Bangladesh touch 100-1 to win the Second Test

Well, if we didn't already know it, then last week's shambles of a Test match at Lord's showed that Bangladesh still have a long way to go if they're to become a competitive side in the Test arena.

Victors in just over two days, England are now unbackable to win the series, while the draw - for which the tourists would, of course, have to win this week's second Test - is now 100/1 (101.00), having been just 16-1 before the start of the Lord's Test.

Bet365 have now published their adjusted prices, and unsurprisingly they make Bangladesh 100/1 (101.00) to win the second Test, a price that I have never seen on offer at the start of any Test match. England are 1/100 (1.01) while the draw is 16/1 (17.00). The Lord's result means their Test record now reads: played 37, won one, lost 32 and drawn four, while they've now lost 18 of their 20 Tests away from home.

England could not have done any more than they did, and they will be confident of wrapping up another series triumph with victory this week at the Riverside, Chester-le-Street, where they have only played one Test before, against Zimbabwe in 2003. For the record, England won the match by nine wickets, inside three days.

Player markets
With such an overall mismatch, punters may have more luck in the individual player markets. Marcus Trescothick topscored last weekend for England in their first innings with 194 when he was a 5/2 (3.50) chance, while captain Michael Vaughan, batting at No 3, hit 120. Both men improved their averages. Trescothick now averages exactly 100 against the minnows, while Vaughan is on 82. Trescothick is again the joint favourite to be topscorer at 5/2 (3.50), with Andrew Strauss, who missed out with "just" 69 at Lord's, and who will be keen to make amends at the Riverside. Vaughan is 7/2 (4.50). Ian Bell is 5/1 (6.00) and Andrew Flintoff and Graham Thorpe are 15/2 (8.50).

It is unlikely that Bangladesh will play as badly again as they did at Lord's, so expect improved performances from some of their better players. Picking which one of them will top score in the first innings, however, is something of a lottery. Mohammad Ashraful, who's 5/1 (6.00), will be keen to show England the kind of form which took him to 158 against India, while captain Habibul Bashar, the 4/1 favourite (5.00) also has a point to prove.

In the bowling markets, Matthew Hoggard took the most wickets at Lord's (six) but Steve Harmison snapped up four, and he would appear to be the likely favourite to top the stats this time round, on his home ground. The big fast bowler has been in fine form for his county in the first month of the season and, after a disappointing winter, looks to be back into his rhythm once again. He'll also be keen to impress in front of his home crowd, and will relish the chance to get at the Bangladesh top order again.

For Bangladesh, the slow left-armer Mohammad Rafique, who has taken a healthy 68 wickets in 19 Tests, did not disgrace himself at Lord's, but their opening bowler Marshrafe Mortaza may shade favouritism after his two wickets last week.