Can Lara rally West Indies to final Test victory?

West Indies are a distant 8/1 to win at The Brit Oval in the fourth and final Test of the series. England are 4/5 to complete not only a whitewash, but a clean sweep of all the Tests played in England this year.

Punters should bear in mind that West Indies have saved the best for last in a number of recent series. Remember the world-record run-chase in the final Test against Australia in May 2003, when West Indies scored 418 to win, or Lara's run-fest earlier this year, also in Antigua? Coupled with the fact that West Indies were on top for at least some of the third Test, a bet on them for the fourth Test at 8/1 is worth consideration, at least. The draw is also worth a look at 5/4, especially in the light of a changeable weather forecast.

Lara himself must be due for a major contribution. He has just 170 runs at just over 28 in the series so far, with a top score of 95 - his only half-century in the first three Tests. With the series similarly poised going into the fourth Test in Antigua, Lara scored his world-record 400 not out. So what does he have his sleeve for The Oval? He has endured mixed fortunes at the ground in the past - in 1995 he scored a superb 175 out of a then-record 692 for 8 declared in a drawn match against Mike Atherton's side. But a duck and a 47 in 2000 were in a losing cause, as England wrested the Wisden Trophy back from West Indies for the first time in more than a generation. Taking all this into account, Lara is 5/2 to be West Indies' top runscorer in the first innings of the fourth Test.

Andrew Flintoff has been Lara's nemesis in this series. His blend of well-directed yorkers and intimidating short deliveries have certainly taken key wickets throughout - none more important than the skipper. Freddie is almost certain to be Man of the Series, and must be worth considering as Man of the Match at The Oval. He is 6/1 to top-score for England.

Stephen Harmison is another likely contender for Man of the Match. Relatively out of sorts until the second innings at Old Trafford, where he knocked over four West Indies batsmen, Harmison is likely to find the Oval's traditionally quicker pitch to his liking.

England are without the Old Trafford Man of the Match Graham Thorpe, and are likely to go into the match with a relatively inexperienced batting line-up. Leaving aside Flintoff, Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick, the other three of the top six have only 17 Tests between them. Likely starter Bell will want to make his mark and avoid becoming a one-cap wonder, and is 5/1 to top-score for England in the first innings, alongside the third-Test hero Robert Key.