England Cricket / Ed Hawkins / 13 May 2009 / Leave a comment

A check of the weather forecast for the second Test, which starts on Thursday, between England and West Indies at Chester-le-Street has never been more pertinent. Will rain prevent play? And if it doesn't will it be warm enough to interest the visitors? Ed Hawkins investigates...

Heavy rain is forecast for days one and three while the predicted temperature gauge will make Chris Gayle and co shudder. A maximum of 10c is forecast for the North East.
Such factors could have the greatest impact on the match odds market. England, buoyed by a 10-wicket win at Lords, are [2.04] with the Windies [7.60] and the draw likely to shorten by the hour at [2.62].

With only half the tickets sold, the locals are not expecting much play. There are joint fears about the weather and of a repeat of the bitter performance by the West Indies in London, when their feet were frozen solid in the crease and they couldn't catch a cold - six dropped chances in the first innings.

It was hardly heart warming stuff for England supporters, who recognised this was a West Indies team who looked as though they wanted to be elsewhere. It is said that an unhappy camp reveals itself in poor fielding and batting collapses. The visitors managed to produce both. With a victory in three days, England will feel they will not need long out on the park. Indeed, if West Indies could not ignite the fire at Headquarters then their fingers will be too numb to strike a match for this contest.

They will also have bad memories of their last visit to the Riverside, crushed by seven wickets. It was a result which added to their truly horrendous record of just one win in their last 44 Tests abroad against top eight opposition.

West Indies are undoubtedly untouchable on the match odds market and there is a strong temptation to lay a total on their first-innings runs market. In three Tests at the Riverside - which has proved so tricky for batsmen in early season that Durham were bowled out for 200 against the local students - the average innings total for the opposition is just 212.

West Indies have contributed to that figure, posting 287 and 222 respectively there in 2007. It is possible that around [2.30] may be available to lay West Indies runs at 275 or more.
The roadblock to such a wager is Shivnarine Chanderpaul, on his 'home' ground as Durham's overseas player.

Chanderpaul top scored with an unbeaten 136 in his team's first innings two years ago and followed it up with 70 in the second. He has an average of 55.8 in all first-class cricket on the ground and, like the draw price, will only shorten at [2.10] to score a 50 when knowledge of his record becomes more mainstream.

No fear, though. Chanderpaul is paired with Ramnaresh Sarwan in a runs bet. Chanderpaul is available at [1.90] and with Sarwan one of the West Indians too cold to move in game one, it looks a no brainer.

Of the England batsmen, local hero Paul Collingwood could score well. He hit a century against West Indies in the previous meeting at the venue. Colly is [7.00] for top-bat marks but he doesn't have the best first-class average on the ground of his teammates. That honour goes to Kevin Pietersen, the perennial [4.00] jolly.

Interestingly, Alastair Cook, who did a good impression of a West Indian at HQ with his lack of foot movement, averages only 17 in all first-class games there.

England will decide whether to replace Tim Bresnan with swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom, recalled to the squad despite some toothless bowling against West Indies in sunnier climes. Yet his potential return won't give the visitors a warm glow, either. He took 5-88 against them at the Riverside to hurry them to defeat.