England batsmen must be nimble

SPORTS BETTING: 

ANDREW Strauss this week told England’s one-day batsmen to throw off their shackles and attack opposition bowlers.

The former England captain argued that without such an approach his compatriots might as well forget about lifting the World Cup, which gets under way Down Under in February.

I get where Strauss is coming from, but for me it’s England’s handling of spin bowling which is their Achilles heel.

On occasions in the last few years, England have started well enough, only to fall apart at the first sight of spin.

Use your feet, lads, starting next Wednesday when England play the first of seven ODIs in Sri Lanka.

Unless the likes of Alex Hales, Eoin Morgan, Ravi Bopara et al don’t do so, England will inevitably fall way short of the targets they need and will be in for a pretty miserable time on the Sub-Continent.

The bookies reckon that will be the case and make the hosts 1-2 to come out on top.

England are 2-1 and, looking further ahead, 10-1 to win the World Cup itself.

Australia, with home advantage are the 11-4 favourites, with South Africa 4-1 and reigning champions India 6-1.



PHIL Taylor beat Dave Chisnall to win the Grand Slam of Darts at the weekend, a victory which appears to have set him up nicely for next month’s assault on a 17th World Championship.

Taylor is the man the bookies fear and is the 2-1 favourite, but reigning champion Michael van Gerwen will not give up his title lightly and is only 5-2 for a successful defence.

The resurgent James Wade is 12-1 and dual champion Adrian Lewis 14-1, alongside Gary Anderson.