Strauss and Trott give punters food for thought ahead of Sri Lanka
Published:It may have looked a foregone conclusion for many punters that Alastair Cook was a shoe-in to be England’s top runscorer across the upcoming two-Test series with Sri Lanka, but Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott have shown that they should not be totally dismissed.
England are partaking in two warm-up matches ahead of the series and it was Cook who stole the show with the bat in the first of these encounters.
The Essex opener was the only player to really show his class with the bat as he finished on 163 not out as England went on to win with an innings to spare.
To allow some other players some necessary time in the middle, Cook has been rested for the ongoing second match with a Sri Lanka Developmental XI.
In Cook’s absence, captain Strauss walked to the middle with Trott as his new opening partner and both took advantage of a pitch offering little to favour the bowlers by registering centuries.
The runs were maybe especially pivotal to Strauss after a particularly long lean spell and there is certainly the argument that he would have been dropped a while ago if he was not captain.
Trott has largely been dependable for England in recent times, but does have his own point to prove after joining the rest of the batting line-up in struggling for runs on the recent troubled tour to Pakistan in the Test arena.
Of the duo, Trott is definitely the safer bet than Strauss to top-score for England in the Sri Lanka series, with both priced at 4/1 in the cricket odds.
However, with Strauss guaranteed more time in the middle if batting well and the pitches seeming as if they will be batsmen friendly, he does offer some appeal.
England are 6/5 to win the Test series with Sri Lanka.
