Tag: Black Caps

Black Caps Head to Hamilton Hoping For Salvage Job

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Earlier in the summer when the Black Caps were dispatching Pakistan and Bangladesh plenty of supporters were optimistic about their chances of success against South Africa.

The optimism has proven to be misguided.

The limp Black Caps second innings effort brought back memories of collapses past and illustrated the gulf between the teams – especially when you take Trent Boult and Ross Taylor out of the home side.

Can they save their season and the series in Hamilton?

The Series So Far

A calamity in Wellington has seen the Black Caps slip behind in the series and left facing a series defeat to South Africa for the 6th consecutive series.

From a position of strength early on day two, the Black Caps collapsed spectacularly to lose by 8 wickets. They gave up a 91-run first innings lead even though they reduced the Proteas to 94-6 at one stage, and managed just 171 in their second innings.

The loss followed a first up draw in Dunedin and means New Zealand need to win in Hamilton to salvage a home season that looked promising after wins against Pakistan and Bangladesh but is now bordering on a disappointment.

The Teams

New Zealand

Trent Boult is fit to bolster the bowling stocks. He’s overcome a groin injury, which leaves New Zealand with a tough decision on whether to drop both allrounders (Neesham and de Grandhomme) or Tim Southee again to accommodate a second spinner.

South Africa

There’s no reason to make any changes to the side that won at the Basin Reserve. The only concern for the South Africans will be the form of Stephen Cook who has put together just 17 runs in four digs thus far.

The Key Players

New Zealand

Over the last years, Tom Latham has looked the best test opener in New Zealand, but his horror run of form since Boxing Day has seen Jeet Raval overtake him as the most important man at the top of the New Zealand order. The patient left-hander has two half-centuries in the series thus far and looks a good tip to top score at $5.50. We’d like him to turn those fifties into hundreds, though – like he does at domestic level.

South Africa

Keshav Maharaj has been described as steady, a grinder, a fighter in the press and by his own team in media comments this series, however, influential might be the more appropriate term. It’s not often spinners play a major part in New Zealand test matches, but Maharaj has 13 wickets at 13 in the series even before playing at Hamilton where it’s actually expected to turn. He’s paying $5 to be the top bowler for his side in the first innings.

The Match Odds*

New Zealand – $6.50

Draw – $1.66

South Africa – $3.20

*All odds from Bet365.

The Prediction and Best Bets

Given the forecast, it’s hard to see anything other than a draw in the final game of the New Zealand summer. While the Black Cap’s Basin Reserve collapse show anything is possible with them involved, it seems a draw is inevitable. The punters and bookies both agree.

New Zealand Underdogs Against Proteas Despite Strong Home Form

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Despite a solid home summer of cricket, where they’ve dispatched Pakistan and Bangladesh with ease, New Zealand start as underdogs in the three test series against South Africa starting Wednesday in Dunedin.

They’re up against it because they have never beaten South Africa in a test series, managing to draw only three of the fifteen series’ the teams have played against one another (four wins).

The Last Time These Two Met

New Zealand was completely outplayed when the team last met in a test series. Hosted in South Africa, the Black Caps were pasted by 204 runs in the second test match at Centurion after the first match was rained out.

The series loss proceeded further losses in South Africa in 2013 (both games lost by an innings, including the infamous test in which New Zealand was bowled out for 45 after Brendon McCulllum replaces Ross Taylor as captain).

Closer to home, a 2012 series was won by South Africa one-nil. That series largely remembered for a gritty coming of age hundred by Kane Williamson to save the game in Wellington.

The Teams

New Zealand (probable):

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

New Zealand has the option of playing two spinners in Dunedin with the inclusion of Jeetan Patel in the test squad. The canny off-spinner had success in the ODI series but may still miss out if the Black Caps prefer the three main quicks. Jimmy Neesham is also in the squad as an all-around option and will compete with de Grandhomme for a place in the side.

South Africa (probable):

1 Stephen Cook, 2 Dean Elgar, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Temba Bavuma, 7 Quinton de Kock (wk), 8 Vernon Philander, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Kagiso Rabada

More Morkel returns to top level cricket to complement Rabada and Philander in the pace attack, while Maharaj is the one spinner.

The Key Players

New Zealand

Neil Wagner’s 41 wickets in 2016 put him, surprisingly, in the top ten wicket-takers for the calendar year. A whopping ten more than New Zealand’s next best (Trent Boult), Wagner became, out of nowhere, the Black Caps most important bowler. Capable of bowling long spells of obnoxious short pitched bowling, Wagner will again be combative and dangerous in this series.

South Africa

If the New Zealand batsman found Kagiso Rabada difficult to face in the ODI series, where he led the wicket-takers, just imagine how tricky they’ll have it surviving seven over spells of his unrelenting accuracy. With more match fitness than Philander and Morkel, he’s the key strike bowler for the Proteas.

The Match Odds*

New Zealand – $3.25

Draw – $4.50

South Africa – $1.90

*All odds from Bet365.

The Prediction

University Oval has seen four draws in the seven games the ground has hosted. That could be on the cards here too with a bad weather bomb impacting the North Island of New Zealand and potentially drifting down the country. We’re favouring the draw.

The Best Bets

Ross Taylor averages 78 from 6 matches at University Oval; it’s the best record for New Zealand batsmen at the ground so he could be worth a look at $5 to top score.

University Oval can get pretty flat, meaning Neil Wagner’s short pitched filth could be needed. Take a punt on him at $3.5 to lead the wicket takers if you think he’ll do well against his fellow countrymen and is over his recent finger injury.

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 World Cup: NZ v South Africa – SF 1 Review

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Grant Elliot held his nerve on the penultimate ball to swat Dale Steyn over the long on boundary, sending a 45,000 strong Eden Park into a frenzy, and New Zealand to the World Cup final.  South African born Elliot played the innings of his life to help New Zealand find 29 from the final 17 balls and 12 from the final over in a pulsating finish the World Cup richly deserved.

After four one-sided quarterfinals the tournament was screaming out for a close and memorable encounter.  Auckland duly delivered with a day’s play that constantly saw momentum ebb and flow, as two teams desperate to book their first ever World Cup final appearance traded blows under intense duress.

New Zealand fired the first shot; Trent Boult matching his deadly late swing with unparalleled accuracy, at one stage bowling to a 7-2 offside field with five slips, and taking two early wickets.  Hashim Amla chopped on when he through the hands loosely at a widish drivable length, and when Quinton de Kock gave his wicket away after surviving an earlier storm for 14, South Africa were reeling at 31/2.

While the electric Eden Park crowd bayed for more blood, Faf du Plessis personified the fight and heart of his South African side with a brilliantly composed 82.  He withstood the early pressure along with Rilee Rossouw to help build an AB de Villers shaped platform from which the aggressive captain could launch from.

Launch they did too as the 10 overs between 30 and 40 brought 110 runs.  The de Villiers led impetus had South Africa perfectly set-up to press on to 350+ before a one and a half hour rain delay curtailed the possibility.  The rain delay reduced the contest to 43 hours and meant South Africa had just five more overs to add to their total.  The post break hero for South Africa was David Miller who thrashed 49 from just 18 balls to set up the daunting total.  Remarkably, de Villiers faced just 7 balls in the final five overs.

Duckworth-Lewis entered the fray at the innings break and adjusted New Zealand’s target t0 298.  In the process, asking the Black Caps to successfully complete the largest run chase in World Cup knockout history.  History looked entirely plausible when Brendon McCullum launched a familiar attack in the first five overs.  He dispatched everything that came his way, including reducing some of the World’s best fast bowlers to club cricket cannon fodder.  McCullum’s 26-ball 59 was crucial to his side’s chances and set the perfect tone for the stiff target as well as denting the confidence of Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander – confidence that did not return when they both needed it in the crunch overs.

Despite the fall of McCullum, and a collection of others through the middle overs, Grant Elliot remained calm, found support from Corey Anderson and expertly controlled the asking rate under unimaginable stress.  Elliot and Anderson’s 103 run partnership was the determinative contribution of the innings.  The pair survived multiple run out chances, and dropped catch collisions to put together their match-winning effort.  It shouldn’t go down as a choke, as South Africa left everything out on the park, but there were some interesting options taken by the eventual losers.

In particular, JP Duminy’s early introduction and subsequent choice to bowl round the wicket was head scratching.  He can bowl better, as the quarterfinal hat-trick outline, but he picked a poor day to bowl some of his worst stuff.  That forced de Villiers himself to make up some of the overs, and he did an okay job until trying a bouncer every over that resulted in boundaries.  Rossouw’s decision to throw the ball flat and hard while trying to run out Corey Anderson will be questioned as will Steyn’s final delivery length option.

New Zealand’s win did get a little closer than perhaps it should have.  Tight Imran Tahir and Morne Morkel overs asked the South African faithful to believe, but with ten needed from four balls, Daniel Vettori squeezed and important boundary and then Elliot connected perfectly to book New Zealand a spot in Melbourne’s tournament decider.

Dream big New Zealand.

New Zealand 299 for 6 in 42.5 overs (Elliott 84*, McCullum 59, Anderson 58, Morkel 3-59) beat South Africa 281 for 5 in 43 overs (Du Plessis 82, De Villiers 65*, Miller 49) by 4 wickets (D/L method)

Cricket: Teams face off in final hit out before World Cup

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

The pre-cup bilaterals are almost at an end.  The endless warm up matches will soon be replaced by the real deal, the main event.  Accordingly, game two between Pakistan and New Zealand at McClean Park is one of the final opportunities to fine tune games and plans before the pressure gets crippling.

Pakistan need the game more than New Zealand.  The home side are well settled, in form and winning.  The World Cup couldn’t come sooner for them.  Pakistan on the other hand still need time to acclimatise.  They need to experience a win (after losing game on and losing to a mediocre invitational side).

Napier’s game two day-nighter presents the perfect opportunity.

The Last Time These Two Met

Game one featured plenty of rust.  Not the kind coming from the empty seat at the Cake Tin either.  Mainly it was the evident rust of the paisan line-up that will be better for the blow out.  Batting first Pakistan limped to just 210.  That was only possible because of Shahid Afridi who struck 67 off just 29 balls.  His strike rate was 231, the rest of the line-up’s was just 53.

New Zealand chased it comfortably.  Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott guiding the chase with a pair of unbeaten half centuries.  The only real interest in the second innings was who would top score between the two, a bet that came down to the last run.

The Teams

New Zealand (likely): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (capt), 3 Kane Williamson/Tom Latham, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk) , 7 Corey Anderson, 8 Nathan McCullum/Daniel Vettori, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Trent Boult

Kane Williamson’s shoulder is still not 100%, so it’s probable he’ll sit this one out again.

Pakistan (likely): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Haris Sohail, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt.), 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Bilawal Bhatti, 10 Mohammad Irfan, 11 Sohail Khan/Ehsan Adil

The fifth seamer is the troubling aspect of Pakistan’s squad with Haris Sohail expected to make up the bulk of the overs with the injuries to Wahab, Junaid – who has toady been ruled out of the World Cup.

The Key Players

Ross Taylor –  We don’t generally like focusing on the same player over an over again, but Taylor’s record in Napier is simply too good to ignore.  The Central Districts prospect played lots of his first class cricket at McLean Park and has subsequently carved out an amazing record on the batsman friendly ground.  In 11 ODI’s at the ground, Taylor has scored 584 runs with 2 hundreds at an average of 73.  Look for him to cash in again.  Although, one anomaly, the only time he’s failed at the ground was against Pakistan in 2011.

Shahid Afridi – Afridi is building a handy little record against New Zealand of late.  In the Abu Dhabi series Afridi played much more like a composed batsman and had an excellent series.  He didn’t quite play in the same way on Saturday, reverting back to his old school Boom Boom approach, yet he still scored big runs.  The small McClean Park could be ideal for his destructive game.

The Match Odds*

New Zealand – $1.40

Pakistan – $3.00

*Courtesy of Ladbrokes Australia.

The Prediction

Pakistan were predictably blown away by New Zealand’s seamers in game one, and while Napier isn’t expected to swing and seam as much New Zealand will still be too strong.  Remember a pitch that assists Southee and Boult also assists Irfan – and thus Napier could nullify the threat of the giant quick.

The Longshot

Hard to go past Ross Taylor to top score.  Even despite the Napier record, without Kane Williamson playing, Taylor’s a strong chance.  He’s at $5.

Cricket: NZ welcome Pakistan for 2 match World Cup warm-up

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There were rumours of a ghost haunting the Pakistan’s team hotel in Christchurch early this week.  Harris Sohail was supposedly on the receiving end of a particularly nasty spiritual presence.  Whether the ghost was simply a figment of Sohail’s imagination or whether it was the ghost of series past between the two remains to be seen.

If it was a soul from the series the two recently completed in Abu Dhabi then it will hold memories of a closely fought series, and some strong individual performances from Sohail.  Perhaps that’s why he was awoken in the middle of the night.

Ghosts aside, the short turnaround to the Pakistan series will provide New Zealand with a sterner test than the one they have just encountered.  With concerns lingering over Guptill and Taylor, the Black Caps will welcome the chance to fine tune.

Fine tuning is also important for a Pakistan outfit that have traditionally struggled away from home.  After batting for days against New Zealand and Australia on flat pitches in Dubai, the move to New Zealand will no doubt come with trickier batting assignments against the moving ball.

Wellington is expecting a little rain.  Duckworth-Lewis may be a factor.

The Last Time These Two Met

Was recently actually.  In Dubai in November the teams endured a tense series which was eventually won by New Zealand in the final match.  After a see-saw five match series the Black Caps secure a 3-2 series win  thanks to a 68 run win.  In that series, Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor topped the bating charts for New Zealand; Haris Sohail and Shahid Afridi for Pakistan.  With the ball Matt Henry was the best followed by Mohammad Irfan.

The Teams

New Zealand (likely): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Brendon McCullum (capt.), 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Grant Elliott, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk) , 7 Corey Anderson, 8 Nathan McCullum/ Daniel Vettori, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Mitchell McClenaghan, 11 Trent Boult

The New Zealand set-up have not given any indication as to how serious Adam Milne’s injury is, but we suspect he’s still unfit for the Pakistan series.  Nathan McCulum may get some more match practice at Vettori’s expense.

Pakistan (likely): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Younis Khan, 4 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt.), 5 Umar Akmal, 6 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 7 Shahid Afridi, 8 Bilawal Bhatti, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Irfan, 11 Sohail Khan/ Ehsan Adil

Plenty of options for the tourists in this series makes the predictions tough.  Only Misbah and Umar Akmal in the middle order seem sho0-ins after convincing knocks in the warm-up matches.

The Key Players

Corey Anderson – During the week Graeme Smith and Rahul Dravid pointed out the three players they thought were crucial to New Zealand’s World Cup chances.  One of them was Corey Anderson.  So well suited to thrashing the ball over the boundary, and now playing an increasing important role with the ball, Anderson’s form (which was decent against Sri Lanka) is likely to match New Zealand’s.

Umar Akmal – Scores of 77 and 68 in the two warm-up games point to Akmal being in quality form at the moment.  Pakistan hope so, as do the New Zealand sporting public who’ll be after a more fiercely competitive series.  Akmal’s form in Australia and New Zealand over the years has been excellent, this series may be another example of that and a springboard to World Cup success.

The Match Odds*

New Zealand – $1.50

Pakistan – $2.63

*Courtesy of Betstar.

The Prediction

Pakistan against the swinging and bouncing ball worries us.  That’s why we’re tipping New Zealand even though they’re coming off a loss only a few days ago.

The Longshot

Great money on Umar Akmal to top score for Pakistan.  $6.50 at Betstar.