Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

Going Round the Wicket: ENG vs WI 3rd Test Fantasy Tips | Get all the fantasy tips you need for ENG vs WI 3rd Test | ENG vs WI Tests

Now that cricket is back after the long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fantasy cricket players on Dream11 or any other platform have finally got something to test their skills and earn some rewards in return.

Here, we are going to provide you some round the wicket suggestions that might help you select a good team and win some cash. We won’t go very deep with the stats and the like. If you haven’t collected the stats, then you can read Cricblog’s match preview which has everything you need to know about the game.

The Pitch

Although it’s a different wicket which is to be used, we can expect it to play the same way as in the first Test. Batters will enjoy the first 2-3 days and then spinners can work their magic. However, don’t expect it to be a rank turner as rain is forecasted on just about all days.

Now let’s talk about the players:

Wicketkeeper is a very tricky and important section in this match and can give you an added advantage over other players. Shai Hope is not keeping but he is in the keeper’s section. His form is also not good but his record in England is. Shane Dowrich performed in the first Test and then failed miserably in the second. Jos Buttler is also struggling with the bat.

In terms of the batsmen, Sibley, Braithwaite, and Root will be in everyone’s team. Blackwood and Brooks have been selected by a good number of players. Rory Burns and Zak Crawley have been ignored by the majority of players. Same with Ollie Pope.

Ben Stokes, Jason Holder and Roston Chase are default all-rounders. While Stuart Broad, Alzarri Joseph, and Dom Bess have 50% +selections. Gabriel, who is in doubt of playing, also has about 43% selections. While Archer and Anderson have been selected by very few, their selection percentage will increase after the toss if any of them plays.

These players will be in probably everyone’s team:

So now let’s look at what are the different options you have to be different from others and increase your chances of winning:

CASE-1

This is very risky but you can drop Jason Holder and pick any two of Shamarh Brooks, Jermaine Blackwood, Rory Burns, and Zak Crawley. All-rounders will be Ben Stokes and Roston Chase, with Stuart Broad as the fixed bowler. You can wait for the toss and select the remaining bowlers. Rahkeem Cornwall can be a vital pick if he plays. This team will have most of the important batters covered from both sides which is important as the average first innings score (mentioned in the preview) is quite high at Old Trafford.

CASE-2

You can go with Joe Root, Kraigg Braithwaite and Dom Sibley as the batters, Jos Buttler/Shane Dowrich/Shai Hope as the keeper, Ben Stokes, Jason Holder, and Roston Chase as the all-rounders, and Stuart Broad with any two bowlers in the bowling section. With one spot now remaining, you can take either an extra keeper or a bowler or a batter. This will be a safe and common team. You still can take risk by picking two keepers as most of the players won’t have two keepers in their side.

As rain is forecasted in the Test, try to take more batters of the team batting first and more bowlers of the side bowling first. So if there’s a rain interruption and the game ends in a draw, you’ll probably be in the lead against your opponents.

Some Differential Picks which can be vital:

• Rahkeem Cornwall can be a good pick if he plays.
• There are less chances of a full fourth innings to be played so you can drop Jermaine Blackwood, who has performed in the 4th innings in both Tests.
• Joshua da Silva can be included in the Windies XI. He scored a century in the practice game.
• Kemar Roach can be your punt in this Test.
• James Anderson and Jofra Archer will be must-picks if they play.

Captain and Vice-Captain

Now comes the most important part – selecting the Captain and Vice-captain of your Fantasy side. Ben Stokes will be the universal captain and it’s advised not to look anywhere else for that role. Roston Chase is currently the vice-captain of 35% of users. Although you should go with these two you can also try Dom Sibley as the Vice-Captain if England bats first or Kraigg Braithwaite if Windies bat first. Stuart Broad will be a very good choice too. Jason Holder will be the vice-captain of many players.

So, these were some fantasy tips for selecting your team for the third test of The Wisden Trophy between England and West Indies. We hope it’ll help you guys pick your team and win some great rewards.

Thanks for reading!

Note: These are just suggestions and doesn’t guarantee a win on any fantasy sports platform.

Written by Robin Rounder – follow Robin on Twitter today.