Trading Talk - The Ashes - Second Test

Now the talking is over and series underway, the tussle for the Ashes hots-up with a mid-summer second Test at the Home of Cricket. Ashes spread bettors thumbing through their formbooks will be aware that Lord's is traditionally a ground where the Aussies have enjoyed rich pickings - it was the scene of their solitary victory in the 2005 series and the tourists have remained unbeaten there since 1934. Like the Ashes schedulers who moved the Lord's test from its familiar position as the series opener, buyers of the Australia match win index spread will note their dominant record of 15 victories, 14 draws and five defeats.

However, spread buyers of Australian team and individual match runs will note that captain Ricky Ponting has a poor individual record at Lord's with an average of just 17.25 in Tests against England, having never made higher than 49. Furthermore, few of the current Aussie squad have experience playing in front of the MCC. Of those that do, vice-captain Michael Clarke performed admirably here in 2005 with an average of 51 and top score of 91. Simon Katich has an average of 47 from the same two innings, but he will be hoping to keep Andrew Flintoff at bay who bowled him four times in the last series on English soil.

Unsurprisingly, Sporting Index expect the batting danger man for the Three Lions to be Kevin Pietersen, whose two Lords knocks in the 2005 series yielded a brace of half centuries backing up his superb ground average of 72.90 - the highest of any Englishman to have played more than 5 matches at the venue. Buyers of Andrew Strauss's total runs spread should also be pleased to note that the England skipper is fifth in the all-time list of England Test scorers at Lord's.

Currently standing on a total of 989, the left-handed England opener will easily pass the 1,000 mark if he produces anything like his previous Lord's form.

Those interested in Ashes spread betting will be interested to know that he has hit three of his 17 Test centuries on the ground which, along with a further four 50s, have boosted his ground average to 58.17, compared to a Test average of 43.96.

With Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath consigned to the Ashes history, cricket spread punters will have to look a little harder than in previous series for obvious choices of who might be a value buy among the bowling index spreads on offer. Those cricket spread betting may know that Brett Lee is the highest Lord's wicket taker of the current squad against England - and with the paceman's seven victims coming at an average of 27.42 and strike rate of 47.2, the Barmy Army, and spread sellers of Lee's total series wickets, will be hoping he doesn't come through medical examinations on his injured rib.

For the home side James Anderson and Flintoff are regular Lord's wicket takers, having struck a combined 49 times in their England Test careers. Sporting Index bettors interested in the Flintoff series all-rounder performance spread will observe Freddie's 25 Lord's successes, including 4 in the last home Ashes series, which have taken a total of nine matches to claim with a bowling average of 35.92 and strike rate of 70.4.

Suggesting he may well be England's trump card in the Ashes, at least to buyers of his performance spread, Anderson has penetrated far more frequently and already has two Lord's five-for's under his belt from six matches there. His 24 wickets come at an average of 27.79 with a strike rate of 55.3. NB - All averages are accurate ahead of the Ashes series on 06.07.2009