Look for West Indies to come good

With the semi-final places decided, the last few Super Eights games are bound to throw up some essentially meaningless encounters and Thursday's match is just that as West Indies and Bangladesh meet in Barbados.

For the hosts, there is only pride at stake after some terrible performances left them way short of being able to qualify for the last four.

Bet365 make them 1/5 (1.20) to win, while Bangladesh, who have been pretty impressive to be honest, are 10/3 (4.33) for another upset win.

The funny thing is that with the pressure off, West Indies are just as likely to put on a show as they are to struggle and the likes of Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul are all well capable of big innings.

It is perhaps a harsh criticism but there is some truth in the fact that West Indies' big-name players tend to produce the best when the series is over, and that is an accusation that could even be levelled at Brian Lara.

The great left-hander is deservedly considered to be one of the world's best batsmen, even at the age of 37, but in recent years he has tended to reserve his best knocks for when the pressure is off.

Lara is only fourth favourite to be his side's top runscorer at 9/2, a market topped by the hugely disappointing Gayle, at 11/4.

Chanderpaul is 3/1, Sarwan 4/1 and after Lara, Marlon Samuels is 11/2 and Devon Smith 6/1.

For Bangladesh, Aftab Ahmed and Mohammad Ashraful are both 4/1, while Tamim Iqbal, Shahriar Nafees and Javed Omar are all 5/1.

Saqibul Hasan is 11/2 and Habibul Bashar 6/1.

Bangladesh have impressed many people at this World Cup and in four years' time they could really be a handful but for now, West Indies, relieved of the pressure that they failed to cope with, should win this and win it well.