Tag: Daniel Vettori

Cricket: New Zealand seek unlikely series-leveling victory

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

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 Preview – NZ v South Africa

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

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).