talkSPORT tips – Best cricket bets and expert advice for England vs New Zealand second Test

The Second Test between England and New Zealand begins at The Oval on Wednesday, but instead of building on a gritty win at Lord’s, England are now engulfed in turmoil.

Ben Stokes is banned after breaking team curfew rules, which he helped write as captain. Gus Atkinson is also suspended, and Ollie Robinson has broken down with an injury again. 

New Zealand, meanwhile, are dealing with their own shock after Kane Williamson announced his retirement just 35 runs short of 10,000 in Tests. Amid England’s issues, the Black Caps look ready to capitalise in South London.

TREBLE YOUR RETURNS + GET £20 IN FREE BETS  

England v New Zealand Second Test Tips

• New Zealand Draw No Bet – Match @ 6/5
• Jordan Cox Over 21.5 Runs 1st Innings @ 17/20
• New Zealand Top Bowler – 1st Innings – Kyle Jamieson @ 23/10

Kiwis to keep series alive

New Zealand will have been kicking themselves after letting a couple of promising positions slip at Lord’s, not least after collapsing to 61-6 after skittling England for 140 on the first day.

Allowing the home side to put on a valuable 99 runs with the last four wickets of their second innings contributed to a 115-run defeat that could have been completed inside two days if the weather had played ball.

Stokes was critical of the pitch afterwards and it’s almost certainly true that England prefer to bully teams on flatter surfaces.

But without Stokes’s leadership and Robinson’s accurate new-ball spells, this match could be much tougher to win.

The Durham man has drawn only two of the 43 Tests he has captained, the lowest ratio of any England captain, and the odds about this one going the distance look attractive at 15/2.

Root, who will lead the side again, has lost 26 of 62 Tests as skipper – almost 41%.

There have been some high scores on flat Oval tracks already this summer and the pitch doesn’t take as much spin as it used to.

Bowlers may be forced to toil away for long spells and with Jofra Archer thrust straight back into the Test team after his IPL commitments, England’s attack may come undone.

Backing New Zealand with the safety net of your money back in the event of a draw makes sense here. 

Essex star can deliver on debut

There will be at least two debutants in England’s rejigged lineup on Wednesday with Jordan Cox finally set to get his first chance to bat in a Test.

Cox, 25, missed the start of the English season because of the Indian Premier League, but he made a compelling case for his inclusion with a brilliant 204 from 201 balls in the County Championship last weekend.

He has scored more than 1500 first-class runs for Essex at an incredible average of 62.72, registering seven centuries and four half-centuries.

The right-hander looks likely to bat at position number seven, which should take some of the pressure off and, as long as the tail end are good enough to hang around with him, a score of 22 or more in the first innings should be well within reach.

Jamieson the value in the wicket markets

Kyle Jamieson was outstanding at Lord’s, his figures of 5-62 ensuring payouts for his backers in the top New Zealand first‑innings bowler market as he troubled England’s batters with his steep bounce and natural outswing.

The Oval has historically suited tall, hit‑the‑seam bowlers — think Glenn McGrath and Steve Harmison — and Jamieson fits that mould perfectly. At 6ft 8in, his release point is a nightmare for batters, especially under cloud cover.

With Matt Henry battling back spasms and Nathan Smith more suited to skiddier surfaces, Jamieson looks the most likely Kiwi bowler to dominate again.

TREBLE YOUR RETURNS + GET £20 IN FREE BETS 

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• GamCare – www.gamcare.org.uk
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware.org