England v South Africa Test Match Betting 2008
Test match cricket betting continues for summer 2008 with England looking to take on South Africa in the first test on July10th at Lord`s. This is such an eagerly awaited contest for cricket betting fans as South Africa always present a test in terms their ability but also at a mental level. The South African psyche is one that wants to get under your skin and unsettle the batsmen in particlular and there`s no more master of this than Mark Boucher behind the stumps.
Our Top Recommended Bookmakers for England v South Africa Test Match Cricket Betting
| William Hill (£25 Free Bets) | Betfair (£25 Free Bets) | |
| Betinternet (£25 Free Bets) | Paddy Power (£25 Free Bets) | |
| Skybet (£50 Free Bets) | Sporting Index (£200 Free Bets) |
Money on the bowling.
The psychological test for England will be huge in this series but the level of bowling will also be a step up to another level after the New Zealand series. The big name in the South African fast bowling battery is not the crazy-eyed Andre Nel, who himself will be at the England top order from the first delivery, but Dale Steyn has evolved over the past couple of seasons to be up there with the best in the world. His pace has gradually increased to make him a consistent, genuinely quick bowler who now generates around 90mph on a regular basis but it it is the movement in the air that will no doubt be the greatest challenge for England at the crease.
If you examine the other South African bowlers then you get a mix of pace and aggression from Andre Nel and Dale Steyn with nagging accuracy and length bowling by Ntini and Pollock.
Nel will no doubt be generating genuine pace and aggression together with bulging eyes and filthy looks to the batsmen at the end of his run up. Steyn will be delivering the same, or more, pace with dangerous amounts of swing and seam movement. Pollock will get straight into a Glenn McGrath-type rhythm on a precise line whereas Ntini will give the usual slanting angle to vary the South African attack and really challenge the England left handers.
How about the batting?
In the batting area, England have simply got to perform from the openers, through the middle order and even the tail. South Africa have a gutsy line up all the way down and it's questionable as to whether England have the penetration in our pace attack to pin them back. James Anderson has shown some class against New Zealand if the ball is swinging but shows a lack of threat if it isn't. The same could be said about Sidebottom. Stuart broad will bowl his heart out but he'll need to get more movement off the seam to worry the South Africans. If one bowler could give the South Africans a worry then it could be Monty Panasaar. Everyone knows that he is now world class and a lot rests on his shoulders if our pace attack fails to break through the South African top order.
The South Africans have a solid line up that is difficult to get out. they are all mentally tough and show application that can only be compaered to the Australians. Graham Smith will not relish facing Sidebottom`s inswingers to him after Hoggard troubled him in this way in 2005.
Jaques Kallis will provide the batting lessons for england, as he does in any series. He is a world class batsmen who is the guy who will stand and fight if all others around him are falling. He1s not getting any younger but but his experience gives a solid figure to the top order and he will be the main man that England will need to target.