England vs West Indies Third Test Match Prediction and Betting Tips: Back Root to go big at Edgbaston
The third and final Test match between England and the West Indies gets underway on Friday, with Ben Stokes’ side aiming for a 3-0 sweep. Anthony Eadson previews the action and provides us with his best bets.
England vs West Indies Predictions
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The third and final Test match between England and the West Indies gets underway on Friday, with Ben Stokes’ side aiming for a 3-0 sweep.
The second Test at Trent Bridge was a closer affair than at Lord’s for the most part, even though the scorebooks will suggest otherwise.
The West Indies built a 41-run first-innings lead and took 20 wickets, but familiar failings with the bat re-emerged when they were put under pressure on day four.
Centuries from Ollie Pope, Joe Root and Harry Brook ensured England scored over 400 in both innings for the first time in Test history and the batters will be looking to cash in again when the teams make the short trip to Birmingham for the conclusion of the series at Edgbaston.
Root’s 32nd Test ton rarely looked in doubt once he got in on a very good pitch in Nottingham.
The Yorkshireman’s second innings knock of 122 eased him past Shivnarine Chanderpaul into eighth place on the all-time list of Test run scorers and another 14 runs at Edgbaston would take him above Brian Lara too.
Root’s Match Runs Total of 79.5 looks one for overs players given he currently averages 84 runs per Test match in his career, 89 against the West Indies and 85 in Tests played at home.
The former skipper has scored 82 runs per Test match since he relinquished the captaincy in 2022 and 87 runs per Test since the start of 2023.
On his second Test appearance for England, Jamie Smith once again demonstrated that he belonged.
The Surrey star scored a sparkling 36 off 54 balls to help England over the 400 mark in their first innings and was exemplary in his work behind the stumps.
Smith’s ability to score quickly is one of the key reasons why he was selected ahead of Ben Foakes, who remains the best wicketkeeper in the country.
But Foakes could not produce the weight of runs England wanted when he was left to bat with the tail, which Smith has already shown he is capable of doing.
Smith smashed two maximums in the first innings to finish as England’s most productive six-hitter in the innings and the Test.
And, given his role in the side is all about adding quick runs when the top order are back in the hutch, he looks to be a bit of value as the third favourite in the betting to hit the most first-innings sixes for England again.
With England more likely to rotate their fast bowling resources, it may be better to swerve any members of the hosts’ seam attack in the total match wickets markets.
The West Indies paceman that had the most success at Trent Bridge was Jayden Seales as the Trinidadian finished with match figures of 6-187.
He outbowled his new ball partner Alzarri Joseph and proved far more productive and durable than Shamar Joseph, who finished with only two wickets in the Test.
Seales seems to bowl better when he is angry and his best spell came when England were surging ahead in the third innings of the match when he removed both Harry Brook and Ben Stokes in quick succession before returning to polish off the tail.
The 22-year-old paceman’s ability to trouble right-handers outside their off stump should stand him in good stead throughout what promises to be a long international career.
He is already on the cusp of 50 Test wickets and should be able to get the three more he needs to pass that landmark at Edgbaston, where there is usually something in the wicket for seam-up bowlers.
Seales has taken three or more wickets in six of his last seven first-class matches in England, which includes both Test matches in this series.
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