Betting Blog

England backed to bounce back from Barbados. But will they?

After breezing into their tour of the Caribbean, England hit the buffers in spectacular fashion

Roston Chase and Jason Holder celebrate West Indies' victory  •  Getty Images

Roston Chase and Jason Holder celebrate West Indies' victory  •  Getty Images

Well, that's put the cat among the pigeons. After breezing into their tour of the Caribbean with a run of five consecutive Test wins under their belt, England hit the buffers in no uncertain terms in the first Test in Barbados. Their 381-run drubbing has transformed the narrative of the tour, and put West Indies on course to defend a very proud home record against England.
In the course of 51 years dating back to 1968, England have won just one series in the Caribbean, in 2004, and despite that battering, they remain 5/4 to buck that history and win the remaining contests in Antigua and St Lucia for a 2-1 series victory. The trouble is, West Indies are 11/10 favourites - a recognition both of their dominance in Bridgetown and of the resilience they have previously shown when England come to town.
In terms of the Antigua Test alone, however, England are improbably strong favourites to bounce back and square the series. They are 8/15 compared to West Indies' 13/5, a reflection of how stung they were by defeat in Barbados, of the likelihood that they will rectify the team selection that let them down on that occasion, and also the fact that they are now more battle-hardened, having skipped a proper warm-up prior to the first Test in favour of a glorified four-day net.
If you fancy a punt on the correct series score, there are some interesting odds on offer. For West Indies to hold onto a 1-0 win - which was sufficient for victory in 2009, in very similar circumstances, it is 33/1. England, as above, are 5/4 to win 2-1, while the 1-1 draw is 11/2. It's all to play for.