Tag: Cricket

A Boxing Day Sequel to Brisbane’s Epic

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Pakistan fought valiantly in Brisbane after being written off following their meek first innings. Their effort was surprising yet encouraging and gives game two in Melbourne an intriguing tint. Have Australia well and truly turned the corner, or does the fourth innings nerves prove that there are still nerves amongst the camp when they’re under pressure.

We’ll find out on Boxing Day when the MCG hosts the teams for game two of the series. Check out our thoughts on the key players and how you might be able to make some money from them below:

The Series So Far

The Gabba opener has been labelled the game of 2016, which is no mean feat given some of the exceptional games of cricket in Bangladesh featuring England earlier this year. At its conclusion, Australia snuck a 39 run win after setting Pakistan a mammoth 490 fourth innings chase. Pakistan garnered admiration for their effort in the fourth innings which was spearheaded by Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan and Azhar Ali. However, they also showed a fragility in the first innings that could be exposed throughout game two.

The Teams

Australia (likely):

1 David Warner, 2 Matt Renshaw, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steve Smith (capt), 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Hilton Cartwright, 7 Matthew Wade, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Josh Hazlewood, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jackson Bird.

Debutant Hilton Cartwright is expected to replace Nic Maddinson after the left-hander has registered just 5 runs in his first three test knocks. The team is otherwise settled.

Pakistan (likely):

Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Azhar Ali, Sami Aslam, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Yasir Shah, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali.

No changes are expected from the visitors for game two at the MCG.

The Key Players

Australia: David Warner was one of the big winners when the ICC announced their awards for 2015/16 during the week. Along with Starc, Warner was named in both the Test and ODI teams of the year. The selections illustrate just how important he is to the Australian side in both forms of the game, and how successful he has been.

Pakistan: Asad Shafiq is quickly becoming one of the premier test number 6s in the world. The diminutive veteran of 41 tests has hundreds in England, South Africa and Australia now, a feat that Kohli, Root and Williamson haven’t achieved. His even tempering and range of shots see him as the key player in the Pakistan batting line-up, as he proved in Brisbane. If he can replicate his effort, Pakistan could push Australia all the way and the test match well into the last day.

The Match Odds*

Australia – $1.40

Pakistan – $6

Draw – $5.50

*All odds courtesy of Bet365.

The Prediction

Australia hasn’t lost a Boxing Day test match since 2010 (against England). Therefore, we’re loathe to bet against them here. With momentum, history and form on their side, we expect Australia to win by 9 wickets or over 150 runs.

The Best Bets

Mitchell Starc was once rested for a Boxing Day test against Pakistan. It was 2012 and Micky Arthur didn’t last much longer after the blunder. He’s coaching Pakistan now but I don’t think he’ll be able to prepare his side for the Starc onslaught that’s about to head their way. We’re backing him to be the best Australian bowler at $2.75.

Younis Khan’s second innings of 65 showed he’s approaching close to his best form. He could be good money at $4.50 to top score for the tourists. If his top three can shield him from Starc early, a half century or more could be on the cards.

Fast Pitch, Pink Ball Welcome Pakistan to Australia

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Pakistan has arrived in Australia for a three-match test series, beginning with a day-night test in Brisbane. We take a look at the main talking points ahead of the match and give our tips for finding the best betting options.

The Last Time These Two Met

In the 2014/15 series, Australia was deeply embarrassed. The Australians caved to spin in the UAE, but as is often the case in matchups between these two sides, the home side usually prevails – so Australia is well and truly expected to bounce back from that 2-0 series defeat two years ago.

Both games were bossed by Pakistan. By 221 runs and 356 runs. Expect none of the same here, and more of the same of Pakistan’s last trip to Australia – they lost all nine games across the three formats including a 3-0 clean sweep in the test matches.

The Teams

Australia (likely):

1 David Warner, 2 Matt Renshaw, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steve Smith (capt), 5 Peter Handscomb, 6 Nic Maddinson, 7 Matthew Wade, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Josh Hazlewood, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Jackson Bird.

The Australians will be unchanged from the side that saved some face and beat South Africa in the third test of that series. Despite several of the personnel changing the group will also be on a high after sweeping New Zealand in the interruptive ODI series.

Pakistan (from):

Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Azhar Ali, Sami Aslam, Sharjeel Khan, Younis Khan, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammad Rizwan, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Sohail Khan, Imran Khan.

Pakistan hasn’t shown their hand yet, but they have retained the same group of players that were soundly beaten by New Zealand recently. While competitive at times in that series, their batsman lacked runs and made things incredibly hard for their talented bowling unit. They’ll need more from the likes of Misbah, Ali and Sami Aslam.

The Key Players

Australia: Josh Hazlewood is the completely unregarded, humble and quiet achieving lynchpin of the Australian fast bowling stocks that rarely gets the credit he deserves. His accuracy and patience traits pale in comparison to the speed and swing of Mitchell Starc, however, they are arguably more important to his team’s chances. He’s unrelenting and the perfect foil for Starc, especially as players relax a touch when they don’t have Starc screaming in at them. Look out for Hazlewood to have a big impact on this series.

Pakistan: The fast Australian pitches could suit one player more than any other in the Pakistan squad, and that’s Sarfraz Ahmed. The wicketkeeper-batsman loves to play his shots; hit through the line. Consistent bounce and with a bit of speed behind the ball (especially at the GABBA) could suit his game immeasurably. He could thrive with the extra bounce unlike some of his teammates who may struggle.

The Match Odds

Australia – $1.38 at Unibet.

Pakistan – $6.60 at Betfair.

Draw – $7.40 at Betfair.

The Prediction

Australia will be far too strong over the three games let alone the series opener. They’ll boss the tempo of the game, so expect huge totals and twenty wickets. Australia to carry on their revitalisation and get their second straight win with the exciting and young squad.

The Best Bets

Usman Khawaja to top score at $4.50 from William Hill looks like good money. He loves batting in Australian conditions and generally turns hundreds into really big ones.

Wahab Riaz may enjoy the extra pace of the GABBA if he gets a chance to play. Cricket fans all over the world will remember his spell during the World Cup to Shane Watson and if he can generate anywhere near the same sort of pace and discomfort in spells here he could easily be the top Pakistan bowler. $4.50 again at William Hill.

Can England Save Face in 4th Test Against India

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India will look to wrap up a series win against England when the 4th Test begins on the 8th December in Mumbai. After the drawn first test, the hosts have been well and truly on top since then with convincing back-to-back victories. The major problem for England has been their batting form. England hasn’t reached 300 in any of their previous five innings. The Indian bowlers have been on top so far, and have dominated quite early in England’s previous four innings.

Can England Reverse the Tide?

The question is can England battle back from 2-0 down to gain some credibility in this series? History tells us that when a touring side goes 2-0 down in a five test series, then the series result is a foregone conclusion. It is always difficult for any touring side. The long periods away from home and away from loved ones really takes its toll. It appears that the best that England can hope for is perhaps to win a test and exit India with some credibility. The reality is that England is on the verge of being trounced in India.

Bet365 quote India at just 1-2 to win the 4th Test and that seems fair. Coral quote 9-2 for the draw, while 4-1 for an England win is pretty standard across all of the betting sites, including Boyle Sports. If you are looking for value and want to place a bet on this match then looking at past history, which is usually a pretty reliable guide.

Searching for the Reasons

Listening to the professional analysts pour over the data from the previous three tests is quite interesting. Some of them even quote a case for England clawing their way back into the series. To do that, they would have to win this fourth test! No other result keeps the series alive. While England’s performances haven’t been a disaster, too many players have underperformed so far, while India has had around half a dozen players at the very top of their game.

Whether it is fatigue, good tactics from the Indian bowlers, poor form, or whatever is hard to say. The facts are quite damning and Andrew Strauss has some tough decisions to make that may go way beyond this current series. England has now lost no fewer than eight test matches this year. There is something clearly wrong. When we consider that this is a very talented team on paper, those stats make for grim reading. Not since the 1990’s has England lost so many test matches in a calendar year.

It could mean that the older generation may be coming to an end and are simply mentally worn out by too much test match cricket. It is difficult to see England winning the fourth test. In fact, it is difficult to see England winning a test match in this series at all. If you are looking for a bet, then it would be prudent to avoid betting on England despite the 4-1 odds.

Pakistan Braced for Another Chilly Reception

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More seam and swing is expected in Hamilton for the second test between New Zealand and Pakistan starting today. Green pitches that offer support to the bowlers was once a tried and tested formula for matches hosted in New Zealand as the home side looked to utilise their home advantage to put touring batsman under pressure. After a brief departure from the formula, NZ Cricket has returned to seaming conditions. And it worked excellently in game one of this series.

Will it work again? Or will Pakistan win a crucial toss and flip the script?

Find out our prediction and betting tips below:

The Last Time These Two Met

The rain affected first test in Christchurch threw up little by way of surprises. The Pakistan batsmen were always expected to struggle in swinging conditions, and debutant Colin de Grandhomme took full advantage to take the game away from Pakistan on the second morning. New Zealand ended up taking the spoils by a comfortable eight wickets.

The Teams

New Zealand (likely):

1 Jeet Raval, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt.), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Henry Nicholls, 6 Colin de Grandhomme, 7 BJ Watling (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Neil Wagner, 11 Matt Henry

For the Black Caps, Trent Boult has been ruled out, paving the way for impressive seamer Matt Henry to resume his stop-start test career. Mitchell Santner also returns to the side after breaking a hand in the nets. He replaces Todd Astle. There were some concerns over an eye problem for Ross Taylor, but he will play and have surgery after the test series.

Pakistan (likely):

1 Sami Aslam, 2 Azhar Ali (capt.), 3 Babar Azam, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Mohammad Rizwan, 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Wahab Riaz, 9 Yasir Shah, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Sohail Khan

Pakistan may opt for Mohammad Rizwan instead of Sharjeel Khan. While What Riaz could replace Rahat Ali. The two bowling changes will help the side to take twenty wickets on a surface expected to give plenty of assistance, but they don’t fix an already long tail.

The Key Players

New Zealand

Tim Southee – A slightly odd highlight for a bowler that has been without his best for some time. The former spearhead has lost speed, swing and rhythm since Alan Donald and then Shane Bond left the NZ coaching group. However, in this test, without Trent Would, he’s needed more than ever. He’s the main swing bowler in the group (Wagner and Henry are much more into the pitch bowlers) and in favourable conditions needs to take charge and make the batsmen uncomfortable.

Pakistan

Azhar Ali – The Pakistani captain was solid in Christchurch without being spectacular. He batted for 173 balls in the second innings to blunt the NZ bowling group at the start of the second dig, but a better approach to turning over the strike is now required. Bowlers get too comfortable bowling to one player and not conceding runs, the pressure goes on the batsman and not the bowler. Ali should be looking to help out his fellow batsman and keep the scoreboard ticking over, because once he falls, the team has a penchant to collapse. He’s especially crucial given Misbah will miss the match.

The Match Odds

New Zealand – $2.40 at Unibet.

Pakistan – $5.10 at Unibet.

Draw – $2.54 at Unibet.

The Prediction

It’s hard to see Pakistan putting up more of a fight than they did in Christchurch. That’s not implying their not good enough or mentally prepared to tough it out, it’s simply an indication of the unfamiliarity of the cold, bowler friendly conditions. Without Misbah the challenge looks too great. New Zealand by five wickets or 150 runs.

The Best Bets

If you believe in batsmen being “due” to score runs, then the money on Ross Taylor is attractive. He’s paying $5 to be New Zealand best batsman. He’s had his recent struggles but has traditionally been pretty consistent against Pakistan.

Cricket: New Zealand v England 1st Test Preview

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English cricket fans are desperate for some good news.  Their National cricket team is without a coach, is embroiled in a long-winding and tiresome war of words with Kevin Pieterson, and suffered an embarrassing recent loss to a West Indies team their new Chairman Colin Graves labelled ‘mediocre’.  Thus the fans need a distraction that can only be delivered in the form of a test and series win against New Zealand.

Their New Zealand opponents are on an upward curve.  After a promising home series against Sri Lanka and a World Cup campaign that set the nation alight, New Zealand have moved to third in the test rankings and will no longer fly under any world cricket radar.

The opening bowling pair of Tim Southee and Trent Boult is arguable the strongest facet of their game, but with Kane Williamson, and Brendon McCullum in the middle order, runs might not be a problem for the first time in an away Northern Hemisphere tour.

They have concerns over the form of Ross Taylor (he’s failed to get past 32 in four warmup innings thus far), and their preparation has been slightly scuppered by the late arrival of IPL stars.  But they should still be competitive throughout.

The Last Time These Two Met

The Black Caps were pretty ropey the last time they played in England.  In a test series immediately after a drawn series in New Zealand, the tourists fell to two hefty defeats at Lords and Hedgingly.  The most disappointing aspect of the tour was the final innings effort at Lords where New Zealand fell over for 68 when chasing 239 for the win – perhaps the Lords slope will be cause for concern for the batsman again.  New Zealand’s bowling was on song for most of the series, however their batsman let them down badly.

Of more recent form, New Zealand beat Sri Lanka at home in their most recent series, while the English tied a series in the West Indies – much to the disappointed of their fans.

The Teams

England (likely): 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Adam Lyth, 3 Gary Ballance, 4 Ian Bell, 5 Joe Root, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Ben Stokes, 8 Jos Buttler (wk), 9 Mark Wood, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 James Anderson

Adam Lyth and Mark Wood are expected to debut in the series opener.

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

As is Matt Henry for New Zealand.

The Key Players

James Anderson – Some have already labelled the series a battle between New Zealand and Anderson.  England’s one true match-winner simply gets the job done series after series.  He is deadly at home too and, after having worked himself into some form at the end of the West Indies series, shapes as the key foil to a New Zealand series win.

Kane Williamson – Don’t be fooled by New Zealand’s climb to third in the test match rankings or their dream run to the World Cup Final in April, their batsman will struggle in England.  The ball will swing and the ball will seam, and England have to bowlers to exploit both.  That puts the onus on the techniques of the New Zealand batsman and there are none better than Williamson.  Williamson’s straight bat is the best defence to the moving ball and with plenty of English conditions experience with Yorkshire should be able to improve on his modest record in England.  Expect a big series from the little man.

The Match Odds*

England – $2.32

New Zealand – $2.80

Draw – $2.95

*Courtesy of Sportsbet Australia.

The Prediction

Great odds all round if you’re confident which way this one will go.  Always factor in the rain in English hosted test matches but also consider the movement on offer could equate to a lot of wickets falling early in the test (only two of the past 8 test have been drawn at Lords).  So we’re thinking result, and we’ll go with England courtesy of their superior home record.

The Best Bets

BJ Watling to top score at $10.00 is sensational money.  In great nick in the warm up games, and barring any spectacular collapses won’t face a new ball until the second is on offer and he’s well settled.

Matt Henry is likely to grab the third seamer spot and he might just surprise a few people.  More into the pitch then Boult and Southee he may enjoy bowling into the slope.  He’s at $4.33 to lead the wicket-takers in the 1st Innings.

Cricket: IPL Eliminator Preview

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The top three batsman from each side are likely to determine the outcome of the Eliminator Final in tonight’s Pepsi IPL action.  The Royal Challengers Bangalore group of Kohli, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers face off agansit the Rajasthan Royals trio of Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson, Steven Smith in a battle of high quality batsmanship that will ultimately decide who heads into the 2nd Qualifier.

The Last Time These Two Met

The Challengers have got the better of the Royals in the two meetings this year.  In the 22nd match of the IPL RCB easily chased down 130, losing only one wicket and with 4 nigh on four overs up their sleeve.  Despite rain washing out the second meeting, Bangalore were also in command after notching an even 200 in their allotment.  RCB have the form and history for sure.

The Teams

Royal Challengers Bangalore (likely): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Virat Kohli (capt), 3 AB de Villiers, 4 Mandeep Singh, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Sarfaraz Khan, 7 David Wiese, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 S Aravind/Ashok Dinda

The favourites have their number one relatively set in stone.  The only contentious decision concerns S Aravind and Ashok Dinda in the final bowling spot.

Rajasthan Royals (likely): 1 Ajinkya Rahane, 2 Shane Watson, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Sanju Samson (wk), 5 Karun Nair, 6 James Faulkner, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Deepak Hooda, 9 Stuart Binny, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Pravin Tambe

With the Royals well settled selection of foreigners the only position of note is at number 11.  Talented Legspinner Pravin Tambe could get a chance at the expense of left-arm seamer Brainder Sran.

The Key Players

Mitchell Starc – In years gone by when RCB had Gayle, de Villers, Pieterson, Taylor at their disposal it was obvious how they would use their overseas players.  Even when Daniel Vettori commanded a spot he never took bags of wickets.  This season’s different.  RCB now have a strike bowler capable of striking fear into the opposition, capable of late swing, a searing yorker and taking bagfuls of wickets.  Starc is that man, and the big left armer is set to finish near the top of the wicket taking charts for the second tournament in a row (he topped the World Cup list and is currently five behind Dwayne Bravo).

Ajinkya Rahane – The diminutive right hander is now one of India’s top batsman in all forms of the game.  Coming off an excellent test series in Australia and an above average World Cup effort, Rahane has scored 498 runs from 12 innings – the second best behind David Warner.  His composure at the top of the order is the perfect foil for Shane Watson’s big hitting and has served the Royals well in the IPL.  If Rahane can survive the Starc onslaught and go on to 50, the Royals will go along way towards wing this game.

The Match Odds*

Royal Challengers Bangalore – $1.57

Rajasthan Royals – $2.41

*Courtesy of Sportsbet Australia.

The Prediction

Royal Challengers have momentum on their side, and in our view the more destructive game winners.  It;s not often Kohli, Gayle and de Villiers will all fail in the same game, so for that reason we’re picking them to win by 40 runs or 6 wickets.

The Best Bets

If you’re looking for a batting smokey in the Royals outfit try Steve Smith.  The captain hasn’t had a happy time of it in the series but is at $4.50 to top score tonight.

Faulkner’s at $17.00 for the same option.  Worth a punt.