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Cricket World Cup: Day 28 Recap and Day 29 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Day 28 Results

1. India v Zimbabwe

Brendon Taylor’s final game for Zimbabwe almost followed the script.  The final innings hundred was there – an incredible collection of reverse sweeps, powerful lofts, and cheeky ramps – and at 93/4 the victory looked a possibility too.  Unfortunately, India’s powerful middle order covered over the top order cracks and completed victory by 6 wickets and 8 balls remaining.  The crux of the chase was an unbeaten 196 run partnership between Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.  The pair rescuing a dire situation for the unbeaten Indian side, after the top order had collapsed to 93/4.

Earlier, Taylor had thrilled a large Auckland crowd with a final international innings of the highest quality. He scored 138, including 70 from his final 29 balls.  He was supported by Sean Williams in the most significant partnership of the innings, before Sikandar Raza added a quickfire 28 just as the momentum threatened to collapse.

Eden Park is always a difficult ground to defend totals on, and it proved too tricky for the Zimbabwe bowlers as Raina and Dhoni maturely saw India to their sixth World Cup win.

India 288 for 4 (Raina 110, Dhoni 85) beat Zimbabwe 287 (Taylor 138, Williams 50, Yadav 3-43, Mohit 3-48, Shami 3-48) by 6 wickets

 

2. Australia v Scotland

Australia comfortably beat Scotland and the rain to wrap up second spot in Pool A.

Opting to bowl first to beat the rain, Australia quickly gained the ascendancy with quick wickets to all of the bowlers.  In fairness, the Scottish batsman, who have struggled all tournament, contributed to their own demise with a host of rash shots and an unusually aggressive mindset.  In all, Scotland made just 130, with a brief break in the play for weather not able to save them from somewhat of a humiliation.

Mitchell Starc took 4 wickets to leap to the top of the wickettaker charts, Cummins had three, and Watson, Johnson and Maxwell all got in on the action.

Australia then used the chase to give Michael Clarke an extended bat.  He opened and made 47, and Finch, Watson, Faulkner and Warner all pitched in with handy efforts at better than a run a ball.  The win sets up a quarterfinal against the winner of todays Ireland v Pakistan match.

Australia 133 for 3 (Clarke 47) beat Scotland 130 (Machan 40, Starc 4-14, Cummins 3-42) by seven wickets

 

Day 29 Matches

1. West Indies v UAE, McLean Park (Napier – cloudy, windy, chance of rain), starts 11:00am local time

West Indies – $1.04

UAE – $11.00

West Indies must beat the UAE today and then await the result of the Pakistan / Ireland game from Adelaide.  Task number one will be tricky given the cyclone from Vanuatu threatening to bring adverse conditions to the East Coast of New Zealand.  It might also be tough if Chris Gayle is passed unfit to compete; his back still a big worry.

The final chance for UAE to register a win comes at the familiar location of Napier where they have based themselves for much of the tournament.  They’re coming off a relatively poor showing against South Africa, so they’ll need to improve if they are to crash the West Indies party.

2. Pakistan v Ireland, Adelaide Oval (Adelaide – partly cloudy), starts 2:00pm local time

Pakistan – $1.27

Ireland – $3.82

Ireland’s most important Cricket World Cup game in history will settle a tense Pool B.  Ireland need a win to make it through to the knockout stages for the first time (they have previously made the Super 8’s in 2007).  They could also hope for an abandoned game in Napier, but they would much prefer to be the masters of their own destiny.

Irelands’s poor net run rate is their major issue heading into the final match.  They’ve done commendably to beat UAE, West Indies and Zimbabwe but need to muster every ounce of skill and self-belief to do the unthinkable.

 

Day 29 Multi

The “Gayle Force Upset” Multi

Chris Gayle loves McLean Park, a test 197* springs to mind as evidence of his love of the small ground, but he’s also doubtful with a bad back.  If he plays we’re backing him to perform amongst the cyclone.

Gale To Top Score at $2.88 + Ireland winning Head-to-Head at $3.82 = $11.00

Odds courtesy of Sportsbet Australia.

Cricket World Cup: Day 27 Recap and Day 28 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Day 27 Results

1. New Zealand v Bangladesh

Martin Guptill and the lower order helped New Zealand get past Bangladesh in their final Pool game of the Cricket World Cup, but only just.  Chasing 289 to win, the Black Caps looked to be cruising with Guptill and Ross Taylor controlling the chase, however, the brave Bangladeshi slow bowlers refused to give the game away and took it right down to the wire.  In the end, cameos from Corey Anderson (39), Daniel Vettori (16) and Tim Southee (12) were needed to see the locals home with seven balls to spare.

Bangladesh had earlier recovered from a poor first ten overs – they were 29/2 – to post an excellent 288.  That was largely thanks to Mohammad Mahmudullah’s second consecutive hundred.  His 128 was as good if not better than his previous knock against England.  If featured, nervy start, in which a couple f chances went down within his first few balls, but then controlled aggression and supreme patience.  He allowed others to build partnerships around him and later destroyed Mitchell McClenaghan in the final overs.

Bangladesh’s tactic of using slow bowlers to curb Brendon McCullum’s free scoring worked well.  Shakib bowled an opening over maiden and then removed McCullum and Williamson shortly after.  The plan was working and they should have been well on top had they reviewed an LBW decision against Guptill that went against them.  Guptill got to 100, Taylor to 50, and New Zealand seemed on course before allowing the late pressure to get a bit much for them.  Instead of cool heads, Guptill; Taylor; Elliot; Ronchi; and Anderson all went for wild swipes and perished.

And just when Bangladesh started to believe, Shakib, the hero of the innings with four important top order wickets, went for 12 to lose by 3 wickets.

New Zealand 289 for 7 (Guptill 105, Shakib 4-55) beat Bangladesh 288 for 7 (Mahmudullah 128*, Soumya 51) by three wickets

2. England v Afghanistan

The second match of the day was damp, dull and decidedly English in conditions and appearance.  Sydney’s persistent rain had reduced play to just 50 overs and reduced the crowd to a sparse smattering.  It was befitting of the England Cricket World Cup campaign that this was how it ended.  No bright lights, no powerful opposition and no fanfare.  Simply a final Pool game won comfortably against an associate nation.

All five bowlers took wickets for England, again there was no standout, and they chased their target of 100 easily.  Just one down, with runs to Ian Bell and Alex Hales.  Ian Bell scored another half century, his third of the tournament, but that just accentuates the problems with England.  Not enough hundreds, not enough wickets, no x-factor and carrying a captain averaging 19 in the tournament.

A comfortable win to finish for England, a disappointing final effort from Afghanistan despite bringing plenty of value to the occasion.

England 101 for 1 (Bell 52*, Hales 37) beat Afghanistan 111 for 7 (Shafiqullah 30) by nine wickets (D/L method)

Day 28 Matches

1. India v Zimbabwe

India – $1.10

Zimbabwe – $7.00

India will look to continue their unbeaten World Cup run that spans not only this edition but also 2011’s tournament.  Five from five this year and verging on ten in total, the Indians ave been mightily impressive, despite being given very little chance to do well at the onset.

So dominant have they been, they’ll relish a challenge and the chance to give more batsman game time if Zimbabwe can come to the party.  That could be too much to ask, but we hope not, especially for Brendon Taylor, who deserves a fitting farewell in his final match for Zimbabwe (he’s signed for Nottinghamshire on a Kolpack deal).

2. Australia v Scotland

Australia – $1.01

Scotland – $17.00

Australia will make short work of Scotland in the second of the day’s matches.  Scotland have been the biggest disappointment of the associate nations and you get the feeling they’ll just want to get home.  The only unanswered questions in this match are the size of the total if Australia bat first, the overs taken to chase down Scotland’s effort if they bat first, and whether Shane Watson will play (which might be a tip for who gets the quarterfinal spot).

Day 28 Multi

The Test Best Double

During the Australian Summer two batsman stood out amongst a number of fine efforts.  They were both captains of their sides at various times in the series and both made centuries for fun in the four test series.  That’s why we’re backing them to succeed today.

Virat Kohli to Top Score at $4.75 + Steven Smith to Top Score at $5.00 = $23.75

Odds from Unibet Australia.

Cricket World Cup Day 27 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Not long now until the World Cup starts to get a little more interesting.  Until then, England and New Zealand are predicted to score comfortable wins in Hamilton and Sydney respectively.

Check out our review of today’s actions and the most pertinent questions heading into it:

The Three Big Questions?

Should Ireland be playing test cricket?

Ireland have again led the way of associate nations in this World Cup with a string of decent performances and three wins.  They’ll be pushing for a quarterfinal spot when they meet Pakistan on Sunday.  Whether they make the knockout stage or not they deserve to press their case for test status.  They certainly have the experience, the facilities and the talent to compete in the shorter format, but questions remain about their ability to last five days.  All but three of their squad have played for English counties.  Heck, even their number 11 averages 31.25 in first class cricket.  We support their inclusion on the basis that they start in a second tier comp and are not subject to top team humiliation (even though that’s how every team starts their test journey).

Are New Zealand disadvantaged having every pool game at home?

It sounds silly, but some commenters have argued that New Zealand will struggle with the bigger grounds and different surfaces in Australia if they reach the World Cup final.  Stepping out to a packed MCG could be overwhelming if they haven’t had to experience defending a total on the big ground, or been subjected to the inevitable sheep shagging jokes on the boundary.  Luckily, the conditions won’t be too dissimilar, and home advantage when the public is riding such a wave is more advantageous than not.

Shane Watson or Mitchell Marsh?

Watto will rightly play in the middle order for the rest of the tournament barring injury.  His experience is worth more than Marsh and offers a better bowling option.  Marsh did take five wickets in Australia’s opener but has since been ineffective with the ball in hand.  He must make way for Watson who revived his career with his knock against Sri Lanka.

Today’s Matchups

1. New Zealand v Bangladesh, Seddon Park (Hamilton – fine weather all day), starts 2:00pm local time

New Zealand – $1.12

Bangladesh – $6.25

You might not believe this but Bangladesh have won all of the last seven completed one day internationals against New Zealand.  Granted all of them were in Bangladesh, and when New Zealand were not at home, unbeaten in a World Cup. It’s still a damn fine record and will actually take some good cricket to put a stop to.  Shakib Al Hasan is the key to Bangladesh hopes.  He has an excellent record against the Black Caps and was surprisingly quiet against England.  Expect him to open the bowling to counteract the threat of Brendon McCullum.

Adam Milne is the only injury concern for New Zealand.  He may be replaced by Mitchell McClenaghan.

2. England v Afghanistan, Sydney Cricket Ground (Sydney – cloudy with chance of rain), starts 2:30pm local time

England – $7.00

Afghanistan – $1.10

Home-bound England must conjure up the energy to see off Afghanistan to end their World Cup campaign in style.  The English selectors may be tempted to usher in a host of new faces to plan for a post-enquiry future. That could mean more game time for Alex Hales and Chris Jordan.  James Tredwell could also feature on the traditionally turning Sydney pitch.

Afghanistan will also want to finish strongly.  Their quicks provide their best chance of springing a surprise, but they may be nullified by an unhelpful wicket.

Today’s Multi

The Shock “Bangladesh and Afghanistan Will Win” Mutli

Bangladesh outright at $6.25 + Afghanistan to Win (the toss) at $1.91 = $11.94

Odds available at William Hill Australia.

 

Cricket World Cup: Day 25 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

A slightly different approach today.  Rather than answer the three pressing questions of world cricket, we’re updating the odds on our favourite Cricket World Cup markets:

The Odds Update

The Cricket World Cup Winner

Australia are firming as overwhelming favourites despite their Pool game loss against New Zealand at Eden Park.  Two huge totals against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan has reaffirmed the punters belief.  New Zealand has shortened to second favourites as the pre-tournament and current odds indicate:

Australia – $2.90 $2.30

New Zealand – $6.00 $4.20

South Africa – $4.00 $4.50

India – $10.00 $5.50

Sri Lanka – $11.00 $20

The Top Run-Scorer

Kumar Sangakkara has such an appetite for runs that it’s hard to see him lose this lead unless his side can’t make the semi-finals (giving one player two more innings than him).  He’ll look to feast out again today against Scotland and could make it four hundreds in a row.  Amla and de Villiers also looking good on that list.

Kumar Sangakkara (372) – $15.00 $4.50

AB de Villiers (318) – $14.00 $5.50

Shikhar Dhawan (333) – $41.00 $6.00

Hashim Amla (295) – $11.00 $6.50

Virat Kohli (263) – $15.00 $12.00

David Warner (243) – $9.00 $12.00

Brendon McCullum (249) – $15.00 $13.00

The Top Wicket-Taker

The swing bowlers dominate the top few places on the wicket-taking charts with left armers Starc and Boult the favourites.  Both New Zealand and Australia have final matches left against lesser nations (apologies Bangladesh) to up the tally ahead of the knockout stages.  The two New Zealanders also play their knockout games in Wellington and Auckland (if they win) and both venues have taken swing in the tournament so far.

Mitchell Starc (12) – $10.00 $5.00

Trent Boult (13) – $26.00 $5.50

Tim Southee (13) – $23.00 $5.50

Mohammed Shami (12) – $51.00 $10.00

Daniel Vettori (12) – $34.00 $10.00

Ravi Ashwin (11) – $67.00 $13.00

Today’s Matchup

Scotland v Sri Lanka, Bellerive Oval (Hobart – fine weather forecast), starts 2:30pm local time.

Scotland – $13.00

Sri Lanka – $1.03

Sri Lanka can reaffirm their third place position in Pool A and get some practice ahead of their quarterfinal showdown with South Africa or Pakistan.  In seeking their fourth win of the tournament they’ll hope to bury some Glenn Maxwell shaped demons, and find a better solution to death bowling.  They’ll also hope Herath is available to reduce the pressure on young spinners Prassana or Senanayake.  Dinesh Chandimal has left the tournament injured, and in his absence the batsman can feast out on runs against Scotland’s inexperienced attack.

Scotland have two games left to find a World Cup win.  Their most recent effort was one of their best.  A total of 318 thanks largely to Kyle Coetzer against Bangladesh might have been enough on another day, and they’ll need something similarly impressive today to compete with Sri Lanka.

Today’s Bet

The “Preston is in England not in Scotland” Bet.

A bet celebrating England’s early World Cup exit with a slap in the face top score by a bloke with the same name as a city in Lancashire.

Preston Mommsen to Top Score – $6.50

Odds taken from Sportsbet.

Cricket World Cup: Day 24 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Just when the World Cup was starting to follow script England go ahead and put in their worst performance of the tournament to gift the writer ammunition for today’s important World Cup questions.  We’ll also review today’s game featuring Ireland and India.

The Three Big Questions

Why were England so bad?

Where do we start.  We didn’t agree with their team selection for much of the Cricket World Cup, we don’t like their mindset, and their best two bowlers had bad tournaments.  Then there’s the focus on ‘data’ and the domestic competition featuring 18 counties which is simply too big.  Looking at the points individually, the team selection and game plan were the glaring errors.  England’s cautious approach is in stark contrast to the way the tournament frontrunners are playing.  Watch McCullum, de Villiers or Maxwell bat.  No one goes close to playing with that sort of freedom in the English set up (Ali and Buttler are the two closest), therefore they are always going to be behind the 8-ball in modern cricket.  You saw the ease their 309 was chased down by Sri Lanka.  Those scores don’t win games anymore.  They needed to give Hales more cricket, get him at the top and get Buttler up the order too.  It also would have helped if Stuart Broad didn’t go 35 overs without a wicket in the middle of the Cricket World Cup.

Where do they go now?

Moores and Morgan both have to go.  Moore showed just how dreadfully out of touch he is when he claimed he would “analyse the data” to determine where they went wrong.  And Morgan just can’t hold his place in the team as a batsman, so has to go.  Downton should probably join them on the heap; possibly James Whitaker (chairman of selectors) too.

They could turn to players like James Vince, Jason Roy and Ben Stokes are good enough to build a squad around.  Not KP though.

Any more upsets?

Still could be plenty, including today’s match previewed below. The quarterfinals are also the perfect chance for Pakistan, Bangladesh, West Indies, Sri Lanka or Ireland (depending on who gets there) to provide a shock.  If you love a cheeky outsider punt this could be your tournament.

Today’s Matchup

India v Ireland, Seddon Park (Hamilton – fine), starts 2:00pm local time.

India – $1.20

Ireland – $4.00

The stunning Seddon Park hosts unbeaten India against surprise packages Ireland in today’s only game.

Both sides are arguably stronger with the willow than with the leather, so today’s match could be a high scorer.  Having said that, India have surprised some with the improvement in their bowling since their time in Australia, and no teams have got away on them.

Ireland have had just one bad performance form their lot so far.  They should still be feeling pretty good about themselves and will take comfort from the fact that England’s exit makes them European Champions.

We’re sniffing an upset…

Today’s Bet

The upsets continue bet.  Ireland haven’t beaten India in a one-day international before but back them to do it today on a head to head bet at $4.00.

Odds taken from Unibet Australia.

Cricket World Cup: Day 23 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

A weekend of Cricket World Cup action left plenty of unanswered questions.  Our day 23 preview covers three of the most important questions and previews today’s game.

The Three Questions

Is Maxwell more dangerous than AB?

On the analysis of his last two knocks, Maxwell is well and truly more dangerous than AB de Villiers.  They have similar skill sets and mind sets.  They are both fearless, creative, and have an uncanny knack of hitting the ball where the fielders are not (maybe calling it a knack does them a disservice, because it’s such a conscious decision).  But Maxwell’s dangerousness also comes from the platforms he’s getting from his side.  Coming in against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka with big runs already on the board has freed him up considerably and is likely to have him outscore de Villers in the tournament.

Is Sangakkara the best ODI batsman of all time?

You would have to think so. How’s this for a record – 402 matches, 14065 runs, 41.73 average, 24 hundreds, 93 fifties.  It’s the second highest aggregate in history (behind Sachin Tendulkar) but has often come while keeping wickets, often without the support of teammates, and in all conditions.  He is the complete batsman in all forms of the game and never gets the credit he deserves.  This piece will pay the dues however – he’s the best on history.

How are the quarterfinals shaping up?

Here are our predictions:

South Africa v Sri Lanka, Sydney
India v England, Melbourne
Australia v Pakistan, Adelaide
New Zealand v West Indies, Wellington

Today’s Matchup

England v Bangladesh, Adelaide Oval (Adelaide – chance of showers), starts 2:00pm local time

England – $1.24

Bangladesh – $4.00

The winner of this match will march towards the quarter-finals, the loser will be heading home.  It should never have come down to this for England, but their inconsistent form now sees them in a do or die encounter against the sometimes sub-continent surprise packages.

Bangladesh have some form and confidence from their win against Scotland, although they’ll be hoping they don’t concede 300 again.  On the other end, England have beaten Scotland too, but that’s the only win they have managed.

England should have too much quality in this one, but a close game could test their mettle.

Today’s Bet

The “captain delivers against the odds” bet.

Eoin Morgan to Top Score just when his team needs it.  He’s paying $5.50.

Odds taken from Luxbet.