Friends Life T20 2012

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The new domestic T20 season gets underway on Tuesday and for me is always the highlight of the county season. This year the format moves back to the original format of three groups of six with the top two and two best third placed sides go through to the QFs. We're back to South, Mid/Wales/West and North groups this year with everyone playing 10 group matches over the next month or so. With the calibre of overseas signings it should be a great few weeks of T20 with a TV game in almost every day that England aren't playing. Always dosh to be made in this tournament so let's get it going.

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Re: Friends Life T20 2012 2pts ew Lancashire to win Friends Life T20 14/1 Boylesports (1/2 1-2)

The North Group looks a lot weaker and with Keedy and Parry in their side and the likes of Simon Kerrigan backing them up when they need him, Lancashire are well covered in the spin department. Ashwell Prince and Yasir Arafat are reliable overseas players and it is hard to see Lancashire not qualifying. Throw in the likes of Stephen Moore and Ajmal Shahzad and Lancashire have a couple more quality players who can lead them to a maiden T20 title. Full tournament preview here:

http://www.punterslounge.com/friends-life-t20-betting--lancashire-have-the-right-mix-and-personnel-to-win-a-first-t20-title

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Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Other outrights for me. Don't normally take 3 outrights in a tournament of 18 but there's some cracking prices around so it would be rude not to. 2pts Lancashire to win North Group 15/4 Boylesports As above. No idea what odds of 15/4 are all about but I'd have Lancashire vying for joint favouritism here so I'm happy to take them. 1pt ew Kent to win Friends Life T20 20/1 Stan James (1/2 1-2) 1pt Kent to win South Group 8/1 William Hill I think both these prices are big on a side who have started the season well and who have some good T20 players. Kent came out of the South Group last year which was a really strong group with Somerset thrown into it so that is very much a positive for them. In the likes of Azhar Mahmood and Darren Stevens they have a couple of excellent all rounders in this format of the game while Brendan Nash will make up for the loss of Martin van Jaarsveld from last season's side. Mark Davies is proving almost impossible to get away with the ball while the likes of James Tredwell and Adam Ball will do very good jobs. Throw in the likes of Sam Billings and Sam Northeast with the bat and you have a good side with an excellent blend of no fear youngsters and veterans who have the experience to calculate their risks. The South Group is like a tournament in itself but I'm not convinced Kent are 8/1 shots to win the group. Kent have been all the way to the final in this tournament before as well as winning the event in 2007, captained by Rob Key who leads the side this year. It took a wonder of a run chase by eventual winners Leicestershire to deny them in the quarter finals last year but this year they could easily go a couple of stages further. 1pt ew Welsh Dragons to win Friends Life T20 33/1 Boylesports (1/2 1-2) 1pt Welsh Dragons to win Mid/Wales/West Group 17/2 Bet365 One of the things I've noticed since Hampshire won this tournament on their own patch is every side wants to be at their own party. Well Glamorgan host the party that is finals day this year and I'm sure even if only subconsciously they will target this tournament strongly. You can't argue with their overseas signings. Marcus North is Mr Reliable in this format while Shaun Marsh is one of the best T20 batsmen doing the rounds today. With the ball they have the reliable spin pair of Robert Croft and Dean Cosker who will be vital if Glamorgan do get to finals day with the low, slow wickets at Cardiff these days. They will play a big part in getting them there too you fancy. In the seam department James Harris might play more than he has in the past as he continues his comeback from injury while Simon Jones showed at the weekend that he still has it. With the extra motivation of being at their own party, and the likes of Martin van Jaarsveld who has been signed for the tournament and James Allenby backing up the overseas batsmen, I think Glamorgan or the Welsh Dragons as they call themselves now can go well at a big price and in a weak group, where I'm far from convinced by Somerset's credentials, I see no reason why they can't top the table also at a big price, if they can get on a roll.

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Re: Friends Life T20 2012 1pt ew O.Shah Top Tournament Batsman 22/1 Stan James (1/4 1-4) 1pt ew S.Moore Top Tournament Batsman 25/1 Stan James (1/4 1-4)

Owais Shah has had an excellent winter in T20 cricket. He went out to South Africa and was one of the top scorers in their domestic competition and was one of the stars of the tournament. He scored over 300 runs in 12 innings out there, he averaged over 70 for Hobart in the Big Bash and he was in the one of the better batsmen in the IPL too so Shah is in good nick in this format, understands it well and on a postage stamp sized Chelmsford ground should go very well in this competition. I’ve already backed Lancashire to win the title so it is only right I take one of their players to top score too. Stephen Moore has begun the CB40 in excellent form. He has three 50’s in four innings and only three men have scored more runs than him in that competition, one of which can’t play in this tournament. Moore was the fourth highest run scorer in this tournament last year despite playing on some sluggish Old Trafford wickets. The wickets at Old Trafford look full of runs this year and I think that will benefit Moore who is creaming the ball to all parts in one day cricket at the minute. Full preview:

http://www.punterslounge.com/friends-life-t20-betting--owais-shah-and-stephen-moore-look-the-value-in-the-top-tournament-batsman-market

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Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Opening night matches: [TABLE=class: couponTable]

[TR] [TH=class: firstColumn]Tuesday 12 June 2012[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Kent v Sussex (17:30 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.2 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.8 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]101.01 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Leicestershire v Nottinghamshire (17:40 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.5 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.65 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.61 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Note Kent vs Sussex is now at Canterbury with a 7pm start after flooding in Tunbridge Wells caused it to be moved :ok.

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Re: Friends Life T20 2012 TV match is Leicestershire vs Nottinghamshire. Preview: 4pts Under 8.5 6's 5/6 William Hill

One bet which I do like is the under 8.5 6’s market. Only two matches in each of the last two seasons have gone over 8.5 6’s and two of those four were against Lancashire. Admittedly there has been some washouts in among that run but this isn’t a ground where sixes come in huge supply. The boundaries tend to be quite big here, especially in the squarer areas and the wicket can be slow, and could well be slow given all the weather we’ve had recently.

Full preview: http://www.punterslounge.com/leicestershire-vs-nottinghamshire-betting--2012-t20-tournament-can-begin-without-many-sixes-at-grace-road

[fishy25]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Not going mad with the outrights really but have taken a few. Let's just hope the rain dries up pretty quickly and we can see some good cricket with plenty of results. Sussex to win Friends Life T20- 11/1 Stan James- (1/10 E/W)- 1/2, 1-2 Sussex to win South Group- 7/2 Stan James- (2/10) ​I like the look of this Sussex in the T20 this season. Traditionally they have fared well in the tournament and have been one of the better teams in T20 history. I backed them to struggle in the Championship, but to me their side looks well set to go well in the T20. They've avoided the England call-ups and Matt Prior will be available for them as well which is a huge boost to their batting. In recent years, the likes of Panesar, Joyce and Yardy have also been unavailable for the tournament because of International call-ups but they will all be available this year. In the likes of Nash, Joyce and Luke Wright at the top of the order, they have 3 guys there who can get them off to flying starts and take a game away from a team before the match has even properly started. They've needed to strengthen their bowling attack to have a balanced side and that's just what they've done. Scott Styris is extremely hard to get away as he's shown in the past, whilst Rusty Theron showed just what he can do against Pakistan so in those 2 players, they have some real quality. Add to that the likes of Amjad Khan and the additional spin options of Yardy and Nash, then you have a side who are oozing with quality throughout. In their group, they have an Essex side who have no overseas player which they desperately needed and a Surrey side who are favourites but cannot bat at the minute. To me, Sussex have a superb chance in this year's competition, and I see no reason why they can't go all the way, topping their group in the process. Luke Wright Top Tournament Batsman- 25/1 Stan James- (1/10 E/W) 1/4, 1-4 Only right that I back a Sussex batsman given how I expect them to go well this season and that backing comes in the shape of Luke Wright. Since returning from the IPL, he immediately has impressed and scored a century and a fifty in the 2 one day games he's played and he also has a couple of half centuries in the 4 day game as well which shows his good form since returning. He would have been majorly frustrated over in India, as he didn't play anywhere near as much as he would have both wanted, and expected. At Hove, he'll be batting on a good track with shortish boundaries which he can clear with absolute ease. He'll either be opening the innings or just down at 3, so he'll have plenty of time at the crease you expect and he just looks a good each way bet to me. Richard Levi Top Tournament Batsman- 25/1 Stan James- (1/10 E/W) 1/4, 1-4 There's a few reasons I like the powerful South African batsman here. First of all, he'll be playing on an absolute road consistently down at Taunton where bundles of runs are scored and Levi could easily produce some very big scores indeed on that ground. Somerset will be without arguably 3 of their most influential one day batsman in Trescothick, Kieswetter and Buttler for periods and although Nick Compton has been on fire this season, Somerset will need to find some support and runs from another source and I think Levi can produce that. Somerset always seem to produce some superb cricket in the T20 and granted that's because their team has been superb through the years, but even with this slightly depleted batting lineup, I think it'll be wrong to rule them out. In Levi, they have a guy who can dominate any bowling attack in the world really, especially in batting friendly conditions at Taunton. He hit that extraordinary unbeaten century against New Zealand earlier in the year with his big hitting, and I'll back him to do something similar for Somerset without the likes of Trescothick and co in the side. Steven Croft Top Tournament Batsman- 66/1 Stan James- (1/10 E/W) 1/4, 1-4 What this price is all about I really don't know. I also expect Lancashire to do okay in this year's tournament and given how high Croft bats, I really don't know what makes him a 66/1 price here. He'll be batting either 3 or 4 I would expect, and having already hit 3 half centuries in the CB40, as well as a first class century as well, it shows he is clearly no mug with the bat. In actual fact, he's been one of Lancashire's most consistent batsman in one day cricket in the past few years, and now he doesn't have that extra pressure of captaincy with Glen Chapple back, he can solely focus on his batting. His T20 batting average is actually a pretty handy 26.79, which at Old Trafford is not bad at all and at this price, I just can't overlook Croft here.

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Re: Friends Life T20 2012 [TABLE=class: couponTable]

[TR] [TH=class: firstColumn]Wednesday 13 June 2012[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Somerset v Warwickshire (17:40 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.73 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.4 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]99.47 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Surrey v Essex (18:30 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.72 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.4 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]99.81 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

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Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Somerset vs Warwickshire is the TV game. Match preview: 6pts Somerset to hit the most 6's 5/6 Stan James

For me the best bet in this match is for Somerset to hit the most 6’s. They have some fearful hitters for any ground size let alone the small size of Taunton. Richard Levi and Albie Morkel are huge hitters and then there’s Kieswetter, Trego, Buttler and even Compton. Warwickshire aren’t really a big hitting team and one of their most in form batsmen in Tim Ambrose is missing this match. Full preview:

http://www.punterslounge.com/somerset-vs-warwickshire-betting--somerset-s-powerful-batting-line-up-can-hit-the-most-6-s-in-t20-opener

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012

Somerset vs Warwickshire is the TV game. Match preview: 6pts Somerset to hit the most 6's 5/6 Stan James

For me the best bet in this match is for Somerset to hit the most 6’s. They have some fearful hitters for any ground size let alone the small size of Taunton. Richard Levi and Albie Morkel are huge hitters and then there’s Kieswetter, Trego, Buttler and even Compton. Warwickshire aren’t really a big hitting team and one of their most in form batsmen in Tim Ambrose is missing this match. Full preview:

http://www.punterslounge.com/somerset-vs-warwickshire-betting--somerset-s-powerful-batting-line-up-can-hit-the-most-6-s-in-t20-opener

Had a couple of PMs off people in the last couple of days asking if I can quote which of the previews I write for PL that I actually take as bets myself so I'll try and do that in future starting with this one which I have taken. +3.34pts after last night and a couple more to add to the above for tonight. 1pt ew A.Morkel Top Somerset Batsman 7/1 Coral (1/5 1,2,3) Somerset fork out a fair whack on their overseas players and because of that they generally try to give them the most exposure for their money. Last year they shoved Roelof van der Merwe up to 3 when he was there and prior to that Kieron Pollard batted at 3 or 4 for them. I expect Albie Morkel to bat high up the order. Possibly number four in this match as Craig Kieswetter plays before he goes on England duty. Morkel batted 3 in a second XI warm up match yesterday so he appears to be batting high up the order for Somerset which makes sense because he is a fearsome hitter of a cricket ball and the medium pace in this Warwickshire attack could cop a bit of tap if they are not careful. Compton will be somewhere around the top of the order with the role to bat through the innings to allow the Levi's, Kieswetter's, Morkel's and Trego's of this world to be able to come in and go bonkers without worrying about what's to come or what's happening at the other end. With Morkel pushed up the order like I expect him to be then I think 7/1 is an excellent price for an each way punt. 3pts Essex to beat Surrey 11/8 Stan James I wasn't going to back Essex tonight even though I'm going to the game and even though I know they seem to have the wood over Surrey in this competition having won 9 of their 13 meetings historically with two washouts but then I looked at the Surrey squad and saw that Tom Maynard is out with a shoulder injury tonight so I've had to get involved in them. Without Maynard this Surrey batting line up looks very light even in a 20 over competition. The top three of Davies, RHB and Roy are fine but then you get to Ramprakash and de Bruyn, neither of whom are in form, and then Spriegel looks like playing at 6 and I find him very much a hit and miss batsman in this format. He's much more suited to the longer formats with the bat in my eyes but his off spin gets him in the side. It's nights like tonight where Surrey could end up missing Chris Schofield who is no longer with them as his cameos down the order could be vital. Essex are well covered in the batting department even without Ravi Bopara, although even though he's not been named in their squad I wouldn't be surprised if he plays as Kieswetter and Dernbach are playing tonight before joining up with England. Even if we go with the thought he isn't playing they have the likes of overseas player James Franklin, Pettini, ten Doeschate, Shah and even Greg Smith who has a 100 in this tournament in the past for Derbyshire. Then you've got the likes of Napier and Foster who can biff a ball. I'd say there isn't a lot between the two bowling attacks. Surrey might just edge it but that is massively levelled out by the much more depth Essex have to their batting and on a good Oval wicket that batting depth and quality makes Essex look a big price for a small bet this evening.

[fishy25]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Good call last night Kev and enjoy the game tonight :ok Stayed away last night as I was working at uni for a bit but will kick off my T20 campaign properly with 3 in the TV game today. Over 8.5 6's- 5/6 William Hill- (4/10) I like this line given here as it's a tad lower than most places have it but in truth I think both could be covered pretty comfortably with the level of batting quality we have on show here. First of all, the match is being played at a Taunton ground which is notorious for it's high scoring matches and big hitting on a pitch which couldn't be more batsman friendly if it tried. On top of this paradise of a road that exists down in the west country, we have a plethora of top quality batsman who can clear the boundary with absolute ease. Even though Marcus Trescothick is missing, Somerset still have the likes of Levi, Kieswetter, Morkel, Buttler and Trego whilst Warwickshire have Carter, Porterfield, Maddy and Clarke amongst their ranks so you'd think they can contribute to this line as well. The boundaries aren't the biggest by any stretch at Taunton, and given the amount of batsman we have on show who can clear the rope, I'm happy to back them to deliver and cover the overs. Somerset Highest 1st 6 Overs- 4/5 William Hill- (4/10) Opening up for the home side tonight will be Levi and Kieswetter before the latter joins up with England and in the pair, you have 2 of the most aggressive openers in the tournament. Both are out and out aggressors at the top of the innings and will try and get Somerset off to a storming start with very little emphasis on them sticking around given the batting quality that follows them. Their job will simply be to attack and try and make the most of the powerplay before you'd think Compton will come in and just settle them down for the remainder of the innings so the free license the pair will be given should lead to them really giving this new ball a battering and hitting as many boundaries as possible. I presume Chris Wright will take the new ball for the Bears along with Chris Woakes, unless they opt for an early bit of spin in Jeetan Patel, but Wright will definitely and from his time at Essex, I've never been too convinced when watching him against quality opposition and when put under pressure, he really can go around the park a little so I like the chances of Levi and Kieswetter there. Somerset have Alfonso Thomas opening up for them with the ball and as we've seen T20 history, the South African always proves extremely difficult to get away even in the powerplay and Steve Kirby can also keep things tight enough. Varun Chopra at the top of the Warwickshire line-up isn't the most aggressive of batsman either, not to the extent of Kieswetter or Levi anyway and I expect the home side to be on top runs wise after the first 6. Alfonso Thomas Most Economical Bowler- 10/3 Stan James- (2/10) Only Jeetan Patel, Alfonso Thomas, George Dockrell, Albie Morkel, Keith Barker and Boyd Rankin Count in this Market Alfonso Thomas looks good to me in this market considering his opposition. First of all we can discount Boyd Rankin as he's not in the squad to play tonight and I wouldn't give Albie Morkel too much of a look in considering he usually goes around the park a little. Keith Barker has started the season extremely well, both with bat and ball but on a batsman friendly pitch, and up against some top quality batsman, I don't like his chances here either. That leaves just 3 guys who I give a serious chance to in this market and it's the South African who I think will take it. Although he will bowl at the times where runs usually come in vast amounts, that being in the powerplay and at the death, we have come to expect that the Somerset skipper for the day will bowl extremely tight stuff and is extremely hard to get away for too many. His variation of yorkers and slower balls have caused problems through the years and he knows the conditions town at Taunton inside out now. The other two bowlers in Patel and Dockrell are both spinners and if they get their length even in the slightest bit wrong, they will get absolutely hammered in this format on this pitch you feel. Even though both mentioned players have been in really good form with the ball, Thomas is the king really of economical bowlers in domestic T20, and as captain, I expect him to lead from the front.

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Re: Friends Life T20 2012 [TABLE=class: couponTable]

[TR] [TH=class: firstColumn]Thursday 14 June 2012[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Gloucestershire v Somerset (17:30 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 3.1 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.53 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]97.48 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Middlesex v Surrey (18:15 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.46 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.67 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.53 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Northamptonshire v Glamorgan (18:50 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.00 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Derbyshire v Lancashire (19:00 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.37 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.7 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.93 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Sussex v Hampshire (19:10 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.9 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.04 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]101.40 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

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Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Good shouts Fishy :ok. Profitable night for me although not as much as I'd have like. Somerset's South African's were way too much for Warwickshire in the six hitting department while Morkel placed. The less said about Essex's 'run chase' the better :eyes. +2.4 for the night and +5.74 overall now which represents a solid start. Some showers doing the rounds tonight which we need to avoid but I'll take two. Just sticking to match bets with showers around. 4pts Welsh Dragons to beat Northamptonshire Evs Boylesports I've said most I needed to say about the Welsh Dragons in my outright bet on them but on a ground like this where runs have come quite freely at times this season I expect their strong batting line up, buoyed by the arrivals of Shaun Marsh and Martin van Jaarsveld, to score quite freely in this match. As I suspected James Harris has been named in the squad for this match and he is joined by Simon Jones, Robert Croft and Dean Cosker so the Welsh Dragons have all based covered here. Northants' batting line up looks a little on the light side to me even allowing for the fact that Cameron White is in their squad tonight. David Sales is set to miss the whole of the tournament and they've often looked a batsman light. There will be a huge reliance on their youngsters to deliver in an area where they've struggled over the last season or two. They will be a lot more competitive with the ball but this is a very strong Welsh Dragons batting line up and I think that batting line up will give them enough of an edge to get a result tonight. 4pts Hampshire to beat Sussex Evs William Hill Hampshire have been an excellent T20 side over the last two seasons. They won the tournament in 2010 and made it to finals day last year where they were denied in a super over by Somerset. For me they come into this season stronger than the last two and I say that even though Shahid Afridi is yet to arrive. Simon Katich has been in town for a while and Glenn Maxwell hit a 31 ball century in a second XI game a few weeks ago. Neil McKenzie is back in Hampshire colours which will be a huge boost to the Royals batting line up and they will have Michael Carberry available for the whole tournament after he surprisingly missed out on England ODI selection. Perhaps the biggest boost though is having Dimitri Mascarenhas available after the England international missed the entire campaign last season. Danny Briggs is a bit of a specialist in this format too so I think Hampshire are very well placed to make another strong assault on this title. I'm not so sure about Sussex though. Luke Wright is in great form and will need to be monitored closely but Chris Nash aside there isn't really anyone in the Sussex batting line up who you would say are on fire perhaps with the exception of Joe Gatting so there will be a lot of pressure on Scott Styris to deliver from the off. I'm not that convinced about Sussex with the ball either. Rusty Theron looks a promising bowler but he might well take time to settle and there isn't really anyone else in their bowling attack who you would look at and think 'hmmm we need to be careful there'. Hampshire will need to play spin well but having played a whole campaign on turning wickets at home last season that should be a given and given their record in this competition in recent years I believe they should be favourites for this local derby. The fact that they are not leads me to a value bet here.

[fishy25]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Perfect start for me last night with all 3 bets coming through giving me a start of +13.19 to the tournament. Some good calls by Kev as well, and I was surprised to hear that there wasn't a spectator running onto the Oval pitch yesterday giving the Essex batsman a piece of their mind given their dreadful collapse. Felt for you there mate, especially seeing it first hand. Not going mad in the TV match tonight, as there's meant to be a little bit of rain about later on judging by the forecast which has put me off anything to do with the 6's market although I do fancy the unders. 4 in total for me tonight though with a few other matches about. 2 of them are in the televised match but 2 elsewhere as well. Will start with the TV match. Sussex to beat Hampshire- 10/11 Stan James- (4/10) I've picked Sussex as my outright in the competition and I see no reason why they can't make up for their opener being rained off with a win here. I spoke about their side in quite a bit of detail in my outright pick so I won't repeat too much of that, but in the 2 overseas additions of Styris and Theron, they have a couple of guys who can keep it tight which is what they needed as their bowling attack has been a little thin so far this season. Hampshire haven't started the season particularly well by their high standards so they will be hoping that the T20 will provide a good distraction for them and will help them find their form. Neil McKenzie is back from them for the T20 campaign and that is massive boost for them as the South African has been instrumental for them in the past few years. From what I've been reading though, McKenzie has been struggling with a shoulder problem for a little while now and it may take him a little bit of time to recover completely from that niggle so he may not completely fit today which would be a worry as he's the one who stabilizes things if they do lose a few cheap wickets. Simon Katich and Glenn Maxwell are the two overseas signings but whether this format suits Katich is debatable and I'm not entirely sure it does really but Maxwell definitely can smash the ball into all parts. Danny Briggs will return for them as well but he's been out of favour this season because of the form of Liam Dawson so he could well be a little rusty in his first match back. For me, there's too many questions over this Hampshire side just at the minute and I would need to see a couple of good performances from them to even think about backing them. This Sussex side looks to have all bases covered really and look a far more stable unit and I'll back them to pick up the 2 points here. Scott Styris to score more runs that Murray Goodwin- 5/6 William Hill- (3/10) Already gone against Murray Goodwin once this season with success and I see no reason to put me off doing so again. The Sussex talisman for so many years has struggled massively this season, so much so that he was dropped for their last Championship match against Surrey which would have been unthinkable in recent years. That shows just how much he's struggled for runs this season, with only one fifty in all competitions this season and no more than 30 in the CB40. Granted the conditions haven't been great for batsman in the early part of this season but it looks as though time may just be catching up with him a touch now. Scott Styris will be making his T20 debut for Sussex tonight but he's no stranger to the format over in England as he played for Essex for a little while so will know the conditions and is extremely experienced in all forms of cricket, both domestically and internationally. The New Zealand man is a class act, both with bat and ball and can hit any bowler out of the ground. He may be batting below Goodwin tonight, but given the form the Zimbabwean is in, it may not be long before Styris is out at the crease if Goodwin carries on his early season form and I think Styris will score more runs than his team mate tonight. Northamptonshire to beat Glamorgan- Evens Stan James- (4/10) Know Kev is on Glamorgan tonight and I don't go against him too often but tonight is one of those nights with Sussex and now Northants. I was always going to wait for the team news in this match, and the stuff that has come out of the Northants camp has interested me. They have been poor in the CB40 this season so far, but that's arguably because they've chosen to rest key players for the one day matches but they aren't doing that tonight. Both Vaas and Brooks will lead the seam attack which is a top class strike bowling force, whilst the likes of Willey, Hall and Middlebrook are all extremely competent backup bowlers as well. Although David Sales is missing for a little while, Cameron White is the overseas signing for the T20 and the Australian is a superb batsman who can take a game away from the opposition with his heavy hitting. Niall O'Brien and Alex Wakely are also in there with Andrew Hall as well so there's guys in there who can score runs to go with the bowling talent in this Northants team. Glamorgan have struggled for runs massively this season so the signing of Shaun Marsh was a much needed one and also Martin van Jaarsveld is a good T20 player to have as well. What I feel with Glamorgan though is that if the likes of Marsh and Marcus North are dismissed early on, they will struggle for runs and given Northants' strength lies in their seamers, Brooks and Vaas will fancy their chances against the top order of Glamorgan with the new ball. Northants to me just look to have a couple more match winners amongst their ranks and I think they will beat the Welsh side tonight. Middlesex to beat Surrey- 13/10 Bet365- (3/10) I can't be having Surrey as big as favourites as they are here. They hit back well yesterday to dismiss Essex cheaply but from watching some of the highlights, it looks as though Essex threw that match away big time. Surrey still look to be struggling for runs and that didn't change yesterday and they owe a big thanks to Jade Dernbach and Gareth Batty for getting them out of a real hole. There's no Dernbach tonight though as he goes off to join the England side so in that they lose one of their main strike bowlers and although Chris Tremlett is back in the side tonight for the first time, he hasn't played this season so there's no guarantee over his fitness right now and the same goes with Tom Maynard, who has got his side out of numerous holes this year but is back in the side tonight after missing yesterday's match. The home side are without Stephen Finn and Eoin Morgan tonight given their England duties, but in the likes of Denly, Stirling, Rogers and Malan, they have guys who can score runs whilst their seam attack has already shown this season that they can restrict sides and takes wickets consistently. The bet is more against Surrey though tbh as they are being a tad overrated for Essex throwing away the win yesterday. They are struggling for runs just at the minute and without Dernbach tonight to lead their seam attack, I think Middlesex have a decent chance of recording yet another win at Lord's tonight, a ground which they have been extremely impressive on this season.

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 [TABLE=class: couponTable]

[TR] [TH=class: firstColumn]Friday 15 June 2012[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Nottinghamshire v Derbyshire (17:00 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.53 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.84 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.43 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Warwickshire v Worcestershire (17:10 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.75 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.34 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]99.88 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Leicestershire v Lancashire (17:30 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.5 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.65 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.61 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Yorkshire v Durham (17:40 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.1 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.83 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]102.26 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Forecast for Friday looks absolutely rotten so I won't have any bets unless it improves. I'll come back tomorrow with any bets I do have. If it does improve this is my preview for the TV game should there be any play. 4pts Worcestershire to beat Warwickshire 13/10 Boylesports

I think Worcestershire might be worth chancing in this match because Warwickshire’s batting line up looks so light it is untrue and there is only so many times Rikki Clarke and Darren Maddy can get them out of the mire. Full preview:

http://www.punterslounge.com/warwickshire-vs-worcestershire-betting--worcestershire-can-take-advantage-of-weak-warwickshire-batting

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 The forecast has improved a little bit around the Midlands for tonight but there are still showers doing the rounds during game time so I'll leave tonight alone and hope the weather has cleared up for the next set of matches on Sunday. Good luck to all getting involved tonight :ok.

[fishy25]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Yeah, I'm not chancing anything tonight with the weather. Fair chance that games, if there is any play, will be reduced so will stay away tonight and wait until Sunday.

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 [TABLE=class: couponTable]

[TR] [TH=class: firstColumn]Sunday 17 June 2012[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Durham v Nottinghamshire (14:30 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.12 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.85 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]101.22 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Middlesex v Sussex (14:30 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.3 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.75 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.62 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Worcestershire v Gloucestershire (14:30 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.8 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.1 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]103.17 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Somerset v Northamptonshire (14:40 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.53 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.84 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.43 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Yorkshire v Leicestershire (14:40 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.68 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.42 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.85 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Kent v Surrey (15:00 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.56 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.66 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]99.30 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Glamorgan v Warwickshire (17:30 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.2 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.73 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]103.26 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Two TV games on Sunday. Here's my preview of the first. 3pts Northamptonshire to beat Somerset 7/4 Blue Square

With no Marcus Trescothick either this Somerset side will now be the side which has struggled in the CB40 earlier in the season so with that in mind it could be worth siding with Northamptonshire. The Steelbacks aren’t the most reliable in the world but they do have individual match winners in their ranks and if those matchwinners can perform then Northants could easily snatch this at a nice price. Full preview here:

http://www.punterslounge.com/somerset-vs-northamptonshire-betting--northamptonshire-good-value-to-take-advantage-of-absent-south-africans

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012

Two TV games on Sunday. Here's my preview of the first. 3pts Northamptonshire to beat Somerset 7/4 Blue Square

With no Marcus Trescothick either this Somerset side will now be the side which has struggled in the CB40 earlier in the season so with that in mind it could be worth siding with Northamptonshire. The Steelbacks aren’t the most reliable in the world but they do have individual match winners in their ranks and if those matchwinners can perform then Northants could easily snatch this at a nice price. Full preview here:

http://www.punterslounge.com/somerset-vs-northamptonshire-betting--northamptonshire-good-value-to-take-advantage-of-absent-south-africans

Will come back with all my bets either later this evening or tomorrow but I've taken this one and I'm going to get on a top bat in the match too because I think the price will completely go. 1pt ew C.Maschede Top Somerset Batsman 10/1 Coral (1/5 1,2,3) I think Craig Maschede has an excellent chance of going well in this match. The reason I say that is because as I've mentioned in the preview above, Richard Levi and Albie Morkel aren't around for this match as they are on international duty. They are still in Coral's list so I guess they've not noticed. With Craig Kieswetter away with England this will be a much changed batting line up for Somerset to the one we saw against Warwickshire last week. Compton and Trego have been confirmed as openers in this match but then the rest of the order is open to a little bit of guess work. However Maschede did bat at 3 in the tournament last year so I wouldn't be at all surprised if he bats there on this occasion too. It's a place or two too high for Buttler to come in I think and I'm not sure the likes of Barrow will bat there. Hildreth could bat at 3 but that's not a certainty. If Maschede does bat at 3 then this price is huge with the each way terms available and given how Somerset have gone in the CB40 this year it's probably still a decent price even if he doesn't. I'm happy to take this one though because I think there's a better than 50% chance Maschede comes in at 3 and so I'll take the youngster to go well like he did on a number of occasions last year.

[fishy25]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Down to +10.19 now as Middlesex somehow allowed Surrey back into the game which didn't look possible and in the end payed for it which was frustrating. Weather looks a tad better tomorrow so taken a few. Will start with the TV match and Kev has beaten me to one of the top bats, but I'm having another one as well. Taking 4 in total in the TV game, so will do the other match bets in another post. Northamptonshire to beat Somerset- 7/4 Coral- (3/10) With all of the notable absentees Somerset have in the batting department, Northants look like a bit of value to me here. There's no Kieswetter, Levi or Morkel tomorrow, on top of the injured Trescothick as well so in that, you have 4 of the best T20 players around missing and any team will struggle to cope with that. Somerset have depth to their squad, but the players who will fill in are nowhere near the levels of these guys so automatically, their side becomes a whole lot weaker. It was Levi and Morkel who really shone with the bat in Somerset's win over Warwickshire so they will need others to score the runs this week as the South African duo are missing for a couple of matches. I wouldn't have been touching Northants if Hall, Vaas and Brooks weren't playing but they are and that's a seam attack I really like in the county game. All 3 have done well so far this season, and with the backup of Willey, Middlebrook and White as well, you have a really strong bowling attack. Batting wise they are a little weaker, but the fact they've signed Cameron White really adds a ton of quality and he can win matches on his own and against his former side, he'll be looking to impress. Given the absentees that Somerset have, they really don't warrant this price in my eyes, especially when considering how they've struggled in the CB40 this season so I'll go with Northants to win this one. Northamptonshire (Most 6's) vs Somerset- 15/8 Blue Square- (3/10) Don't really understand the price here either and it just seems to me that the bookies haven't factored the missing players Somerset have into this price. Levi and Morkel cleared the rope with ease the other night but they're not playing and neither in Kieswetter, so that's the 3 main threats to this maximum bet that we can exclude. Of course the likes of Trego, Buttler and Hildreth can hit pound the boundaries, along with Meschede but from what I've been hearing, Hildreth has fallen out of favour down at Taunton and isn't in the best of form whilst Trego will be opening the innings and will have to cope with Brooks and Vaas which isn't easy at all so he could go early on. In the Northants side, they have some real big hitters of a ball in O'Brien, White, Hall and Wakely, whilst Newton and Kyle Coetzer are also no strangers to clearing the rope as well so I actually think Northants possess more genuine 6 hitters than their opponents here whilst the likes of Vaas in particular is extremely hard to get away so I think the value again lies with Northants in the sixes battle. Craig Meschede Top Somerset Batsman- 10/1 Coral- (1/10 E/W) 1/5 1,2,3 Really can't add much to what Kev has said here. The bookies really haven't got their team news right at all here, as if they had, Meschede wouldn't be this high. Most bookies still have Levi and Morkel available for the top bat who aren't playing which is strange but it's good that the price is so attractive on Meschede. He could well bet at 3 as Kev has mentioned, especially if the uncertainty over Hildreth continues but even if he is down at 6 or 7, he could well be in with a shot. The Northants seam attack is their real strength, with Brooks and Vaas usually extremely dangerous up front with the new ball and that should be a problem for Trego I think so I'm not overly convinced that he'll score too many. There's going to be a lot of pressure on the likes of Buttler and Compton tomorrow given the batting talent that is missing, so I think it's set for the youngster to really show what he can do. He has scored a half century in T20 in the past batting at number 3, which could be well within the Somerset staff's thoughts and with the possibility of him getting a decent number in the order, I think he's worth a small punt here. Andrew Hall Top Northamptonshire Batsman- 8/1 Coral- (1/10 E/W) 1/5 1,2,3 There's always certain individuals within certain sides who I like taking an each way punt with and the Northants skipper definitely falls within that category. He's fit to play which is a huge boost for his side as they struggle desperately without him in all formats of the game and with the experience he possesses, he is always a likely contender to make some runs and fill in with valuable contributions. There's no David Sales in the side, and apart from Hall, Sales is arguably the only other batsman who settles them down a touch if they lose some early wickets so Hall will know that if he is forced to come in early on, he'll need to really knuckle down and play for his side. He's also a real threat if he comes in for just 5 overs or so down the order, as he can really give the ball a real bash and hit some valuable quick runs in no time at all. I presume he'll be batting at 6 or 7 despite batting at 4 in one of the recent CB40 matches but given the inconsistency that exists within this Northants side, he could be in pretty early on. He's already top scored in one of the CB40 matches this season, making an unbeaten half century and I'll back him to make some runs tomorrow for his side and secure an each way place, if not the full hog.

[fishy25]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 And the other 2 match bets for me. Durham to beat Nottinghamshire- 11/10 Bet365- (3/10) Durham should be coming into this one on a massive high after narrowly beating Yorkshire in a final over thriller up at Leeds a couple of days ago and I see no reason why they are odds against here. They've been nothing short of shocking really in the Championship but in the shorter format they've had better results and with the side they possess, there's no reason why they can't go well in the 20 over format as well. The overseas duo of Herschelle Gibbs and Johann Myburgh are two quality batsman, and along with Mustard, Stokes and Benkenstein, Durham have a really strong looking top order, whilst their bowling attack is filled with quality as well in Onions, Plunkett and Borthwick. Notts are boosted by the return of Samit Patel as he didn't play for England today so he'll slot in to what is an extremely strong team already. What I like about Durham, and why I give them the slight edge is the two bowling attacks that are on show. Both sides have an extremely strong batting lineup, but Durham have more match winners with the ball in my eyes. Without Andre Adams, Notts do look a little short of real genuine bowling quality and although Luke Fletcher is back in the side, Adams is really the spearhead of the Notts bowling attack as he's shown in the Championship and I think Durham should be able to take advantage of what is a pretty weak Outlaws bowling attack and pick up another win here. Worcestershire to beat Gloucestershire- 4/5 Coral- (3/10) I like Worcestershire here and fancy them to avenge the recent defeat that occurred in the CB40. Gloucestershire hammered them that day in truth so the home side will be eager to make up for that showing and I think that's just what they will do. Apart from that result against their opponents today, they have enjoyed some decent victories in the CB40 and in the likes of Hughes, Ali and Solanki, they have some really good batsman at the top of the order, whilst bowling wise, Jack Shantry took 4 wickets against Gloucestershire recently and Gareth Andrew amongst a few others are always a decent threat with the ball. What I don't like about the news coming out from Gloucestershire is that Will Gidman is being rested and he has been the one this season who has really led with the ball, whilst scoring some valuable runs at the top of the order as well so that will mean a reshuffle at the top of the order. A little like Worcestershire, bowling is their weakness, and without Gidman it lacks the talisman to the attack as well as their opening batsman so that severely weakens their side. Muralitharan has been signed again for the T20 but he's not the threat he once was and whilst both sides are pretty much on a level playing field bowling wise, Worcestershire have the better batting talent and have more players that can take a game away from the opposition so I'll back the home side to win this one.

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Second TV game preview. This one is on the Welsh channel S4C. 4pts Welsh Dragons to beat Warwickshire 6/5 William Hill

I like Glamorgan in this match. I’ve said from day one of the tournament that this Bears batting line up isn’t remotely long enough or good enough. It lacks at least one if not two solid batsmen and you can’t get the job done with all rounders all the time. Full preview here:

http://www.punterslounge.com/welsh-dragons-vs-warwickshire-betting--welsh-dragons-can-pick-up-their-first-win-by-beating-the-bears

[hoddspur]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Durham to beat Nottinghamshire 11/10 @ Betfair - Going for Durham in this one in what i expect to be a very close match. Both sides are good teams and will be near the top of the North Group in the end. Durham started their t20 campaign with a good win over Yorkshire where they did very well to defend 142. Durham's top order looks very solid with Mustard and Gibbs opening and then Myburgh, Stokes and Benkenstein lower down the order. In the bowling department they also look solid with a good seam attack in Onions, Plunkett, Claydon and Rushworth and they also have a very good spinner in Scott Borthwick. Notts had a great start with an easy win over the defending champions Leicestershire. They have a good batting line-up in Lumb, Hales, Wessels, Voges and Taylor. Their bowling attack is also decent with Mullaney, Carter, Pattinson and Harry Gurney who i rate very highly. Then they also have Samit Patel who is a quality spinner. Overall i would say that Durham have the better and more explosive batting line-up and the bowling attack is very equal. I give Durham the edge in this one and as fishy says, Durham will be on a high after their win over Yorkshire and i think the fact that they only played 2 days ago will play into their hands whereas Notts last played on Tuesday because their game against Derbyshire was a no result. IMO 11/10 for Durham to beat Notts is good value.

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012

Second TV game preview. This one is on the Welsh channel S4C. 4pts Welsh Dragons to beat Warwickshire 6/5 William Hill

I like Glamorgan in this match. I’ve said from day one of the tournament that this Bears batting line up isn’t remotely long enough or good enough. It lacks at least one if not two solid batsmen and you can’t get the job done with all rounders all the time. Full preview here:

http://www.punterslounge.com/welsh-dragons-vs-warwickshire-betting--welsh-dragons-can-pick-up-their-first-win-by-beating-the-bears

As well as the two in the Somerset match and the one above I'm going with three more this afternoon. 3pts Glamorgan Most 6's 7/5 Paddy Power I saw nothing the other night from Warwickshire to suggest that they should be odds on favourite in this market. Ok they have a couple of decent hitters in Clarke and Woakes but they both bat down the order, an order which to be fair isn't remotely strong enough in my eyes. Because it isn't strong enough they will be torn between going slowly or with less risks up top in order to keep wickets in hand but at the same time doing that brings its own pressure because at the end of the day you still need to score runs. Glamorgan have a long batting line up, there's every chance that James Harris could come in at 9 in this match which shows the length of their batting line up but more importantly they have two or three players who are too good for this level in Marsh, North and van Jaarsveld. Add in the more regular hitters like Allenby and Cooke among others and I think there's more than enough mileage in Glamorgan, or the Welsh Dragons as I keep forgetting to call them, hitting the most 6's in this one. 4pts Nottinghamshire to beat Durham 5/6 Stan James The case for Durham has been well presented above but I can't get away from the fact that their record in this competition is poor overall. I think Nottinghamshire are a really dangerous side in this competition and had I known England call ups wouldn't have affected them too much I may well have considered them a lot more strongly when looking at the outright market. As I've spoken about in the CB40, the Outlaws have a fearsome batting line up by county standards and with Pattinson and Fletcher returning their bowling attack looks a lot better than it did in the early parts of the season. I look at this Durham bowling attack and I don't see it as dramatically better than Notts and while they have Herschelle Gibbs in their ranks I'm not having Johann Myburgh as a replacement for Paul Collingwood. As a Hampshire fan I saw plenty of him last season and he looks no more than bang average to me even accounting for the fact he looked good in a second XI match last week. While he's nothing like as good with Collingwood with the bat, Collingwood's medium pace in this competition will be drastically missed too. Durham only made 140 odd the other night and while they defended that against a very light Yorkshire batting line up I think they'll have a lot more trouble defending a score against this Nottinghamshire batting line up. Notts for me in this one. 4pts Gloucestershire to beat Worcestershire 11/10 Stan James Gloucestershire annihilated Worcestershire in the CB40 last week and while I appreciate the two formats are different and Will Gidman, Gloucestershire's chief destroyer in that match, has been rested I still think the Gladiators are an excellent price in this match. Worcestershire have chosen to blood a few youngsters in this competition and they weren't exactly a strong side without the youngsters. Gloucestershire have a couple of world class operators in Kane Williamson and Murali who is still more than good enough for this level and when you throw in the likes of Hamish Marshall, Alex Gidman and Benny Howell there's enough in this Gloucestershire side to win this at odds against, against a Worcestershire side who we've seen in the CB40 are very much all about their top 3 with the bat.

[fishy25]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Really frustrating that Northants game as both main bets could have come in on another day whilst Meschede kept getting pushed down the order. Durham were never in their match either so not a great day, bringing me back to +2.39 for the tournament.

[fishy25]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Top shouts on Glamorgan bud :clap

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 [TABLE=class: couponTable]

[TR] [TH=class: firstColumn]Monday 18 June 2012[/TH] [TH]Home[/TH] [TH]Away[/TH] [TH=class: bppWidth]BPP[/TH] [/TR] [TR=class: row0] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Hampshire v Middlesex (19:00 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.57 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.72 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.40 %[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [/TR] [TR=class: row1] [TD][/TD] [TD=class: firstColumn] Derbyshire v Yorkshire (19:10 BST) [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 2.2 [/TD] [TD=class: selectionBestOdd] 1.82 [/TD] [TD=class: bppWidth bpp]100.40 %[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]

[kevshat]

Re: Friends Life T20 2012 Cheers mate. Yesterday was one of those annoying days where a winning bet was voided because of the rain so I came out of it -0.86pts so I'm down to +4.88pts overall. Obviously it's been a very sad day for county cricket today but there is a TV game tonight which is Derbyshire vs Yorkshire. I'm going with 4 bets. 4pts Derbyshire to beat Yorkshire 11/10 Bet365 Derbyshire have one win and a washout from their two matches in the tournament and I see no reason why they can't win this match. Yorkshire beat Leicestershire yesterday but Leicestershire aren't the force they have been in previous years this year and playing then travelling then playing the day after is never an ideal situation. Jonny Bairstow was in their side yesterday which gave their batting an ok look about it's depth but he isn't playing tonight as he's back with England so this batting line up looks very light in terms of genuine batsmen. In fact one they are past Root at 5 there is only all rounders and fill in players which would be a concern against a good Derbyshire bowling attack. Derbyshire's batting is a lot longer than Yorkshire's and in Wes Durston, Chesney Hughes, Wayne Madsen and Dan Redfern they have some very good batsmen. Usman Khawaja is the overseas player for them while Rana Naved is the second one. He had a shocker against Lancashire but he's better than that and can provide quality to the Derbyshire attack. Yorkshire's batting is very light and in truth if Derbyshire can see off the opening bowlers there isn't a lot more in their bowling attack other than Pyrah who is useful. Even then he isn't devastating. I think there's more than enough in Derbyshire's favour for them to win this. 5pts Over 5.5 6's 5/6 William Hill Not sure where this line has come up from but on Thursday night in the Lancashire game there were 11 6's in a match which only lasted 75% of the overs. That was against a Lancashire side who aren't the biggest hitting team in the world. I believe the boundaries have been brought in at the Racecourse Ground these days and that should make for some big hits. Both sides have batsmen who can clear the ropes. Durston, Madsen, Hughes and Rana Naved can all do it for Derbyshire while Gale, Jaques, Miller and Ballance can all do it easily for Yorkshire. Short boundaries, better batting wickets than we are used to and of course big hitters should all account for at least half a dozen sixes in perfect conditions this evening. 3pts R.Pyrah's Performance Pts - 28&Over 5/6 Bet365 Points are scored as follows: 1pt per run, 10pts per catch & 20pts per wicket. Richard Pyrah has begun the T20 well this season having scored 54pts and 50pts in Yorkshire's two matches so far. He is a clever little bowler who a bit like we saw with Steven Mullaney the other night, varies his pace but can field well off his own bowling too. He has taken three wickets in the two matches and often chips in with wickets with his subtle changes in action and pace. Unlike Steven Mullaney though he bats as part of a batting line up which isn't as strong as Nottinghamshire's and in fact it is so light he is likely to bat 6 in this match. Pyrah has already scored 34 in this tournament batting at six so he has all three scoring options in play and I think that is likely to be enough to cover a 28pt line. 1pt ew D.Redfern Top Derbyshire Batsman 6/1 Coral (1/5 1,2,3) Dan Redfern is a batsman I like and rate highly as I mentioned when I did my County Championship preview. He is someone who has started the season well and I think that can continue this evening. What I like about him here is batting at 5 he's unlikely to be facing Ryan Sidebottom up top and in fact if all goes to plan he should be coming in and facing the likes of Moin Ashraf, Azeem Rafiq and Rich Pyrah who you can all score against. In CB40 cricket this season he has opened the batting so he could even bat higher than number five but a player who has great wrists and can both work the ball into gaps or slam it over the boundary is overpriced at 6/1 in my eyes. I'll take a small each way bet on the talented young Derbyshire batsman in this match.