West Indies v England: third Test betting preview, TV, team news and tips

TV: Sky Sports Cricket, 2pm Saturday

England were 1-5 to win their Test series in the West Indies but they arrive in St Lucia scrapping to avoid a 3-0 whitewash - a scoreline that was available to back at 80-1 before the first Test.

The tourists can have no complaints about their defeat, having been thumped by 381 runs in Barbados and ten wickets in Antigua, and their brittle batting unit can expect another pacy pitch at the Darren Sammy International Stadium.

Inspirational home skipper Jason Holder misses the series finale after a party-pooping ICC ban for his side's slow over-rate but England, who have a fitness doubt over key all-rounder Ben Stokes, are far from convincing favourites.

Best bets

England's management must be casting envious glances at the West Indies' openers, who have put on 53, 52, 70 and 17 (unbroken) in the first two Tests.

Kraigg Brathwaite, captaining the hosts in Holder's absence, has demonstrated the grit and discipline England are lacking at the top of their batting order and he looks overpriced to reach 50 in the first innings.

He is unlikely to get to the milestone in a flurry of boundaries, although he made 134 and 95 in the Windies' famous 2017 victory at Headingley, but he has faced 342 balls in the series – more than any other batsman.

After first-innings scores of 40 in Barbados and 49 in Antigua, he is worth backing to frustrate the England bowlers once again.

A trial by pace awaits both teams' batsmen but Brathwaite has a solid record in Gros Islet, with scores of 63, 45, 64, four, 22 and 59 not out in three Test appearances.

The stand-in skipper will be delighted to have Shannon Gabriel on his side given that the powerful paceman took 13 wickets in his previous Test in St Lucia.

Gabriel claimed 5-59 and 8-62 against Sri Lanka last June and has bowled far better than his tally of five wickets in the first two Tests suggests.

Three of those scalps came in the first innings of the second Test, when he dismissed Stokes with an absolute ripper, and the 11-10 that he takes three or more in England's first dig in Gros Islet is a tempting price.

Like Gabriel, Stuart Broad deserved better figures in Antigua, where his performance emphasised the error England made in leaving him out of the 11 for the first Test.

Broad took 3-53 off 36 overs in the West Indies' first innings and his hostile spells on an awkward pitch produced plenty of edges, false shots and near-misses.

His height and bounce should cause more problems for the home batsmen in St Lucia and the 20-1 about him being named man of the match is worth a small bet as England seek a consolation win.

Recommendations
K Brathwaite to score a first-innings fifty
2pts 5-2 Betway
S Gabriel to take three or more first-innings wickets
4pts 11-10 Coral, Ladbrokes
S Broad to be man of the match
1pt 20-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Venue

Gros Islet hosted three drawn Test matches against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India between 2003 and 2006 but these days the venue is known for producing the quickest pitches in the Caribbean.

Gabriel took 13 wickets in last year's rain-affected draw with the Lankans, Miguel Cummins (6-48) and India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5-33) claimed five-wicket hauls in 2016, and Kemar Roach took 5-42 against Bangladesh in 2014.

Team news

Brathwaite will captain the West Indies as Holder serves his one-match ban. All-rounder Keemo Paul and fast bowler Oshane Thomas are vying for Holder's place in the 11.

Ben Foakes (hand) is set to miss out so Keaton Jennings returns with Jonny Bairstow keeping wicket. Stokes (heel) is a doubt and paceman Mark Wood is expected to replace Sam Curran.