesports

South Africa vs. England Second Test
South Africa to win: 7/4 at SportingBet
Draw: 13/8 at 888Sport
England to win: 7/2 at BetFred

Betting Advice: England will need a slightly better showing from their top six batsman if they are to compete in the Second Test. Kevin Pietersen looks as if he is getting back to form, and that is such a massive thing for England. He, Strauss, Trott and Collingwood are carrying the team at the moment, and it needs someone else to step up, simply because it is going to be another hard toil for England to take 20 wickets in the conditions.