CRICKET BETTING: Live On Sky Sports 1: Fri 14.30 & 18.30 Australia play India in the big game of the day, hosts West Indies take on Sri Lanka. Compare odds and bet at the best prices.
Australia v India:
We could well have a glimpse of the final on our hands here at Bridgetown when 2 cricket giants come head to head. The ground is the same venue as the final and if both teams progress from the group, can only meet again in the final.
As is with Twenty20, it can’t be a reliable yard stick for the tournament if one team should defeat the other but Australia are 4/5 with Totesport to be victorious, India are 11/10 with Betfred.
Australia came through the group with a maximum haul, as did India, but the manner in which India did so raised perhaps a few eyebrows. Australia did well to score a joint top tournament total of 191 against Pakistan and them restrict them to 157, an impressive victory indeed, but the tail end was left wanting after being dismantled. The Hussey brothers and Watson have been scoring runs and David Hussey can be the man to top score for Australia, 7/1 with Totesport.
India were slightly more impressive in their group. They powered 186 passed pre-tournament 2nd favs South Africa and punished Afghanistan in emphatic style. Raina has a century to his name but it is Yuvraj who can be the man today, 6/1 with Ladbrokes to top score for India.
There is quality and powerful batting in numbers in India’s line up; Gambhir, Raina, Yuvraj and Dhoni are just 4 names that come straight to mind. If India’s bowlers, marshalled by Harbhajan, can take some early wicktes, Australia’s lower order will be nervous of replicating the collpase against Pakistan. The Aussie bowlers will be keen for regular wickets to interrupt any flow that is key but it is India who can post a big score and win this ‘little final’
West Indies v Sri Lanka
The hosts face Sri Lanka, traditionally a one day or Twenty20 danger team. Sri Lanka came through the group in unemphatic style, losing runs to New Zealand in emphatic style in the closing stages. Sri Lanka are 4/5 with 888sport to win today The West Indies are also hard to judge. Whilst they annihilated Ireland, the real test set by England, 191, was farcical as they were allowed to swashbuckle to a total of 60 off 6 overs with 10 wickets in hand for a win, they come in at 6/5 with Ladbrokes to win.
So, a bit of a wild card here but Sri Lanka find themselves with a number of player issues. Captain Sangakkara is struggling, Jayasuriya is playing as a bowler, Murali is injured, Dilshan is having a nightmare. Only Mahela Jayawardene has turned up with the bat, scoring a mighty 181 in 2 games, 60% of Sri Lanka’s runs. It would be ridiculous to ignore this and he is a rather generous 5/2 with Ladbrokes to top score for Sri Lanka.
West Indies, by contrast, need someone to put will to leather. Admittedly they have only really had 1 and a quarter innings with the bat but Fletcher’s total of 31 is fairly paltry. In fact, the West Indies total runs of 198 just eclipses Jayawardene’s personal tally. Gayle will be stepping back in for top scoring Fletcher to score some fast runs, so don’t waste money there, Gayle is 7/2 to top score for them (Ladbrokes).
Both teams are relying on big men, Gayle and Jayawardene. Each wicket is crucial and the bowling teams will be really concentrating on them. This sometimes allows the other batsmen to flourish and if this transpires, it’s Sri Lanka who have the quality to succeed.
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