The following is a betting summary, our full slog6 report is under Latest International News

At this stage on the betting front, England can be backed at 1.3 for the series, and laid at 1.39 – clearly the market is not yet...

fully formed, but given the fragmented nature of the Kiwi squad, and the immediacy of the last form, I would suggest this is about correct at time of writing.

What is very interesting, however, is the market for the 1st Test (which commences on 15th May at Lord’s). I find it very interesting indeed that England are trading at 1.8 to lay in a market which so far is not fully formed.
At this price I see England as a solid pre-match lay. New Zealand will have no further problems with player defections, while England could conceivably lose a key performer or two. More important to me is that 1.8 looks the right price to lay given the weather. When the odds extend, it might be a sensible time to reverse this position, particularly given the record of seam and swing bowlers in England on rain-affected pitches. I have laid at this price myself, convinced that at some point leading up to the game the weather will look questionable, with a view to trading out to a zero liability before the game begins. I’ve left some of the 1.8 up there, so if you think that’s tempting, nab it while you can !!