England gear up for unpredictable series

As England acclimatise by the pool in Jamaica, bet365 make West Indies narrow favourites to win the Test series - they are 21/20, while England are 2/1.

Both sides have a mediocre recent record. England's 1-0 defeat in Sri Lanka hardly got the media - or the punters - excited, while West Indies trudged around South Africa amid rumours of internal strife and selection disputes.

The truth of the matter is that these are two sides who are a long way from their best - which is partly why the contest is such a fascinating and unpredictable one.

A 4-0 "blackwash" of old is pretty unlikely given West Indies' troubles, but bet365 consider this much more likely than a 4-0 win for England. West Indies are 25/1 to win 4-0, while England are 80/1 to achieve the same result in their favour. In football, 2-1 is the most frequent scoreline, and bet365 feel that this is also the case for this series. Allowing for one drawn Test, this could be a good result to back. An England 2-1 win is 11/2, while 2-1 to West Indies is 4/1 favourite in this market.

There are some attractive odds elsewhere in the market. A 3-1 win for England is 18/1, while a 3-1 win for West Indies is also attractive at 11/1. Yet even a price of 40/1 will not convince punters that these sides have the quality to draw four matches and leave the series 0-0.

The Top England batsman market has changed little in the run-up to the tour. Few of the England batsmen can claim to be in any sort of form, with only Michael Vaughan recording a century in Sri Lanka. Vaughan himself has never toured the West Indies, but is 9/4 favourite to top-score for England in the Tests. Of the senior batsmen, Graham Thorpe (4/1) has the best average - just over 34 in 11 Tests there. Nasser Hussain (6/1) averages only 28.21 from nine Tests in the Caribbean. These figures look less ordinary when compared to Mark Butcher's 15.62 from five Tests - so all in all the batsmen have a lot to prove against an inexperienced West Indies attack.

Lower in the Top England batsman market comes an interesting comparison. While Chris Read is 40/1 to be top England runscorer, Geraint Jones is only 30/1, perhaps reflecting the uncertainty of Read's tenancy following a mediocre time with the bat since his return to the wicketkeeping role.

The main talking-point in recent weeks has been the fitness - or otherwise - of Simon Jones. Summoned from the England A tour in India, Jones's injury problems appear to have resurfaced, as he is undergoing tests for shin-splints. If he makes the flight, he is 4/1 to take most West Indies wickets. Ashley Giles returned to form in Sri Lanka, and is a good bet at 11/2. Matthew Hoggard is the surprise favourite at 5/2, even though he's not certain of a place, ahead of the North East's very own favourite, Steve Harmison, at 11/4. Andy Flintoff, who is expected to have a heavy workload, is decent value at 5/1.