Wide of the mark

Sporting index, the spread betting company, cannot say to be having a good cricket World Cup. In an error of judgement that will leave punters with bulging wallets, Sporting Index faces a loss of around £250,000, the highest in its history.

As with most betting issues small miscalculations can have devastating effects and when Sporting Index under-estimated how many wides would be bowled in the 42-match competition, they did so spectacularly.

Even with expert county cricketers on their team, the forecast was that between 240 and 260 deliveries would be wide. But after just seven matches, that total had reached 174 and was steadily rising at an average of almost 25 a match, rather than the six the spread betters were counting on.

Naturally the sums have been completed for a second time with estimates re-adjusted to between 840 and 860 wides.