ENGLAND v WEST INDIES 3rd Test: Our new cricket tipster The Edge previews the third and deciding Test between England v West Indies at Old Trafford with a recommended BETDAQ bet.
The Edge has been a professional cricket trader for over 12 years, and we are delighted to have his columns on BETDAQ Tips. He provides his best bets on a points scale between 1 and 5, with 5 being a rare max bet.
Because we see so much action in-running on cricket, he will also provide some in-running strategies that could develop in-play and lead to some excellent value bets. The Edge covers all forms of cricket: Test Matches, ODI’s and T20’s but his favourite competition is the Indian Premier League each season.
MATCH OVERVIEW:
First off, let me say that I am delighted to join BETDAQ Tips and I hope to tip many winners as cricket gets back into the swing of things. What a way to start too, after two excellent Test matches we now have a series decider in Old Trafford on Friday.
England welcomed back Archer into the squad this week after breaching protocols and while that is good news for England, they do have a selection headache. It’s not a bad thing to have so many excellent bowlers to choose from – however it is a tricky decision to get right. If West Indies can draw here they will retain the Wisden Trophy and that will also leave England with just one win from their last five Test Series (not including one off Tests).
We have weather issues at the weekend, but everything is set up perfectly for an excellent Test match! Ben Stokes has been the star of the series for England, and how West Indies deal with him will go a long way to deciding the result.
WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:
As noted above, we do have weather issues. As I write this preview on Wednesday, the forecast looks ok for Friday at the moment but Saturday looks very poor. My view would be any play on Saturday would be a bonus, but given the excellent drainage of the Test grounds in England we could see some overs late on. Don’t write off the day too early.
From there, we could get some showers but the forecast looks reasonable. I feel that even allowing for a washout Saturday there will be enough time for a result. The good thing about losing time early in the Test match is that allows more time to be made up with extra overs on the final three days. At the time of writing, I don’t see the forecast getting any worse than it is at the moment.
The pitch is expected to have more pace than the second Test. It’s a couple of strips away from the one used for the second Test, and it’s reasonable to expect early wickets. With the overhead conditions surely you have to bowl first if you win the toss.
RECOMMENDED BET:
I really like the draw lay here at the current odds of 2.86. England aren’t going to be holding back and while a draw might suit West Indies, the overhead conditions will make this for a very tough batting period for them. If England win the toss, we could easily see a low West Indies first inning score and England might be able to win by an innings should their batting click.
I fully take on board that we may get no play on Saturday, but there is a slim chance that we do get some as I type and any play would indeed be a bonus. We can make up time in the final three days and that just increases the pressure over the last two days. Both sides have been good with the ball in hand and England should improve with Archer back. Neither side are reliable with the bat either, and with cloudy conditions we can easily see a low scoring Test match. I’m very happy to lay the draw at under 3.0.
The Edge Says:
Three points lay (liability) The Draw at 3.0.
View the market here -> https://bit.ly/BDQEngWi3rd
IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:
This Test should present a couple of fascinating in-running moves. With more pace expected in the wicket for this Test and a reasonably cloudy forecast from mid-to-late afternoon the batting side first up will have plenty of issues. The bowling side definitely present a trade in Friday with plenty of wicket taking opportunities all day. There could be excellent bowling conditions late in the day too.
With Saturday likely being a washout, the draw will go shorter in-play if we don’t see the game moving forward on Friday. As we have seen in both Tests, neither side is bombproof when batting and I would be very interested in a draw lay top up after seeing where we stand on Saturday evening.
Making up the time allows for a longer final day too, and we can easily see the team trying to hang on crumble on the final day. There’s plenty of in-play trading opportunities in this one!
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