The first test between England and South Africa will already be underway by the time you’re reading this, but there are still some interesting stats for spread bettors to get their teeth into.

South Africa are the 51-55 to England’s 38-42 favourites in the Sporting Index series win index (where you are awarded 25 points per victory and 10 per draw), but they haven’t won a test series on English soil since 1965. The last series back in 2003 saw some heavy wins, perfect spread betting punters who have a strong view on the outcome this time round. However, those who fancy one side in the series win index should be aware that in the post-Apartheid era each side has won two of the six series, with the other two being drawn.

The Lord’s test will have already started by now, but for Sporting Index Springboks followers, their side have a tremendous record at the home of cricket. They were available to buy at 13.5 in the match win index prior to the test (again, when you are awarded 25 points for the win, 10 for the draw and 0 points for a defeat). The last three test matches they’ve played at NW8 have all been victories, but it is the manner of these victories that has particularly impressed. In 1994 they won by 356 runs, in 1998 by 10 wickets and most recently, in 2003 by an innings and 92 runs. Sporting Index have a market called ‘An innings & …’ which sets a quote on the number of runs either team wins a test by more than an innings. South Africa’s spread for the series is 26-32, so if they were to repeat the 2003 performance at Lord’s, buyers would be looking at a profit of 60 points after the first test alone.

The spread betting public are likely to be out in force to play the Sporting Index series runs markets and buyers of South African captain Graeme Smith at 355 will be hoping for a repeat of the 2003 series when he notched an outstanding 259 here. That came only a week after he’d scored the highest ever total between England and South Africa in a test with 277 runs at Edgbaston. Those who had bought his match runs at around 44 in the early spread would have made a huge profit. However, sellers will be much happier to hear that he has been in relatively poor nick of late. Sellers of England’s individual batsmen’s runs will also be delighted to learn that twinkle toes Darren Gough top scored in the first innings at Lord’s with only 34.

The bowlers will have a big part to play in the series and spread bettors will be interested in the performances of man-of-the-moment Dale Steyn. Sporting Index have priced him up as 210-225 in their series bowling index (where you are awarded 10 points per wicket and 25 points per 5-wicket haul), which is 30 points higher than any other bowler on either team. Steyn has the best strike-rate in the modern game (an astonishing 35.8) and he became the fastest ever Springbok bowler to take 100 wickets – in just 20 tests. However, it was his fast-bowling colleague Makhaya Ntini (whose spread is markedly lower at 145-160) who was the star of the show last time at Lord’s. Buyers of him at 160 will be delighted to hear that he took 5 wickets in each innings on his last visit to the home of cricket.

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