Morgan, Buttler can lead assault

SPORTS BETTING:

ENGLAND’S cricketers need to restore their shattered confidence – and quickly.

Slaughtered in all three forms of the game in Australia, England must somehow find the skill and resolve to beat the West Indies in a three-match ODI series in Antigua from Friday.

Ashley Giles’ men can ill afford to go into next month’s Twenty20 World Cup on the back of more

setbacks, so this latest series is of huge significance.

And the bookmakers can’t make up their mind whether it will be a thumbs-up or more failure.

Both teams can be backed at even money to win the series, but it’s the top England batsman market which interests me most.

Our two stand-out players Down Under were Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, and both should be supported to top the run charts this time.

Morgan is the pivotal middle-order batsman, while I expect Buttler to be given a chance higher up the order to obtain maximum benefit from his clean striking. Their respective prices of 4-1 and 10-1 are extremely fair.



IT’S all to play for when South Africa take on Australia in the third and final Test in Cape Town on Saturday.

Both sides were dominant in their respective Test victories, so I can’t understand why the hosts are such strong favourites at 6-5 to win this game. Australia are 2-1, and the draw 3-1.

Purely on value, the Aussies should be backed.



RECOMMENDATIONS: Eoin Moran, 4-1 (general) and Jos Buttler, 10-1 (general) to be top England
batsman in ODI series v West Indies; Australia to beat South Africa in third Test, 2-1 (general).