England v Sri Lanka Test Match Cricket Betting
England v Sri Lanka Cricket Betting Preview
England's forthcoming test series in Sri Lanka promises to be a serious test of mettle for the tourists who are struggling to maintain their ranking as the second best side in test cricket.
England have history with Sri Lanka
Before they even begin to contemplate the fact that Sri Lanka, who host the second hardest venue for a visiting team to record a test victory, have lost only 15% of their home matches since 2001, they must grapple with the unbelievable heat and humidity. It is with good reason that spin bowling has taken a prominent place in Sri Lankan cricket. Fast bowling is such a demand upon the fitness and strength of a player that it can only be used wisely and sparingly. England goes into this series with two spinners, Panesar and Swann.
England won in Sri Lanka in 2001 but here, today, they are the underdogs. Having won only two of their seven Test series since the Ashes win in 2005, England have much to prove. It's encouraging that the England fast bowlers, particularly Sidebottom, caused much trauma among the Sri Lankan top order in the 3-2 one-day victory in November.
Quicks could be Key
Hopefully Harmison will regain form to challenge the incumbencies of Anderson or Broad who are both playing well at the moment. Although Sri Lanka have just taken what some might call a trouncing in Australia they are now on home ground and one crucial difference is that their opponents are England.
England will play with four specialist bowlers and it is worth noting that Kandy, the venue for the first encounter, has a pitch which responds well to pace and bounce so Panesar and Swann may be competing for a place in the first encounter. Harmison may struggle to find a place among the pacers with Sidebottom, Anderson, Broad and Hoggard looking good at the moment.
The customary bats will occupy the first five England slots but will Shah or Bopera be selected for number six? Insiders suggest it will be Shah. It's worth bearing in mind that this is the youngest team England has fielded for many a year and one of the youngest in the world.
Sri Lankan Experience could affect Test Match Betting
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, contains a wealth of seasoned experience. In fact, this could be Jayasuriya's final series and Muralitharan is long in the tooth at 35. Having said that, look to him to grab the most test wickets- he needs only five to overtake the legendary Shane Warne. Arguably, how we cope with Muralitharan, will determine the outcome of this series. Vaas, Malinga and Fernando complete the Sri Lankan bowling threat and should not be underestimated.
The Sinhalese Sports Club, in the capital Colombo, is the site for the second test. England won there in 2001 but the home side have lost there only once, to Australia, in their last twelve games. More than usual effort will be required to triumph on this occasion.
The final test is at Galle. This venue was devastated in the tsunami tragedy but since then the ground has been rebuilt and this will be the first match there for three years. It will be a poignant moment and Sri Lanka will be desperate to win. If England are down when they get to Galle then grounds for optimism are thin indeed.
A feast for Test Match Cricket Betting
All in all this promises to be a fascinating series with both sides struggling to put recent poor form behind them. England must stand firm, not bottle out and keep reminding themselves that Marvan Atapatu, a former captain and current team member, has described the Sri Lankan selectors as muppets and jokers for their approach to the selection of the home team.