Betting Blog
Bangladesh 3/4 for rare Test win
Bangladesh Test victories are about as rare as months that India go without playing an ODI but with Zimbabwe coming to visit, they have a golden chance to register a five-day win and are 3/4 to take the opening Test in Dhaka.
ESPNcricinfo staff
24-Oct-2014
Bangladesh Test victories are about as rare as months that India go without playing an ODI but with Zimbabwe coming to visit, they have a golden chance to register a five-day win and are 3/4 to take the opening Test in Dhaka.
Bangladesh have only won one Test in 24 since the start of 2010 and have only managed five draws from those matches too. They have regularly failed to compete but Zimbabwe are opposition that should be beaten in home conditions.
Zimbabwe were the opposition for Bangladesh's solitary Test win in the last five years - back in 2013 - but they have also lost to Zimbabwe during that period - in 2011. Home conditions should prove sufficient for Bangladesh to finally win another Test and they are 3/4 to do so.
Full postNew Zealand 5/1 to begin world cup preparation strongly
New Zealand are perennial dark horses at major tournaments and that tag is enhanced for next year's World Cup as they are the co-hosts. They begin their build-up against South Africa and are 6/4 to win the series.
ESPNcricinfo staff
20-Oct-2014
New Zealand are perennial dark horses at major tournaments and that tag is enhanced for next year's World Cup as they are the co-hosts. They begin their build-up against South Africa and are 5/1 to win the series having lost the opening rubber.
The Black Caps have proved a capable one-day outfit for the last few years and have notched up notable series wins in England and at home to India. They have only lost once in eight ODIs in 2014.
They face a South Africa side looking to rebuild after Jacques Kallis retired. He was the man the side was built around and there are also serious questions of the Proteas' slow-bowling options. New Zealand will fancy their chances and are 5/1 to stage a comeback in the three-match series.
Full postEssex 7/2 to right four-day struggles
Essex have disappointed in the County Championship since being relegated four years ago but they have become strong challengers for promotion over the last two season and can be backed at 7/2 to win Division Two in 2015.
ESPNcricinfo staff
13-Oct-2014
Essex have disappointed in the County Championship since being relegated four years ago but they have become strong challengers for promotion over the last two seasons and can be backed at 7/2 to win Division Two in 2015.
In the past two seasons, Essex have entered the final round of matches with an outside chance of going up but have missed out twice with their slow starts eventually costing them. Next season could be time to put right those near misses.
They have one of the best squads in Division Two and while their batting may have not produced big runs, their bowling attack consistently proves potent enough to win matches. If Essex can extend their traditional late-season surge - they won their last five matches this year - to earlier in the year, 7/2 is going to look short about them winning the 2015 Division Two title.
Full postYorkshire 11/4 for back-to-back titles
ESPNcricinfo staff
07-Oct-2014
Having been comfortably the best side in the 2014 County Championship, Yorkshire lifted the title for the first time since 2001. A year after that success, they were relegated but a consecutive triumph is far more likely for 2015 and they are 11/4 to make it a double.
Yorkshire faced a big question mark last season in how they would cope without their England players. But the absence of Joe Root and Gary Ballance for much of the summer had little affect on their success. 2015 sees a packed international schedule where Root and Ballance could miss Yorkshire's entire summer but this shouldn't hinder them.
A bigger concern would be if Adam Lyth, the highest runscorer in the country in 2014, is selected as England's new Test opener. Replacing his runs will be a major challenge. But Yorkshire found a man to replace the runs they missed from Ballance in 2013, and they can do so again if required. They are the best for a reason and 11/4 to lift the Championship again in 2015.
Full postNew Zealand 9/1 for World Cup surprise
The World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is looming large and it is the smaller of the two host nations that are worth taking a look at, available at 9/1 to triumph next March.
ESPNcricinfo staff
29-Sep-2014
The World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is looming large and it is the smaller of the two host nations that are worth taking a look at, available at 9/1 to triumph next March.
New Zealand have a solid World Cup pedigree and decent recent form too, with notable recent series wins in South Africa and England, and a 4-1 shellacking at home of world champions India.
The Black Caps combine powerful batsman like Martin Guptill with touch players like Kane Williamson. Genuine world class is provided by their astute captain Brendon McCullum, throw a handy bowling attack and useful spin options into the mix and you have a very tidy one-day outfit that are easy to back at 9/1 for a World Cup win.
Full postDurham 11/10 for Royal London triumph
Momentum is everything and Durham have it in spades at the moment, three big wins on the spin see them finishing their season on a real high and they are 11/10 to finish the year with a Royal London Cup final victory.
ESPNcricinfo staff
12-Sep-2014
Momentum is everything and Durham have it in spades at the moment, three big wins on the spin sees them finishing their season on a real high and they are 11/10 to finish the year with a Royal London Cup final victory.
Durham have struggled badly with injuries to their bowling attack this season but have coped remarkably well. They have fended off the threat of relegation in the Championship and saw off a fine Nottinghamshire side with a superb performance in the Royal London semi-final.
Up against Warwickshire who have suffered their own injuries and seen their Championship challenge slip away, Durham can again upset the odds and create a memorable Lord's finale to their season. They are 11/10 to do so.
Full postNotts 5/1 for late dash to the title
Nottinghamshire's title challenge has been weakened from the last round of matches but their challenge for the County Championship is still very much alive and they are a tasty 5/1 to become champions.
ESPNcricinfo staff
05-Sep-2014
Nottinghamshire's title challenge has been weakened from the last round of matches but their quest for the County Championship is still very much alive and they are a tasty 5/1 to become champions.
26 points behind with only two matches remaining leaves little room for error but Notts have been here before - claiming the title in the final session of the season in 2010 - and none of this current Yorkshire side knows what it takes to get over the line, having not won a title for over a decade.
If Notts can put in a big performance on their home ground and beat Yorkshire next week, they will suddenly gain the whip hand. A final victory over Sussex - also at Trent Bridge - would leave Yorkshire facing a must-win final match over Somerset. 5/1 says all is not lost for Notts.
Full postWarwickshire 2/1 to keep treble dream going
Warwickshire are conjuring up a fairytale season with one trophy secure and the other two still well within reach. Having gone great guns in the Royal London Cup so far, they can be backed at 2/1 to lift the title.
ESPNcricinfo staff
02-Sep-2014
Warwickshire are conjuring up a fairytale season with one trophy secure and the other two still well within reach. Having gone great guns in the Royal London Cup so far, they can be backed at 2/1 to lift the title.
Their 50-over form has been more solid than in the NatWest T20, where games fluctuate far more, but like in the T20 competition they produced a fine display to see off Essex in the quarter-final at Chelmsford. Kent now await at home in the semi-final and the Bears should be too strong.
Warwickshire are producing this great run without several senior players, such as bowlers Chris Wright and Keith Barker, yet the likes of Boyd Rankin, Rikki Clarke and Varun Chopra are in their best form of the season. Keep that up and the Royal London crown could be theirs, back them at 2/1.
Full post4/5 for England pain to continue
ESPNcricinfo staff
01-Sep-2014
Nothing in the first two completed ODIs has suggested that England have anything like the batting capabilities to compete with India in this series, so back the tourists at 4/5 to win at Edgbaston.
The victories for India have been comprehensive so far and it is only a washout in Bristol that is preventing England staring at a 5-0 whitewash. The hosts' batting has been so woefully inadequate against spin and there is little chance of improvement.
The worst thing for England is that there is very limited room for manoeuvre in the squad they have picked. None of the powerful batsman on the county circuit that may change things around, such as James Taylor, are available. A short price it may be, but India at 4/5 are a very steady bet for the fourth ODI.
Full postWoakes to blossom for England 9/2
Chris Woakes endured a difficult start to his international career but the signs now are that he has matured and developed his bowling. Back him at 9/2 to be England's top bowler in the third ODI against India.
ESPNcricinfo staff
28-Aug-2014
Chris Woakes endured a difficult start to his international career but the signs now are that he has matured and developed his bowling. At 9/2 he looks overpriced to be England's top bowler in the third ODI against India.
It looked as if Woakes did not have the skills to survive in international cricket after a miserable Test debut and struggles in his first one-day matches but recently he has looked every inch a top-class operator.
In the NatWest T20 Blast final, he held his nerve for Warwickshire to deny Andrew Flintoff and secure victory and at Cardiff he weathered the carnage around him to take 4 for 52. He has the ability to repeat that performance and is a rather large 9/2 to be England's best at Trent Bridge.
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