Tag: Cricket World Cup

Cricket: Pakistan too strong in series opener

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Pakistan proved far too good for an under-strength New Zealand side in the first of two back to back Twenty20 International Cricket matches.  New Zealand’s decision to rest captain Brendon McCullum; and seamers Trent Boult and Tim Southee backfired as Pakistan easily chased down a mediocre target of 136.

New Zealand’s effort to set an imposing total was under immediate threat as they fell to 15-3 when Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, and Anton Devcich were all dismissed inside three overs.  Repair work was performed by Corey Anderson and Luke Ronchi.  Anderson in particular looked to have NZ back on track for a respectable target after making his way to 48 with four 6s.  Unfortunately, his and New Zealand’s momentum was cut short when he fell looking for a fifth maximum and the Black Caps managed just 135 from their 20 overs.

Sarfraz Ahmed expertly guided Pakistans response.  The wicketkeeper made 76 not out from just 64 balls and was involved in the crucial 43 run partnership with Umar Akmal that saw them home.  Of the New Zealand attack only seamers Mitchell McClenaghan (4-21-1) and Adam Milne (4-18-0) displayed any semblance of a threat in what was otherwise a sensible and measured cricket innings.

We thought the positivity of the test series might flow through NZ’s cricket into this match so we gave them a chance to upset Pakistan here, but it will be hard to back them for game two which is played tomorrow.  As always after suffering a defeat, NZ will look to bounce back while Pakistan will be seeking to further destroy NZ’s confidence before the one day cricket series begins.  NZ need runs from Taylor and Guptill, and wickets rather than cheap overs from their spinners Nathan McCullum and Devcich to support the fine work of their pace attack.

Pakistan simply need more of the same.  They’ll be hoping for more crease time for Sarfraz, Awais Zia and Haris Sohail, but a 2-0 win will be consolation if not.

Game Two Odds

New Zealand $2.3

Pakistan $1.62

Cricket odds courtesy of Sportingbet Australia

Game Two Predictions 

Flipping a coin will be about as successful as following our predictions.  This could go either way.  But once again go with New Zealand to hit the most sixes.  Those leg side slogging Kiwis…

Cricket: Hit and Giggle gives NZ youngsters a chance

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Resting and rotation are sacrilegious words in New Zealand sport after disastrous Rugby World Cup efforts in 2003 and 2007. However, the New Zealand cricket team has opted for exactly that by resting Brendon McCullum, Trent Boult and Tim Southee. This has immediately seen their odds worsen amongst bookmaekrs. Rotation does though allow for a lot of tinkering and testing. New Zealand will get to check the progress of both speed merchant Adam Milne and beard merchant Anton Devcich who have been drafted into the squad for those leaving.

Pakistan will not underestimate their opposition. They too are looking to incorporate new faces into their squad. Although these aren’t exactly ‘new faces’ rather than old faces rejoining the squad for the first time. Umar Gul has been injured for long periods, Wahab Riaz returns, as does Ahmed Shehzad who was last sighted suffering a frightening head injury.

The transition from test cricket to T20 cricket will be even more fascinating for the inclusion of a host of new faces.

The Last Time These Two Met

Notwithstanding the recent drawn test series, the sides most recently met in a T20 cricket match in 2012 during the ICC World Twenty20. In that game Pakistan won by 13 runs.   They also lea the overall head to head 6-3.

The Teams

Pakistan (likely): 1 Ahmed Shehzad, 2 Awais Zia, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Saad Nasim, 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Anwar Ali/Umar Gul, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Raza Hasan, 11 Mohammad Irfan

New Zealand (likely): 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 James Neesham, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Corey Anderson, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 Daniel Vettori, 8 Nathan McCullum, 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Adam Milne

The Key Players

Umar Akmal – At his best Akmal is a destructive middle order dasher capable of taking any international cricket attack apart. Conversely, at his worst he is terrible. He has failed to register a half-century in his last 11 first class innings. Pakistan will be hoping the best comes out against NZ as it did on test debut when he scored 129 and 75.

Kane Williamson – Captaining the side in McCullum’s absence will be a challenging prospect for the top order batsmen, but with former captains Daniel Vettori, Ross Taylor and Kyle Mills to help out, he should have all the support he needs. Williamson will be hoping the leadership doesn’t get in the way of his run scoring that peaked at the recent Champions League T20 Cricket Tournament.

The Odds*

Pakistan – $1.62

New Zealand – $2.25

*International Cricket odds courtesy of Ladbrokes Australia.

The Prediction

This is crazy good money for New Zealand. The Kiwi’s are quality limited overs crickets. The following are all reasons why we’re predicting them to prevail: fielding, Vettori’s economical four overs, Six hitting from Taylor, Anderson, Neesham, Guptill and Ronchi.

Actually put money on NZ to hit the most sixes ($1.83) too.

Cricket: Buttler and Root deliver much needed win

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Buttler and Root sounds a bit like a law firm, but instead of saving clients, this twosome saved their country from utter panic, and did an excellent job at rejuvenating the one day international cricket series against Sri Lanka.   Facing a difficult target in a rain-reduced match England desperately needed to avoid going three nil down in the best of 7 series.  They achieved that thanks to a calm Joe Root innings (48 off 48) and a rapid Jos Buttler cameo (57 off 37).  Also deserving of a mention is Moeen Ali who again provided early impetus to the England innings by racing to 58 from 39 balls before being dismissed.

Earlier in the day Sri Lanka had responded well to early wickets (and early rain delays) as they amassed a challenging total of 242/8 from 35 overs.  The total was constructed around a patient 63 from Kumar Sangakkara with support from Thirimanne and Prasad.  The latter pair piled on 62 runs from the final five overs to set up the challenging total; a total that could have been more imposing but for Duckworth-Lewis.  Chris Jordan justified his inclusion in the side, playing his first cricket for some time the seamer took 2 important wickets (Sangakkara and Angelo Matthews).  Chris Woakes (3-41) also ensured that Sri Lanka’s total was not completely out of sight and a series lifeline was on offer.  The one downside to England’s fielding effort was a potential slow over rate penalty incurred by captain Alastiar Cook.  The under-pressure skipper could miss the next game of cricket, which will make things super interesting if his replacement makes runs.

The tone of England’s chase was again set by Moeen Ali.  The left hander made his fifty from 29 balls; slightly slower than his feat in game one but still quick.  Hales and Cook contributed too to a balanced pace before Hales contributed to Ali’s demise, running him out when the score was 103.  Mid chase wobbles threatened to derail the England momentum when series star Ravi Bopara and the out of sorts Eoin Morgan were out.  However, the unbroken 84 run partnership between Buttler and Root settled the match and saw England home by 5 wickets.

Hopefully you got in on our prediction with Centrebet paying out an England win at $1.95.

England 236 for 5 (Moeen 58, Buttler 55*, Root 48*) beat Sri Lanka 242 for 8 (Sangakkara 63, Thirimanne 62*, Woakes 3-41) by 5 wickets (D/L method)

Cricket: Wet game three to add to England’s woes

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Chaos vs. consistency is the theme for game three today. Sri Lanka are enjoying their turn to dish out the punishment after being whipping boys in India, and have developed a nice consistent tempo to their game. On the other hand, the chaotic English side is within touching distance of a complete meltdown.

Loses in the first two matches of the cricket series have again subject their captain to speculative media attention, and the batsmen’s frailties against spin are becoming glaringly obvious.   Too many of their players are out of form. Cook, Bell, Morgan, and Butler are all quality players in their own right, but England need a lot more productivity out of them if they are going to compete in this series or the Cricket World Cup.

Sri Lanka just need to keep winning and prepare themselves for sterner tests.

The Last Time These Two Met

The second one-day international cricket match was the opposite of the first. Dull, one sided and timid would have all featured on the synopsis of the highlights package as England slumped to an eight-wicket loss.

The Teams

Sri Lanka: Dilshan, Kusal, Sangakkara, Thirimanne, Mathews, Kandamby, T Perera, J Mendis, Prasad, Herath, A Mendis.

Kandamby replaces the unavailable Jayawardene.

England: Cook, Moeen, Hales, Root, Morgan, Bopara, Buttler, Stokes, Woakes, Jordan, Finn

Three changes for England. Hales, Stokes and Jordan to replace Bell, Gurney and Tredwell. Hales is officially the best T20 batsmen in the World (ICC Cricket Rankings). He opens in every format he plays, but is strangely being asked to bat three here, or not so strangely if you consider Alastair Cook the England captain also prefers to open.

The Key Players 

Ajantha Mendis – He may not make it into the final XI for Sri Lanka’s crucial Cricket World Cup games but boy does he love playing against England. After already taking five wickets in the two matches thus far his average against England has lowered to 26 with an RPO of under 5. Expect him to take wickets again.

Alex Hales – Hales is a destructive cricketer. He averages an impressive 37 from his 33 international T20 games at a strike rate of 138. The unwritten rule of T20 cricket is that a batsman is reasonable if his strike rate and averages totals over 160. Hales achieves that, and some. The test will be whether he can start well against spin if asked to.

The Odds*

Sri Lanka – $1.85

England – $1.95

*International Cricket odds courtesy of Centrebet.

The Prediction

Rain is predicted to wreck havoc on this one so the toss could be quite crucial. England can’t get it done on the field so maybe a bit of luck will help them here. I’m going for them to win the toss and to win the match. Jayawardene’s absence a big factor in the decision.

Cricket: Sri Lanka go two up after emphatic win

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England’s one-day international cricket woes continued with a second loss in game two of their bi-lateral series against Sri Lanka.   The Colombo hosted encounter contrasted significantly from game one, where a flat pitch made for a high scoring encounter. Game two on the other hand was played on a much tackier, much trickier surface, and England’s flailing batsmen struggled to a limp 185 all out.

The sticky pitch was the perfect platform for the Sri Lankan spin attack to strangle and frustrate an England lineup grappling with the balance between aggressiveness and recklessness.  Of their top order, only Joe Root (42) and Ravi Bopara (51) displayed any staying power. Bopara particularly, backing up his strong effort in the first cricket game, crafted a nicely paced half-century without any boundaries. This was after Alastair Cook and Ian Bell both failed again, heaping further pressure on their places in the side. Eoin Morgan too is under increasing pressure. He has failed to pass 50 in any of his last 14 innings.

England’s meek effort reeked of uncertainty and an inability to adapt their gameplan to reach a respectable target.   Hard hands were never going to be suitable for this wicket as Bopara and Root proved as they executed deft flicks and deflections.

Sri Lanka’s response was classy. Cricket run machines Kumar Sangakkara (67) and Mahela Jayawardene (77) effortlessly manipulated bowlers and fielders to chase down England’s modest total for the loss of just two wickets.  Jayawardene was man of the match for his match winnings knock, although the bowling of Tillakaratne Dilshan (2-32) and Ajantha Mendis (3-33) was also deserving of significant praise.

The sleepy run chase was conducted with that much ease it at times look nothing more than an open wicket practice for the veterans. Only Ali and Steven Finn, who was returning from injury, took wickets in an otherwise untroubled and clinical lesson in chasing a cricket total.

As the on day international cricket series heads to Hambantota, England need a confidence building win, whereas Sri Lanka will look to keep the foot firmly down on the throttle in their languid, handsome way.

Cricket: Second ODI set to act as sombre tribute

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As the outpouring of support for Phillip Hughes continues, England and Sri Lanka have planned to make their second one-day international cricket match an event of remembrance.   In addition to partaking in the #putoutyourbats Twitter campaign the players will wear black armbands and observe a minute silence for their fellow cricketer.

While the cricket will take a back seat, there is still plenty to play for players looking to press World Cup claims or looking to fine tune tactics. Seeking consistency the most is undoubtedly an England team that has struggled in limited overs cricket and are often criticised for a lack of intent. With Ian Bell and Alastair Cook not known for their expansive games pressure is often heaped upon Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler and Ravi Bopara. It would be nicer for them if Cook and Bell could up the ante with a more attacking mindset.

Sri Lanka, meanwhile, we be looking to develop all three aspects of the game. A hint of improvement across the board is all that’s needed for a side that scored 302 in first game of the seven game cricket series, and bowled and fielded adequately.   The early start won’t favour any of the sides, but if the pitch does dry out the Sri Lankans have four spinners at their disposal.

The Last Time These Two Met

Game one was a quality game of cricket featuring a close finish and terrific individual performances. Sri Lanka prevailed in a high scoring thriller that turned when Moeen Ali’s genius innings came to a soft end.

The Teams

Sri Lanka (likely): 1 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 2 Kusal Perera, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wkt), 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt), 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Jeevan Mendis, 8 Thisara Perera, 9 Dhammika Prasad, 10 Rangana Herath, 11 Shaminda Eranga

No changes predicted for the Sri Lanka cricket side.

England (likely): 1 Moeen Ali, 2 Alastair Cook (capt), 3 Ian Bell, 4 Joe Root, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Jos Buttler (wkt), 7 Ben Stokes / Chris Jordan, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Tredwell, 11 Harry Gurney

As the English seek cohesion they may give Chris Jordan a run in place of Ben Stokes. Steven Finn is still unfit.

The Key Players

Kusal Perera – The return to form of Perara was shinning light in game one. After flicking between a number of openers in recent series’ a firing Perara is a massive bonus for the hosts. He’s paying $5.50 to top score.

Alastair Cook – For a player with as many test centuries as he has, cricket has not always been the kindest game to Cook. Especially in the one-day cricket arena (aside from a nice run of form in around 2011/12), the 29 year old has struggled for an acceptable strike-rate. Game two will provide another intriguing look at his game and potentially, his place in the side.

The Odds*

Sri Lanka – $1.53

England – $2.50

*International Cricket odds courtesy of Sportingbet Australia.

The Prediction

Sri Lanka will be too strong again in our view. A win by 4 wickets or 50+ runs.