Betting Blog

Australia are strong favourites for the World T20 after their strong recent showings, particularly their demolition of England but in Asian conditions and without a top-class spinner, they are too short at 3/1 to win the tournament. So back West Indies at 7/1 to retain their crown.

A team with so much firepower - Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Darren Sammy - can never be ruled out but factor in the solid form of Lendl Simmons and the Windies bring a batting line up to Bangladesh to be feared.

Such an order will be capable of chasing down most totals but they also possess one of the best mystery spinners in the world in Sunil Narine. Add in Samuels' slow bowling plus operators such as Dwayne Smith and Sammy to take pace off the ball - crucial on slow Asian wickets - and you have a squad that will give 7/1 plenty of value.

Preparations for the World T20 begin on Sunday with England in action in the West Indies and South Africa taking on Australia as the world turns it's attention to the shortest format of the game ahead. It's the format where West Indies are most comfortable and they should be a solid bet at 7/5 to take the series with England 2-1.

The reigning T20 champions haven't kicked on particularly from their triumph in Sri Lanka 18 months ago but they remain exceptionally dangerous in 20-over cricket and with Chris Gayle back to lead the line, have the power to swamp an England side low on confidence after their 3-0 reverse in Australia. The way England played the spin of Sunil Narine in the ODIs is especially worrying for the tourists.

Over in South Africa, the bookmakers make Australia firm favourites for the series after their impressive showing against England and it's also 7/5 for an Australian 2-1 success. The way T20 cricket changes so quickly makes a clean sweep for both West Indies and Australia difficult to achieve but both are solid bets to win their series.

England's new era, without Kevin Pietersen and Andy Flower, begins in the West Indies with a low-key ODI series. But the importance of the fixtures will be highlighted by Ashley Giles who will be keen for his CV to be boosted by a success and his side can be backed at 15/8 to triumph 2-1.

The World T20 squad is moonlighting as a 50-over 15 but England have plenty of ability in their ranks. Everyone is tuned towards winning a place for the summer and members of this squad will be eager to impress in a rare chance in the longer form of the game. This series matters a lot to England.

West Indies are also missing their main weapon with Chris Gayle sidelined by injury. Losing such a gun player is a major blow to a side that slipped up against Ireland in a recent T20.

Australia are riding the crest of a pretty large wave at the moment and surfing with the most style has been Mitchell Johnson. He will bring another tsunami of pace at the South Africans in the second Test in Port Elizabeth and Australia can be backed at 7/5 for a seventh consecutive Test victory.

In the opening defeat in Centurion, there was nothing to suggest South Africa can live with Johnson's menacing deliveries and, like England in the Ashes, they could be scarred by the experience. Provided the Australian batsman produce a 300-plus total - and their form suggests they are more than capable - Johnson will have plenty of runs behind him to unleash once again.

The only positive for South Africa was the form of Dale Steyn in the first innings, he was economical and picked up four wickets. But you can't back the hosts at 7/4 with any confidence that their batting can turn things around in the second Test. Side with the Aussies again.

Having walloped India in the one-day series, there is a feel-good factor about New Zealand cricket at the moment. If they can carry that into the two-Test series, they will give 1-0 New Zealand at 11/4 a good go.

The weather forecast for the first Test in Auckland is very poor, making a draw likely and turning the series into a one-Test shootout. New Zealand proved against England that they have the bowling to trouble top batsman and India have traditionally been poor against the swinging ball.

India's record in New Zealand is poor with only one Test victory there since 1976. New Zealand are also unbeaten in their last four Tests at the Basin Reserve, venue for the second - and potentially decisive - Test.

Despite defeat in the opening T20 in Hobart, there were a host of positive signs for England and they are Burlington Bertie 100/30 to win the remaining two rubbers and come back to take the series 2-1.

That England racked up 200 demonstrates the power their batting line up possesses. That they achieved such a score with only two of their batsman making a significant contribution reveals what more they have to come - Michael Lumb, Luke Wright and key man Eoin Morgan made just 22 runs between them and yet England still got within 14 runs of a world record chase.

Meanwhile, Australia's Big Bash League has reached the knockout phase and Perth Scorchers at 4/1 are set to go one better than the previous two seasons and take the title. They beat their semi-final opponents Sydney Sixers in the round-robin phase and have the pain of defeat in the last two finals to spur them to glory.

The final leg of England's tour down under represents another clean slate for them to salvage something from their trip. They have the ammunition in the shortest format to finally claim some glory and are 5/2 to take the T20 series 2-1.

Gone are Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and others that have been worn down by the most wearying of trips. In comes Alex Hales, Luke Wright and fellow specialists fresh out of the Big Bash League where they have had time to tune their games to the shortest format and can now propel England to a series victory.

Looking longer term, England have been inserted as marginal favourites for the 2015 Ashes series - primarily due to home advantage - but there is a big question as to whether Alastair Cook's men will have rebuilt a solid Test side by then. Australia should still have most of the XI that won the recent series available but can't be expected to produce the same level of performance, therefore a drawn series at 5/1 offers the best value.

England are facing a 10th straight defeat in Perth, the venue for the fourth ODI in a series Australia have already wrapped up, but Western Australia represents England best chance yet of finally registering a victory and they can be backed to reduced the series scoreline to 3-2 at 13/2.

The tourists should have won the second ODI in Brisbane and that performance proved what they are capable of. Australia have also rested several key players, including captain Michael Clarke, for Perth, and if England can finally get on the board, the confidence they can take into the final ODI in Adelaide could see them save face in this series.

Out in New Zealand, India have been rocked by defeats in the opening two ODIs and they will be smarting at losing their No. 1 ODI world ranking. They have more than enough armoury to get back into the series so don't rule out India 3-2 at 7/2.

As England's Australian misery continued in Melbourne, Chris Jordan produced a fiery display with the ball and he is nicely priced at 7/2 to be England's top bowler in the second ODI in Brisbane on Friday.

Jordan produced pace and aggression that troubled the Australian openers and he could easily have had both dismissed. Eventually he got his rewards with a gem of a delivery that nipped back off the seam to clean bowl Shane Watson - a sign of what Jordan is capable of. Unscarred by the Ashes thrashing, Jordan is motivated and hungry.

In the Middle East, Sri Lanka have surprised everyone with their showing in the first two Tests against Pakistan and can complete their fine series with victory in the third Test in Sharjah. They have nullified the threat of Saeed Ajmal in particular and can prosper again at 12/5.

The Ashes whitewash secured, Australia will look to carry their momentum into a five-match ODI series. But the last four Ashes have seen the side defeated in Tests recover to take the one-day series - as England did the last time they lost 5-0 in Australia.

Alastair Cook's ODI team have become a lot more consistent than the one which Paul Collingwood led to unexpected success in Australia in 2006-07. Although better at home, series wins in New Zealand and against Pakistan in the UAE, as well as a respectable showing in India, point to all-round improvements over the last couple of years; with Ashley Giles taking the reins and several fresh faces in the squad, there should be value in backing England at 12/5 to put their Test misery behind them.

The final one-dayer between New Zealand and West Indies, meanwhile, offers another chance for Jesse Ryder to continue his impressive return at international level, after a career-threatening head injury sustained last year. Innings of 104 and 47 followed a duck in the first ODI and he is 7/2 to be top-scorer Hamilton.