Cricket: England’s path to World Cup begins in Colombo

England’s cricket stars are in desperate need of some game time. For one, they could use a tune up before next year’s World Cup, and secondly, they need the opportunity to prove they’re a strong collective unit and Kevin Pieterson’s nonsense was exactly that.

KP has dominated cricket discussion since the end of England’s summer of cricket, so the opportunity to showcase skills on the pitch will be welcomed with open arms by their World Cup hopefuls.

They head to Sri Lanka, in the middle of rain season, to compete in seven relatively meaningless ODI’s. The series, which is designed presumably to test combinations, comes just at the right time for both teams.

Sri Lanka need confidence after taking a hammering in India, while England just need more experience for the likes of Ali, Gurney, Jordan and Stokes.

The Last Time These Two Met

The teams actually met relatively recently. In May and June of this year Sri Lanka won a five match series 3-2, playing some quality cricket along the way. The series feature four completed innings scores under 150 and only one of over 300. Alastair Cook was under intense pressure after losing the previous series; it will be interesting if he is if they suffer a first up loss here.

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

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, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 James Tredwell, 11 Harry Gurney

The Key Players

Moeen Ali – Originally entered International cricket as a batsman who could bowl a bit. Now he rightfully commands respect as a front line spinner. Not only will he be a handful on the skidding pitches of Sri Lanka, but also expect him to score big runs. Comfortably one of the better players of spin in the English set-up.

Angelo Matthews – What a year Matthews has had. In both Test cricket and ODI cricket, the Sri Lankan captain has been epic. Often digging his side out of a whole, or if not, accelerating near the end of the innings, his contributions have been stunning to watch. Fresh off a 139 against India he should do well again.

The Odds*

Sri Lanka – $1.55

England – $2.45

*International Cricket odds courtesy of Unibet.

The Prediction

It’s always difficult to predict the winners when Duckworth-Lewis gets involved, and he definitely will at some stage in this series. England look appetizing at that price, so I’m picking them to sneak an early win while Sri Lanka’s Indian hangover continues.

Cricket: New Zealand seek unlikely series-leveling victory

Daniel Vettori’s inclusion in a three pronged spin attack is the major talking point of the third and final match of the New Zealand v Pakistan cricket series beginning tonight.

As one of New Zealand’s most experienced cricket players he’ll be expected to impart his significant nous on developing spinners Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig, in addition to increasing the side’s chances of taking twenty wickets.

Vettori who has indicated this test is simply a sojourn, will be asked to bat at number six in place of Jimmy Neesham and get through about 10-15 overs with the ball per day.

The surprise inclusion comes about due to the barren looking Sharjah pitch – the lack of grass has New Zealand questioning their ability to take wickets with the bowling attack that was used in the first two tests.

Pakistan won’t mind dry pitches though. Despite playing the majority of the second cricket test from behind, the number three ranked side still lead the series 1-0. To keep hold of their ranking in the ICC Test Cricket charts Pakistan require a series win and will look to series leading wicket-takers Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar to achieve it.

The Last Time These Two Met

In Dubai’s drawn second test, New Zealand acquitted themselves much better than in the first test and than most of their sub-continent performances. However the second innings again showed slow blowing frailties and their top order’s susceptibility to collapse.

The Teams

New Zealand (likely): 1. Tom Latham, 2 Brendon McCullum (capt), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Corey Anderson, 6 BJ Watling (wk), 7 Daniel Vettori, 8 Mark Craig, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Tim Southee 11 Trent Boult

Pakistan (likely): 1 Shan Masood, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Ehsan Adil/Imran Khan, 10 Zulfiqar Babar, 11 Rahat Ali

The Key Players

Kane Williamson – The New Zealand number three has had a wretched series thus far, however his three previous sub-continent centuries prove his enduring class. Betfair have him as a $4.40 favourite to top score in the New Zealand first innings and he shapes as a key contributor.

Misbah-ul-Haq – It’s not often the Pakistan captain plays a cricket match and scores less 30 in both innings, but that was the case in Dubai. Look for the skipper to bounce back strongly using either of his batting tempos. At Betfair, Misbah is at $5 to top score in the first dig.

The Odds*

Pakistan – $1.96

Draw – $2.5

New Zealand – $6.25

*International Cricket odds courtesy of Luxbet

The Prediction

We’re expecting Vettori to bring solidity to all aspects of New Zealand’s game. That won’t be enough to have them winning on a pitch without a single blade of grass, but we do think they’ll manage another fighting draw.

International Cricket Catch Up

Plenty of International Cricket to sink the teeth into.  Check out the quick version of each series below:

New Zealand v Pakistan

Australia came to Abu Dhabi, saw Younis bat, and got royally conquered.  Now it’s New Zealand’s turn to experience the formidable Pakistan batting unit, that has settled in on the Abu Dhabi pitches like a homeless man at an affluent street corner.  The first test is already underway, and has essentially already been decided.  The top five for Pakistan all made over 80 for the first time in Test cricket; they made 566/3d.  But Luxbet still has them at $1.75 and $2 on the draw.

New Zealand batsmen traditionally struggle against quality spin bowling, and while the Pakistan duo (trio if you include Mohammad Hafeez) are relatively inexperienced, they dismantled the Australians, and will extract plenty of venom from a pitch already turning and bouncing.  New Zealand’s best players of spin are Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor who entered this game with some injury concerns which has limited their batting time.  This will increase the susceptibility of a big defeat and may also mean others get the opportunity to shine.  BJ Watling is an excellent player of the sweep shot and looks a good bet for top runscorer for the Black Caps.

Look for spinners to dominate the leading wicket-takers for the rest of the series if you can find series betting.  Pakistan 2-0 with New Zealand scraping a draw in the last of the International Cricket three match series.

Australia v South Africa

International Cricket is also in Australia at the moment as South Africa and Australia fine tune their World Cup preparations with a (recently completed) three match T20 series (won by Australia, 2-1) and five ODI’s.  While the B sides battled it out in the hit and giggle version of International Cricket, the ODI’s will be a much sterner test for both sides and I’m picking this to be a mightily close series.  The Aussies need to bring some respectability back to their summer game after the aforementioned spanking at the hands of Pakistan.  Whereas the South Africans were very strong against New Zealand in a hasty three match series played before they crossed over the Australia soil.

Bet365 have instilled Australia as $1.66 series winner favourites with South Africa paying $2.20.  In the personal stakes, Michael Clarke looks a great top run getter options at $6.  Faf du Plessis looks sensible at $4.50.  Draw permitting this could well be a World Cup Final next year so I’m expecting some high quality cricket and high scores.  The big grounds and flat pitches in Australia are conducive to quality one day cricket.

India v Sri Lanka

Filling in for the West Indies, who inexplicably pulled out of a partially completed Indian tour, the Sri Lankan’s have found it difficult to compete with the star-studded Indian line-up.  Already two down, the tourists will need something special to contain the likes of Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dawan, Ambati Rayadu, and Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane.  That said, the resting of MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan and Ravindra Jadeja will give Sri Lanka a chance to salvage some pride.

The Indian batting lineup has been far too dominant early in this series and their bowlers have had the uncanny knack of starting with very early wickets.  That combination makes it hard to suggest any other winner than India.  Sportingbet Australia are offering odds on this International Cricket match.  They have India at $1.42, Sri Lanka at $2.85.  If Robin Uthappa gets a go in the last two games whack a couple of quid on him to top score.  He’s paying $7.50 to do so in the 4th ODI.

Zimbabwe v Bangladesh

Our International Cricket roundup finishes in Chittagong.  The 3rd test looms as another one-sided contest.  In Tamin Iqbal, Sahib Al-Hassan, Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh have the best players on display and will again be too strong.  Don’t look to back any individual players who are not the four listed above.

Betfair Australia has Zimbabwe as rank outsiders at $7.40 for the third test.  Bangladesh are at $1.69.  The draw is actually quite attractive at $3.55.

 

 

 

International Cricket Preview – NZ v South Africa

New Zealand and South Africa begin their 2015 Cricket World Cup preparations today in an unusually scheduled October three match series kicking off at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.  Winter has only just finished in New Zealand, and the nations favourite sporting team (the All Blacks) are still commanding most of the media coverage on the back of a narrow weekend victory and an end of season tour squad announcement.  That has allowed South Africa to sneak into the country, and the Black Caps to prepare for the series without too much fuss.  In fact to be even talking about cricket in New Zealand during October is unheard of; there has never been an international cricket match played in New Zealand in October.

The players could command some headline space with some series heroics, however, most will be using the series to press their claims for inclusion in their sides’ World Cup squads.  Fine tuning combinations, testing new game plans and managing workloads / injuries will be the norm in the series.  The combination of small New Zealand grounds and the fact that 350 scores will win the World Cup (not 280) should see some decent scores in the series if weather does not intervene.

New Zealand 

1 Jimmy Neesham, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Dean Brownlie, 4 Brendon McCullum (capt), 5 Tom Latham, 6 Corey Anderson, 7 Luke Ronchi (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori, 9 Kyle Mills, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Trent Boult/Matt Henry

New Zealand’s probable line-up features a number of talking points.  Injuries to Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson, and Tim Southee mean plenty of opportunities for fringe squad members to prove their wares.  All-rounder Jimmy Neesham will get the chance to open although it doesn’t appear to be a baptism of fire rather than an opportunity to savour.  Facing Steyn, Morkel and Philander on an October pitch seems scary.  Middle order novices Dean Brownlie and Tom Latham come in to the middle order basting of decent winter form.  With Taylor, Williamson, and potentially wild child Jessie Ryder to return, the pair appear to be fighting for a batting back up spot only.  Daniel Vettori also returns; he’ll bowl his ten overs for very few runs and generally labour around the outfield.

South Africa

1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 AB de Villiers (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Ryan McLaren, 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

On paper the South African squad is Beyonce flawless.  The squad is well settled; they have no injury concerns.  The team also enter the series in a rich vein of form having toppled Australia (and Zimbabwe) in a recent ti-series.  A couple of question marks remain about their soft middle order of Duminy, Miller and McLaren, but those three are only required if du Pleases, de Villiers and Amla miss out (which is incredibly rare).

Predictions 

Win Match 1 – New Zealand – $2.68 – Topbetta (NZ are a strong ODI side at home, worth a punt)

Most Runs SA – Faf du Plessis – $4.50 – Tom Waterhouse (Faf du Plessis’ last nine international innings include three centuries, two nineties, and two fifties)

Most Runs NZ – Dean Brownlie – $6 – Tom Waterhouse (In dominant form for NZA recently. A quality back foot player, which will help against Morkel, Steyn.  Test century against SA.  Other NZ’ers without much cricket recently)

Most 6’s – South Africa – $2.10 – Unibet (Nothing in the odds, but aside from McCullum and Anderson they don’t hit sixes.  de Villiers, Miller and de Kock will).

 

2014 Champions League Twenty20 Catch Up and Predictions

Diehard cricket fans would not have been as slow off the mark as I have been, and have undoubtedly be watching the early stages of the Champions League Twenty20 competition with interest.

The 2014 Champions League Twenty20 is the sixth edition of Champions League Twenty20. Despite a couple of editions being played in South Africa, this year’s spectacle is being held in India. The tournament features domestic Twenty20 teams from Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

After a three match qualifying process, New Zealand’s Northern Knights and Pakistan’s Lahore Lions joined three IPL teams, two BBL teams, two Standard Bank Twenty20 teams, and the Barbados Tridents (CPL).

Although the teams play for a huge cash pool, the tournament has generally failed to attract widespread attention. However, the 2014 Champions League Twenty20 event has featured some massive performances that warrant critical acclaim. Here’s the catch-up from the first few games:

  1. Kane Williamson – Williamson hit the fastest Champions League Twenty20 hundred. Off just 48 balls against the Cape Cobras (an attack which featured a host of past and present South African bowlers). Williamson is not known for his big hitting which makes the feat even more impressive – as is his latest decision to try bowling left handed (he chucks it with his right).
  1. Sunil Narine – Narine is essentially unplayable in Twenty20 cricket. This held true against the Lahore Lions. He enjoyed figures of 4-1-9-3. His first game against Chennai wasn’t bad either (4-0-9-1).
  1. Cameron Delport – Short but sweet. The Dolphins player smashed 34 off 9 including 7 boundaries and a broken bat against the Chennai Super Kings.
  1. Other mentions – Mitchell Marsh carting the last two balls off the game for six to help the Perth Scorchers win their first game. Suresh Raina scored 90 off 43 balls (CSK scored 242 off their 20 overs in this one). Andre Russell and Aiden Blizzard scored big runs too.

Predictions

Indian or Australian teams have only ever won the tournament and that looks set to continue again in the 2014 Champions League Twenty20. Yet, this year the Australian teams do not appear overly appealing. I’m picking an IPL team. They simply play so much Twenty20 cricket compared to the other nations and are familiar with the conditions and venues. Here are some other predictions courtesy of Betfair.

Top Run Scorer – Kane Williamson is already way ahead thanks to his qualifying form. However, there is no guarantee his Knights team will make the playoffs. Suresh Raina looks good but is only paying 2.64. I prefer Glenn Maxwell at 7.4 or Robin Uthappa at 10.

Top Wicket Taker – I can’t go past Tim Southee here paying 14. He already has 7 wickets in the tournament (again I didn’t check the specific rules of the qualifying tournament so be careful with these options depending on the bookmaker from our list to the left you choose). Back to Southee. He’s proven in Indian conditions and is likely to benefit from cheap wickets when bowling at the death. Worth the punt even if the Knights get eliminated.

Winner – There’s not great money on any of the Indian teams. Nevertheless if I was abetting man my money would go to Chennai just ahead of Kings XI Punjab.   Quick tip – If your going to pick one of these as the eventual winner, you may as well have them winning each head to head game and the final in a multi too.