Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International

[TazaD]

Anyone else as surprised as me to see India as high as 2.85 (3.20 BF!) to win the 20/20 game on Friday? World Champs and all... :unsure

[Crouch Potato]

Re: Cricket: ODI's and Twenty20 (Aus/India) I was surprised by this as well, particularly when you consider that Hayden isn't playing either. In the batting department India seem to match and even better the Aussies in the hitting stakes (particularly if Symonds fails). Given the comparitve strength of both team's batting compared to their considerably less impressive bowling attacks, I don't think it's that unreasonable to expect the team that wins the toss to win this match a large percentage of the time. The odds are definitely value, and IMO, almost like getting 3.20 for a toin coss result.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International

Schedule February 2008
Fri 1 19:35 local, 08:35 GMT	Only Twenty20 International - Australia v India Melbourne Cricket Ground

February 2008
Sun 3 13:15 local, 03:15 GMT	1st Match - Australia v India Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Tue 5 13:15 local, 03:15 GMT	2nd Match - India v Sri Lanka Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Fri 8 14:15 local, 03:15 GMT	3rd Match - Australia v Sri Lanka Sydney Cricket Ground
Sun 10 14:15 local, 03:15 GMT	4th Match - Australia v India Melbourne Cricket Ground
Tue 12 10:00 local, 23:00 GMT	5th Match - India v Sri Lanka Manuka Oval, Canberra
Fri 15 11:30 local, 02:30 GMT	6th Match - Australia v Sri Lanka W.A.C.A. Ground, Perth
Sun 17 13:45 local, 03:15 GMT	7th Match - Australia v India Adelaide Oval
Tue 19 13:45 local, 03:15 GMT	8th Match - India v Sri Lanka Adelaide Oval
Fri 22 14:15 local, 03:15 GMT	9th Match - Australia v Sri Lanka Melbourne Cricket Ground
Sun 24 14:15 local, 03:15 GMT	10th Match - Australia v India Sydney Cricket Ground
Tue 26 10:00 local, 23:00 GMT	11th Match - India v Sri Lanka Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Fri 29 14:15 local, 03:15 GMT	12th Match - Australia v Sri Lanka Melbourne Cricket Ground
March 2008
Sun 2 14:15 local, 03:15 GMT	1st Final - TBC v TBC Sydney Cricket Ground
Tue 4 13:15 local, 03:15 GMT	2nd Final - TBC v TBC Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Brisbane
Fri 7 13:45 local, 03:15 GMT	3rd Final - TBC v TBC Adelaide Oval if required

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International

Anyone else as surprised as me to see India as high as 2.85 (3.20 BF!) to win the 20/20 game on Friday? World Champs and all... :unsure

I thought it was big initially but looking at the India squad, with Yuvraj possibly injured and the vibes India are giving I'm on the Aussies here. 10pts Australia -2.5wickets/19.5runs 10/11 Sportingbet Australia have played 3 Twenty20 matches at home and have won all 3 and I think they will win this one too. Sure India beat them in the Twenty20 world cup semi final and then again in India a couple of months later but on home soil I fully expect Australia to hit back. The crowd is expected to be over 90000 and with India likely to blood a couple of youngsters that could be too much. Michael Clarke is likely to captain the Aussies again with Ricky Ponting expected to miss out. This is Adam Gilchrist's last ever Twenty20 international. David Hussey is set to make his international debut. India will be without Dravid and Ganguly who have gone home. Yuvraj Singh is a doubt and RP Singh has been ruled out of the rest of the tour through injury. Australia look to have the better side on paper and I think they'll score enough runs to cover this handicap. 5pts ew A.Symonds Top Australia Batsman 9/2 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) If ever a game was perfectly suited to one man then it's Twenty20 to Andrew Symonds. He is as aggressive a batsman as there is out there and if he gets in you simply won't contain him. I expect him to feed off the atmosphere and have a real good innings here. He's had a superb summer with the bat. He made an unbeaten 85 in the Twenty20 match with New Zealand in December and also hit 43 against India in the Twenty20 world cup semi against India. He made 410 runs in the test series with India with 2 half centuries and a ton and averaged 68.33 in the series so he's in great form, he's perfectly suited to the format and he looks an ew steal here.

[Crouch Potato]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International

Sport	Cricket
Event	T20: Aus v India
Selection	India
Strength	10/10
Date	01/02/2008
Bookmaker/Price	>Betfair @ 2.92 (Back)
Reasoning	With Ricky Ponting pulling out of the game I'm going to take India at 2.92 on Betfair. With Hayden not playing either I feel that Australia are lacking quite a bit in both the batting and experience stakes. They could still go on to win, but they aren't winning this game 2 times out of 3 IMO.

[Crouch Potato]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International

Sport	Cricket
Event	T20: Aus v India
Selection	Aus Hi Bat - Brett Lee
Strength	2/10
Date	01/02/2008
Bookmaker/Price	Tab @ 81.00 (Back)
Reasoning	T20 games can be quite eratic and unpredictable, and if India bat first and post a big total the Australians will definitely go after it, which could result in some very quick, early wickets. Such a scenario could easily see a lower order player come up trumps in the hi-bat market similar to what Noffke did in the PM XI's game the other day. Noffke however, is at 21, and with Lee's batting ability he appears to be the value pick.

[TazaD]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International India have firmed today...on the news Ponting is out I guess, but that was fairly obvious earlier...?? I got 3.25...saaw 3.35 this morning on BF tho. Should be plenty of runs. The Australian bowling attack isn't great. Bracken been in decent form, Lee obviously, but the rest could go for a few... ...I'm not even sure the batting looks better on paper. A lot rides on the toss of the coin, but yeah, still well over the odds India, imo.

[xxdaxxbombxx]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Definately Value on the Indians here, Great work by those who got India at over 3's. Lack of Punter & Haydos will not help Australia's Chances.. Equal points on: India H2H at $2.95 at Centrebet India most 6's at $2.60 also at Centrebet (Aus are the best team in the world at stopping singles and the ball from breaching the circle, hopefully this leads to india hitting it over the top more often)

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International The occasion got to India bigtime. Aus were easy winners. +9.1 for me due to Symonds not being needed. The same two sides meet at the Gabba on Sunday to start the CB series.

[TazaD]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Yeah, good call kev... ...Time for me to stick to sports with inflatable balls ;) ...balls that must be manipulated only by human appendages... :unsure

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International

Yeah, good call kev... ...Time for me to stick to sports with inflatable balls ;) ...balls that must be manipulated only by human appendages... :unsure

Cheers mate :ok ......... and don't get all technical on me :lol:lol ;)

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Game one of the CB series begins at 3.15am. I'm going with 3 bets. Rain has been around in Brisbane which could mean a shortened game ruining any handicaps. So I'm sticking to performances which could be ok although they are void if the match isn't 40 overs long. 10pts M.Johnson's Performance Pts 40&Over 5/6 Bet365 Points are scored as follows: 1pt per run, 10pts per catch & 20pts per wicket. This pitch is expected to be a bit green having been under cover for the last couple of days due to rain. Rain could still be around the Gabba so it should help a swing bowler. The Gabba generally helps a swing bowler anyway. Jon Lewis took 4 for here for England last year. Johnson will bowl at ideal times for wickets of which 2 gives us the total we require. He will bowl early on and then bowl again at the death so he should get 2 wickets. He's not the worst batsman in the world though and in a day night match where the ball will nip around and wickets will fall he should play a big enough part to cover 40pts. 10pts I.Pathan's Performance Pts 41&Over 5/6 Bet365 Points are scored as follows: 1pt per run, 10pts per catch & 20pts per wicket. Irfan Pathan was the only Indian player to come out of Friday's Twenty20 disaster with any credit. He hit 26 with the bat and given the overs he will bowl well too. I expect him to bowl well in the conditions here and with India having a younger batting lineup he is highly likely to get a bat as well. The ball will move around a bit which brings him into the game and he'll be involved enough for 41pts. 5pts ew A.Symonds Top Australia Batsman 13/2 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) Andrew Symonds is having a great summer with the bat. I mentioned those in the Twenty20 write up where he wasn't needed with the bat and even though Ponting could be fit here I still think Symonds is tremendous value at almost 50% bigger price. He can play both types of 1 day innings. The solid rebuild innings one or the come in and finish the innings one. Either way he's destructive when the opportunity arrives and if India let him get in he'll make them pay.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Rain came at the wrong time as Symonds was just getting going. All bets void.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Game 2 from the Gabba begins at 3.15am. India vs Sri Lanka this time. I'll go with 3. 10pts Sri Lanka Highest 1st 15 Overs Evs Sporting Odds Both these sides are strong at the top of their orders. India could well open with Sehwag and Tendulkar while Sri Lanka will go with Upul Tharanga and Sanath Jayasuriya. Sangakkara and Jayawardene back up the Sri Lankan openers though while India's openers will be backed up by Gambhir and Sharma. The key thing here could be the opening bowlers. Australia got stuck into Irfan Pathan on Sunday and I'm sure Jayasuriya will be targetting him and Sreesanth. This is a very young Indian bowling lineup and if Jayasuriya gets in and goes at them they may well wilt. Vaas and Malinga are likely to get the new ball for Sri Lanka and both have good control over their bowling which leads me to believe Sri Lanka will be ahead after 15 overs. 10pts S.Sreesanth's Performance Pts 40&Over 11/10 Bet365 Points are scored as follows: 1pt per run, 10pts per catch & 20pts per wicket. Sreesanth bowled beautifully in the 1st game with Australia. He only bowled 3.2 overs but in those overs he got rid of Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting with a couple of jaffas so his confidence should be sky high. He can spray it about a bit but the best thing about this bet is he bowls at the start of the innings (especially helpful given Jayasuriya won't hold back) and he'll come back and bowl at the death too when it's gung ho. The way he bowled here on Sunday, he could easily snap up 2 wickets in his 1st spell, especially if he's bowling under lights but overall from his 10 overs I expect 2 wickets which would cover this total. 1pt ew H.Singh Top India Batsman 66/1 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) This is a bit of a long shot granted but it is incredible how often a bit of lower order hitting can result in someone in the top order coming in the top 3. It nearly happened in the 1st game here when Harbhajan hit a quickfire 27 but he was 2 short of the top 3. This India lineup is young and it's been bowled out cheaply twice in quick succession now and if they have to bat under lights they could easily fall away at the top. The chances of Harbhajan top scoring aren't likely albeit not totally impossible either but at 16.5/1 to come in the top 3 that represents good value on a guy who likes to give the ball a clout when he comes in. Don't forget if he doesn't have to bat, we get our cash back so it's worth a small stake.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Rain came down again and ended the game at half time. Another match where all bets were void.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Game 3 comes from a rain hit Sydney. Starts at 3am. With the rain around I'll go in with 2. A confident pick and an overpriced long long shot :lol. 10pts Sri Lanka to beat Australia 5/2 Boylesports Sri Lanka arrive in Sydney knowing that they've won 4 of their last 5 here. In fact Sydney isn't Australia's best ground given that England won both meetings between the two here last summer. Rain has been around Sydney and is forecasted for Friday too so we may not get a full game but if we do, the fact it's a day nighter coupled with the respective records of the two countries here this should be a close game. Australia will bring back Matthew Hayden into their side, probably for Brad Haddin but will retain the majority of the side who faced India in game 1. Sri Lanka may well stick with the same side which played India in game 2. That would mean Kapugedera and new boy Amerasinghe will keep their places on what is meant to be a dry looking pitch. If rain arrives that should play into Sri Lanka's hands because obviously the match will be shorter and the ball could swing for Malinga, Vaas and Amerasinghe. In Sangakkara and Jayawardene they have runs and given their record here I'll take Sri Lanka to win game 3. 1pt ew L.Malinga Top Sri Lanka Batsman 125/1 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) This is a long shot as the odds suggest. However conditions could mean that this Sri Lankan batting lineup collapses. Rain is likely to be around the place and it's a day nighter so batting 2nd won't be easy under lights. Malinga is a big hitter of a cricket ball as he showed the Aussies at Hobart when he smashed 42 in the test match there. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that Malinga comes in and hits a few to the boundary and sneaks into a place as Sangakkara and Jayawardene aside, this Sri Lankan lineup is either poor or out of form. Long shot as I say but well worth 1pt ew.

[TazaD]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Dead set stiff with that Malinga bet, kev... Was a massive chance before one of the most bizarre run outs I've ever seen. I actually thought it would be given not out, but then Richie set me straight ;) :D Seriously unlucky tho.

[Jonesy Knows]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International 4th Match - Australia v India Odds on Australia are just too skinny to back them outright 2/7 India at 9/4 in a 2 horse race seem best, however Aussies played well last game v Sri Lanka, so looking at some value bets here: Top India Runscorer G.Gambhir @5.50 Paddypower In their last match which was a wash out so voided result India batted first and managed to complete their 50 overs v Sri Lanka. Gambhir topscore with an impressive 102 not out (05/02). Game previously which was also a wash out last sunday 03/02 v Australia Gambhir topscored also 39 for India. Top Australia Runscorer M.Clarke @6.00 William Hill Clarke topscored in Fridays 08/02 match v Sri Lanka 77 not out. Previous game 03/02 which was a wash out Clarke was not out only on 2 but I'm sure he'd have made a decent enough score if weather would have permitted. He was also topscorer in the 20/20 match again not out on 37 v India 01/02. I'm going for 2 guys who are in decent batting form and are far more value than betting outright winner of match! :hope

[Jonesy Knows]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Good odds for India win!!! as stated in 2 horse race...

4th Match - Australia v India Odds on Australia are just too skinny to back them outright 2/7 India at 9/4 in a 2 horse race seem best, however Aussies played well last game v Sri Lanka, so looking at some value bets here: Top India Runscorer G.Gambhir @5.50 Paddypower :@ 3rd best! In their last match which was a wash out so voided result India batted first and managed to complete their 50 overs v Sri Lanka. Gambhir topscore with an impressive 102 not out (05/02). Game previously which was also a wash out last sunday 03/02 v Australia Gambhir topscored also 39 for India. Top Australia Runscorer M.Clarke @6.00 William Hill :@ 4th best! Clarke topscored in Fridays 08/02 match v Sri Lanka 77 not out. Previous game 03/02 which was a wash out Clarke was not out only on 2 but I'm sure he'd have made a decent enough score if weather would have permitted. He was also topscorer in the 20/20 match again not out on 37 v India 01/02. I'm going for 2 guys who are in decent batting form and are far more value than betting outright winner of match! :hope

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Game 5 begins at 11pm in Canberra. It's India vs Australia. I'll go with 3. 10pts India to beat Sri Lanka 8/11 Totesport This is the 2nd time India and Sri Lanka do battle in this CB series. Their 1st attempt was washed out after the Indian innings but things should be ok in Canberra. It's the 1st ODI in Canberra since 1992 so there should be a decent enough crowd there even though Australia aren't playing. India's win on Sunday over Australia should have filled them with lots of confidence ahead of this one. India are likely to go into the match unchanged but Sri Lanka are toying over replacing Dilshan with Maharoof. The pitch in Canberra is expected to be a good one for batting with not too much pace but enough pace for the seamers to work with. That would probably mean that the extra pace of Ishant Sharma and Sreesanth who took 7 wickets between them on Sunday could be the decisive factor for India especially with Sri Lanka's batting lineup so woefully out of form. India bat a long way down and in Sharma, Sreesanth and Pathan they have a good trio of bowlers and then Harbhajan provides goos support with his offspin and with Sri Lanka having a couple of youngsters in their bowling attack I think India will consolidate their place at the top of the table with a win here. 10pts K.Sangakkara 41 runs or more 13/10 Blue Square In his 3 innings on Australian soil on these split tours, Kumar Sangakkara has had knocks of 57, 192 and 42 so he knows he likes these conditions and we know from his form he showed against England that he's batting as well as he's ever done. On a pitch that is supposed to be good for batsmen Sangakkara should go well. He took the attack to the Aussies on Friday and will do so again here to a young Indian attack. The outfield at Canberra is usually quick so balls will get to the boundary and the way he times a ball they will get there in a flash. Sangakkara's a class act, in great form and this looks a good price for him to pass 40 runs. 5pts ew M.Dhoni Top Indian Batsman 8/1 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) Mahendra Singh Dhoni has really reined in the big shots since he took over the captaincy and that for me makes him a more solid and much more reliable batsman. In the 1st meeting between these two sides, Dhoni came in with his side in trouble and hit an unbeaten 88 in an unbroken partnership of 184 with Gautam Ghambir. He then saw India home with the help of Rohit Sharma on Sunday. This Indian batting lineup still aren't producing big individual scores so even coming in at 6 Dhoni would still have every chance of top scoring but 2/1 to place looks too big to me so Dhoni is the each way call.

[Football-Tipper]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International

	Time	Home-team				Away-team			Broadcast
	23:00 - 07:00	Test/Odi's							Live!
				India	vs.	Sri Lanka

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International That was a disaster. Dhoni was run out going for the run which would've given him a place and then the game was reduced to 21 overs when anything less than a 20 over match would've been abandoned. -30 for the match and -32.9 for the series.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Game 6 is Australia vs Sri Lanka from Perth. It begins at 4.30am and it's Adam Gilchrist's last game on his home ground in the green and gold. I've been toying all day over whether Sri Lanka are worth backing. Certainly their price tempted me but their record here is poor and I'm not convinced they are quite ready to win back to back matches either. I'll hit the side markets instead. 10pts M.Clarke’s Performance Pts 38&Over 4/5 Bet365

Points are scored as follows: 1pt per run, 10pts per catch & 20pts per wicket.

Michael Clarke is turning into an excellent 3-D cricketer. By that I mean he bowls, bats and fields well. His batting will always be his main contributor to these sorts of totals but on a pitch in which Ricky Ponting thinks the slower bowlers could profit more on, and history backs him up on that, it could be Clarke’s bowling that gets most of this total. In his 4 ODI’s at the WACA, Clarke has covered this total twice. Once was with the bat contributing and the other was with the ball. Given he takes catches too in key positions that tends to mean he should cover this total. He hit 77* in the last match between these two so he’s in form, likes the ground and should cover 38pts. 10pts 7 or more 6’s 11/8 Sportingbet

The pitch at the WACA is usually bouncy and pretty true and the scores in recent years here would back that up. Last year for instance, New Zealand hit 335 and still lost. It’s a ground where the ropes are often cleared and the runs flow. With the amount of big hitters we’ve got in this game here, it only takes one side to set their innings up for the likes of Symonds or Dilshan or even Jayasuriya and Gilchrist going mad early doors and this total will be well within reach. The last 3 ODI’s here have had at least 7 maximums so the overs, at a tasty price looks the correct play.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Annoying match. Sri Lanka were going well early doors but every boundary seemed to fall just short of the ropes so they didn't get the 6's I needed. Clarke covered his performance though so just a small loss on the game. -2pts it was so I'm -34.9 for the tournament.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Game 7 begins at 3.15 from Adelaide. It's Australia vs India. 3 for me as usual. 10pts India to win Game 7 12/5 Blue Square India come into this game having lost to Sri Lanka last time out but having beaten Australia in the game before that and it's that victory which should give them the confidence to go on and trouble and hopefully beat the Aussies again here. I'm prepared to forgive India their defeat to Sri Lanka as rain seriously hindered that match. Australia beat Sri Lanka last time out and will hope to build on that going into this match. Australia have decided this is the match to rest Brett Lee in. Stuart Clark will replace him. That could be a pretty big loss to Australia though as he has 8 wickets in the series to date and is having an impressive summer. Michael Clarke could also miss out after his rib came of worse in a collision with a quick ball from Lasith Malinga. If Clarke isn't fit, David Hussey looks likely to play. India may be without Virender Sehwag who has a slight injury and it's likely that Tiwary will come in should the explosive opener not be fit. India will be at full strength otherwise though which means Yuvraj will keep his place in the side despite his poor form. India know they can beat Australia and for me that's half the battle won. Australia's batting hasn't really got going in the series yet and with Sharma and Sreesanth bowling really well India have every chance here and are overpriced given it's a day night match. 10pts M.Johnson's Performance Pts 40&Over 10/11 Bet365 Points are scored as follows: 1pt per run, 10pts per catch & 20pts per wicket. Mitchell Johnson looks likely to be taking the new ball with Brett Lee being rested for this match and that should enhance his wicket taking potential. He took 4 wickets at the Adelaide Oval against England last year so has form on this ground. He took the new ball that day too. He also has 5 wickets in his last two matches so the ball is coming out well. As ever when I take a bowlers performance I like him to be bowling at the start and the death of the innings and Johnson does that and that alone should equate to a couple of wickets which will see him cover this total. 5pts ew M.Hussey Top Australia Batsman 7/1 Boylesports (1/4 1,2,3) Make sure you pick the correct Hussey if you follow this bet. It's Michael we want not David :ok. Michael Hussey seems to be in good nick with the bat and Australia rely on him a lot too. He's usually the guy who comes in and either ups the run rate towards the end of the innings or he plays it around and rebuilds the innings. He's just top scored against India the last time these two played with his 65* so his recent form against the opponents is good too. If Clarke doesn't play then Hussey will bat 4 which will give him enough time to play a decent innings. If Clarke does play Hussey will come in at 6 but this Australian lineup aren't firing at all in this series. It seems to be one man dominations looking at their scorecards so far and Hussey looks good to be that man here.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International This series is frustrating :wall. -10.9 for that last game which makes me -45.8 for the tournament. I'll keep plugging away though starting with Game 8 which begins at 3.15am and is India vs Sri Lanka from Adelaide. 3 for me again. As with the other night Boyles aren't going ew on their top bat so I'll go over to Corals again. 10pts India to beat Sri Lanka 5/6 Stan James Both these sides have now lost their last match to Australia and lost it pretty convincingly but this is a key match in the battle for a place in the final. Sri Lanka have the upper hand in terms of beating India last time they met in this competition but India have the advantage in having played here at Adelaide just 2 days ago. Sri Lanka will welcome back Ishara Amerasinghe in place of Nuwan Kulasekara after he has recovered from a side injury. India could well welcome Virender Sehwag back at the top of their order after he too has recovered from injury. That could be key as neither batting side is in form and it's the team who's batting holds up the best here which will win. India have the better batting lineup, Sri Lanka have their main 4 but with Silva back to his non firing ways and Kapugedera in at 6 and Maharoof 7 there is so much pressure on the top 4 to perform. India bat down as far as Harbhajan pretty much at 9 and it's that batting strength which I think will be the difference here. 10pts Yuvraj to beat C.Silva 8/11 Stan James Neither of these batsmen are in particularly good nick but Yuvraj showed signs that something is there in his brief innings here on Sunday. So far in this series Chamara Silva is yet to reach double figures. When Yuvraj is on form and firing well we know what he can do and it's only a matter of time before he catches fire. I don't really rate Chamara Silva at all though and even though Yuvraj is out of form, realistically 10 could win this bet. 5pts ew T.Dilshan Top Sri Lanka Batsman 6/1 Coral (1/5 1,2,3) Tillakeratne Dilshan has a pretty decent record against India and his recent record against them is very impressive. His last 5 innings against India have been 56, 42, 28, 38 and 62*. The 62 not out was in this series in the last match between the sides. That was enough to top score on that occasion. This Sri Lanka batting lineup isn't firing at all and really it's a 4 man field with Silva at 5 and the tail below him contributing nothing so far. Dilshan will open the innings which gives him 1st dibs on setting a score and even though the Indian opening bowlers are very impressive I'll take Dilshan to score at least enough for the top 3 and if he gets in he'll be there or thereabouts when the scorecard is tallied up.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Finally a successful match in this tournament albeit only to the tune of +5.5pts but profit is profit I guess :ok. -40.3 for the series now. The sides are Melbourne bound for Australia vs India on Friday.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Game 9 tonight and it's Australia vs Sri Lanka not India, from Melbourne. There's no strong fancy that I have tonight but I'll have a couple of value bets. 5pts Sri Lanka to beat Australia 11/4 Ladbrokes Sri Lanka won't be out with defeat here but it will be very tough for them to go through if they lose this. What we need to remember is this Melbourne pitch is unlikely to have too much pace and bounce which should help Sri Lanka a bit and more importantly it's a day night match so if Sri Lanka can bat 1st then there's a huge advantage there. Brett Lee's still being rested for Australia whose batting lineup is yet to fire in this tournament. Sri Lanka's main 2 came into form in the match with India last time out. If Sri Lanka can bat 1st then this could be too tough a task for Australia's bowlers to bail them out again and although they've not come close yet in this series, I'll take Sri Lanka to beat the world champions in this one. 5pts K.Sangakkara Top Sri Lanka Batsman 11/4 Ladbrokes Kumar Sangakkara is Sri Lanka's best batsman and he comes into this match off the back of a brilliant century against India last time out. As I've said all series long this is no more than a 4 man Sri Lankan batting lineup so even without each way terms I think this is a fair price. Jayasuriya is yet to fire in the series and Dilshan has failed twice now. Sangakkara has top scored in both ODI's with Australia in the series so far so I'll have a medium bet on him doing so again here.

[kevshat]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Been out at the rugby tonight so I apologise for not giving much notice for these bets. 10th game is at 3.15am between Australia and India from Sydney. I'm going to continue to take on Australia while their batting lineup isn't firing. 10pts India to win Game 10 9/4 Boylesports Simply put, this Australia batting lineup is not firing at all. Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey are scoring well but the others aren't helping them at all. Both Ponting and Symonds are averaging less than 11 in the series to date which obviously isn't good enough. To add to that in this match Australia know they are already through so they could just take the edge off their game and wait for the finals to come round. Australia will have Brett Lee back though, possibly for Mitchell Johnson. India have already beaten Australia in this series and although their batting isn't firing on all cylinders, all their batsmen have had starts quite regularly so it looks to be only a matter of time before their batting lineup starts scoring heavy runs. What is good for them though is the slowish nature of this Sydney wicket which always turns and that will bring Harbhajan, Sehwag, Tendulkar and Yuvraj into play. Again this is a day night match and we've seen already in the series how chasing isn't easy on these sticky wickets under lights so the 9/4 on India is value worth taking. 10pts G.Ghambir +4.5 runs to beat R.Ponting 5/6 Ladbrokes As I mentioned earlier, Ricky Ponting's having a horrendous series with the bat. Ricky Ponting has 64 runs in the series at an average of 10.66 with a high score of just 25. Gautam Ghambir in contrast has 246 runs at an average of 49.20 which includes a high score of 102. Ghambir has beaten Ponting in both matches where they've both batted against each other in this series and on this Sydney wicket he should go well again. Of course it's always dangerous taking Ricky Ponting on but if ever there's a good time it's now so I'll take Ghambir with the start here.

[Anderson.]

Re: Cricket: Commonwealth Bank Series & Twenty20 International Shit, I suspect I've had a few too many today, and my harmless attempt of humour may just be a little over the top.