General

Windies at last?

Sporting Index still make South Africa firm favourites for the fourth and final Test, but having built a foundation, can the West Indies give them a surprise at Supersport Park in Centurion?

David Harris
15-Jan-2004
A dazzling debut display by Dwayne Smith and determined knocks by Ramnaresh Sarwan and Brian Lara helped guide the Windies to a draw in the third Test at Newlands. As West Indies had lost their other seven Tests on South African soil, the Cape Town stalemate must have come as welcome relief to the injury-hit tourists. Sporting Index still make South Africa firm favourites for the fourth and final Test, but having built a foundation, can the West Indies give them a surprise at Supersport Park in Centurion?
Men To Watch
Jacques Kallis - he may not be blitzing the Windies with his bowling, but his performance with the bat is a different matter. He has hit centuries in each of the three Tests to date, so it could be worth "buying" his batsman's runs at 97, ie betting that he will score more than 97 runs altogether, over both innings.
Ramnaresh Sarwan - after scoring just 13 runs in the first three innings of the series, he has upped his game in recent matches. Including his 114 at Kingsmead, he has scored over 200 runs during his last three visits to the crease. Could he and Brian Lara provide a crucial middle-order partnership? You can "buy" Lara's runs at 110, but "buying" Sarwan's at 77 over two innings could be equally tempting.
Wise Words
When asked about the series, Sporting Index's Senior Cricket Trader said: "South Africa are 2-0 up after three Tests, and have dominated the series, especially with the bat. The West Indies are heavily reliant on Lara to provide resistance. Expect lots of runs, especially from the home team ..." Commenting on Sporting's first-class service, he added: "We will be In-Running throughout the Test, including betting on Win Indices, Batsman Runs and Team Runs."
Volcano
Sporting Index have also produced a market called Volcano, in which they quote South Africa to score 40 to 60 more runs than the visitors. If you think that they will give the Windies a walloping, you would "buy" at 60, although if you think it will be a lot closer than this then you would "sell" at 40.
In oither words, for this game you have a simple choice to make for Volcano:
Will South Africa score 60 runs MORE than the Windies?
or
Will South Africa beat the West Indies by less than 40 runs, or even lose the match?
Free Bets
If you are a new user to Sporting Index, then they are offering a choice of two free cricket bets. Simply register and place ten bets to get:
  • A free £10-per-run bet on the first 15 overs of any live or televised one-day match, or
  • A free £100-per-wicket bet on a bowler's wickets in the first innings of any live or televised England Test match.
  • If neither of those appeal, alternatively you can have £100 cash deposited into your account.
    All prices correct at the time of writing.