England v Sri Lanka: Preview

The international cricketing summer gets properly underway on Thursday when Cardiff hosts the first Test between England and Sri Lanka. Andrew Strauss’s Ashes heroes are 4/9 favourites with PaddyPower to win the series. The same firm have England at 21/20 to win the opening contest. Sri Lanka are a best price 13/2 with Coral to win the three-match rubber; Boylesports go11/2 on the tourists getting off to a victorious start in Wales.

The World Cup runners-up arrive as Test match underdogs with some good reason. The retirement of mesmeric spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was already keenly felt, but the decision of fast bowler Lasith Malinga to focus on limited overs cricket for his country is a further hefty blow in the five-day format. The resignations of captain Kumar Sangakkara and the selectors following the defeat to India in the final have only added to an unsettled situation.

The intrigue in the English team lies primarily with the batsmen. With Paul Collingwood another one to have hung up his gloves for good, a vacancy in the middle order was up for grabs. The nod has initially been given to Eoin Morgan who is 8/1 with Betfred to top score for his team in Cardiff. Expected to come in at number six, Morgan made his claim for inclusion irrefutable when he scored 193 runs against the tourists for the England Lions last week.

Kevin Pietersen is, as ever, another man not a million miles from the spotlight. A few commentators have questioned his commitment to the cause after he left the World Cup with an injury that some medical reports suggested he could have played through. The former captain has rarely dazzled in recent times having only notched one Test century in the last two years. However, his sublime 227 in Adelaide showed what ‘KP’ is still capable of on his day. He is 9/2 with Coral to top score for England in the first Test.