Captain Cook to lead from front
Our Dave Tickner expects England captain Alastair Cook to reach three-figures once again in the second Test against New Zealand.
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After making a fourth successive sub-200 total in the first innings of an overseas tour, England were forced to dig deep to save the first Test against Dunedin.
That they did so fairly comfortably revealed much about England's batting line-up, New Zealand's attack, and the Dunedin pitch.
The surface at Wellington should hopefully provide a better game as England look to take a step towards the series victory they will view as the minimum requirement from this three-match rubber.
2pts Alastair Cook to score 1st inns century in second Test v New Zealand at 5/1 (Stan James) - Four centuries in nine innings for England's skipper this winter.- 0.76pts first dismissal of the match to be bowled at 8/1 (Stan James) - Stats suggest Fulton and Compton more likely to fall bowled and lbw than caught
- 1.24pts first dismissal of the match to be lbw at 9/2 (Sky Bet) - See above.
They should do it, but New Zealand showed gumption with the bat and persistence with the ball that means they are not to be taken lightly. The tourists' quality should tell as the series goes on, but they make limited appeal at skinny prices.
Instead, I'll turn to an obvious selection where the price is a point bigger than anticipated.
In Dunedin, England captain Alastair Cook continued his prolific form since taking over as captain with his fourth century in five matches and sixth in seven overall as leader.
He's made four centuries in his last nine innings, and Stan James's 5/1 that he makes another in the first innings at Wellington is generous.
For the purposes of this preview I'll take that 5/1, but if you're willing to brave the unhelpful hours of a New Zealand Test then there is something to be said for waiting and betting in-play once Cook has got a start: he's converted his last five half-centuries into hundreds, while the five innings in his last nine where he's not crossed three-figures have brought him just 18 not out, 13, 1, 1 and 10 which confirms that once he's set he's near impossible to shift at the moment.
Elsewhere, there look a couple of big prices in the first dismissal of the match market. Stan James offer bowled at 8/1, while lbw is 9/2 with Sky Bet.
If you accept that Peter Fulton is likelier to be the first New Zealand opener to fall and Nick Compton England's, then both prices make real appeal.
Six of Fulton's last 10 Test dismissals have been bowled or leg-before, as have six of Compton's eight in Test cricket - including both his exits in the Dunedin Test.
Rather than picking method of dismissal, we'll Dutch the pair; it still pay better than 9/4 which looks good business even allowing for the fact their left-handed partners Cook and Hamish Rutherford are more likely to depart caught if they do go first.