Don’t expect any let-up from hungry tourists

Sport Betting: TWO-NIL ahead with one Test to go, England can afford to relax and play their best cricket against South Africa at Centurion, starting on Friday.

That’s not to say I expect them to take their foot of the gas. They have the Proteas by the throat and if the roles were reversed you can be sure a team as combative as the hosts would be moving heaven and earth to make it 3-0.

No, this England team are a hungry lot. They have genuine world-class performers and also some

rising stars, not least Ben Stokes, who want to be at the top of the international ladder.

Given England’s dominance in the series, I think they are a huge price at 6-4 to win the final Test against a side whose confidence must be shot.

Why South Africa are 13-8 given the continued absence of star fast bowler Dale Steyn and their brittle battle line-up, I have no idea. The draw is 11-4, but I can’t envisage anything other than another England victory – and a convincing one at that.

Looking further ahead, the T20 World Cup in India is just round the corner and the odds for the main

protagonists have me baffled. History shows the sub-continent teams are most likely to flourish on slow, turning surfaces, yet Pakistan (10-1) and Sri Lanka (12-1) are at bigger prices than most of the top nations.

I understand India being favourites at 7-2, but both Australia (11-2) and South Africa (13-2) have proved hopeless against spin recently and their batsmen will not be able to adopt their one-dimensional tactic of hitting through the line of the delivery as hard as they can.

Despite the brutality of T20, some subtlety will be needed on Indian pitches and I reckon England, with the likes of the skilful Joe Root, Eoin Morgan and James Taylor, backed up by power hitters Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Stokes, Jos Buttler and Moeen Ali, are far better equipped to succeed.

Factor in the spin bowling of Ali, Big Bash sensation Adil Rashid and useful part-timer Root, and you have a squad that could go very close. I can’t see the current 8-1 lasting long and suggest an early punt.

RECOMMENDATION: England to win T20 World Cup, 8-1 (general).