South Africa v England - 5th ODI spread tips

We go in to the 5th ODI at East London with England needing a victory get their campaign back on the straight and narrow. Spread betting bookmaker Sporting Index is running some interesting betting markets on the series, so we spoke to their Senior Cricket Trader for his thoughts ahead of the next match:

"East London is not a particularly high-scoring pitch, and although I wouldn't describe it as a bog, I'd be surprised to see either team getting many more than 230 runs there. Also, the home side continue to demonstrate superior depth in both batting and bowling. Given that their current form is on the ascent I can't see them losing on Wednesday.

"We're hopeful that Steve Harmison's game will start to pick up, and although Pietersen is covering up the cracks it's becoming more clear just how reliant England are on what Andrew Flintoff brings to the table. With all the momentum behind South Africa, and England's batsmen failing to convince, I'll be backing South Africa to win this one."

Player Performance
Sporting Index run the largest range of cricket spread betting markets available. One of the most popular is based on an individual player's performance in a match. Points are awarded on the following basis:

For example, in the 4th ODI, Kallis got 71 runs, caught Vaughan and claimed Bell's wicket. Therefore, his Performance was 71 + 10 + 20 = 101.

For the 5th ODI, Sporting Index are predicting his Performance will total 55 to 60 points. You now have a simple choice to make:

Will Kallis' Performance total be MORE than 60 points?
Or
Will Kallis' Performance total be LESS than 55 points?

If you think that Kallis will repeat his achievements, then you would "Buy" (bet high) at 60 points, let's say for a stake of £2 per point. If you're right and he goes on to repeat exactly the same Performance (ie a total of 101 points), then you would win (101 - 60) x £2 = 41 x £2 = £82.

If, however, Kallis manages 2 wickets and a catch but has a bad day at the crease and is out for a duck, then his Performance would total 50 points (2 wickets = 40, plus 1 catch = 10, plus 0 runs = 0). If you had "bet high" at 60 points, you would lose (60 - 50) x £2 = 10 x £2 = £20.

Alternatively, if you think that Kallis will not perform as well in this match, you would "Sell" (bet low) at 55 points. How much you win or lose again depends on how right or wrong you are.

South Africa v England Performance Special
Sporting Index are running a special promotion for all clients, new and existing, for these matches:

Buy (bet high on) a player's performance in any of the matches in this series, and if he is named Man of the Match, they'll add 10 points on to his final result.

Place Your Bets
That should give you something to think about. If you are considering having a punt then there is no better time to open an account with Sporting Index. They offer the widest range of cricket spreads and some very generous free bets for new clients. Simply open an account now, and after 10 bets (risking at least £20 per bet) you can claim your choice of:

A free £10 per run cricket bet (worth up to £500)
Or
A free £100 per wicket bet (worth up to £500)
Or
A free £200 per goal football bet (worth up to £1000)
Or
£100 cashback straight into your account.