Spread bettors would have faced numerous different emotions during the cracking first test between England and South Africa at Lord’s last week. The balance to-ed and fro-ed throughout the five days and Sporting Index now have the South Africans as marginal favourites in the series win index after their brave fight-back. Those who had bought Pietersen and Bell series runs before the start of the first test will have been feeling pretty happy after their monster partnership, but Pietersen is still expected to score more runs in the series, despite registering 47 less than his team-mate at Lord’s. Their respective spreads for the remaining three tests are 405-425 and 395-415.

England have a strong recent record at Headingley, beating West Indies last spring by an innings and 283 runs. Buyers of them in the match index will be further encouraged that they also won their two previous tests here, against Pakistan and New Zealand, by 167 runs and 9 wickets respectively. However, supporters of the Springboks in the match index also have reason to be confident, as the South Africans won their last test here in 2003 by 191 runs. Many punters will wait for the toss to play their hand and the stats suggest that this may be a wise option. England won the toss each time in their last three victories here, whilst they lost the toss in their last two defeats, including against South Africa in 2003.

The batsmen certainly bossed the opening test at Lord’s and those spread bettors who like to buy individual batsman’s runs will be hoping for more of the same at Leeds. There were five centuries scored last week, which led to a total of 201 in Sporting Index’s ton-ups market (where you are awarded points for every run scored over 100). Buyers will be hoping for more of the same and will be encouraged that the last two ton-ups totals here have been 129 and 235. However, sellers will take heart from there only being two centuries in the last two tests between the countries at this ground, with final make-ups of only 30 and 16.