A spreads perspective

The tied second match in this series saw the bookies take a pasting. Sporting Index, the spread betting company, paid out over £100,000 on the last over because South Africa failed to win; £60,000 of those losses came from the last ball! We caught up with their Senior Cricket Market Maker for his thoughts on the next couple of games.

Wise Words
"The two teams are difficult to separate at the moment. South Africa are better on paper, but have yet to prove this in the middle. The games so far have highlighted the fallibilities in both teams, and it seems that the winner will be the team which makes the least number of mistakes. Pietersen is proving to be an exception. His outrageous ODI average of 234 provides a cutting edge, made sharper by the fact he was born in South Africa. Kabir Ali, on the other hand, has not bowled impressively so far but was redeemed by the last over in the second game.

"South Africa have been involved in more than their fair share of tied one day matches. They've also bottled a few - the '99 World Cup semi-final, and their last '03 World Cup pool match spring to mind. Despite all this, I still think they'll turn it around. With seasoned players such as Kallis and Gibbs to rely on, you can't discount the home team's chances and I'll still be backing them."

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 you can claim your choice of: