New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Christmas day brings cricket. So, here are our New Zealand v Sri Lanka 2nd Test Match betting tips. New Zealand and Sri Lanka renew rivalries when taking part in the second match of their Test series on Tuesday 25 December at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. There’s a scheduled start time of 10.00pm GMT and that will take you through the night before the floodgates open on a hectic Boxing Day of live sport and betting.
If you do plan on placing a bet on the outcome of this match to kick-start a glorious few days of punting, you’ll find bookmakers have laid on a feast of delights to grab your attention. No re-heated turkey sandwiches here, this is the best of the best, designed to mark the occasion.
A flick through the markets offered by Coral bookmakers shows the level of effort put in. Have your say on the winner of the 2nd Test; or even aim a bit higher and call the top 1st innings run scorer; top 1st innings wicket taker; man of the match; draw no bet; double chance; highest 1st innings opening partnership, and much more.
There’s something for everyone, even the fussiest of backers, and it’s great to know, thanks to in-play betting, there’s as many competitive markets and well-priced selections to bet on after the start. This means a financial play is just as interesting before the coin toss as it is on the final day of play.
Rain Forces the Draw
This is the 2nd Test Match, so what did we learn from the 1st Test that started on Friday 14 December? Well, not an awful lot is the answer to that question as, following five days of play, we got a draw, leaving backers of both sides feeling frustrated and short-changed. Very few would’ve had the level finish picked and it’ll be interesting to see how backers approach this match. The draw has been offered up at 4/1 at Coral this time.
The reason for that draw was the heavy rainfall on Wednesday; that forced the postponement and then abandonment of the first of a planned two-Test series. We got little more than an hour of play before the shutters were pulled down and the few days that went before it ensured both nations were happy enough to come out of it avoiding defeat.
It was a share well earned by New Zealand and Sri Lanka and it sets us up nicely for the straight shoot-out that gets underway on Christmas night. The scores were weighed in at New Zealand 578 all out – Sri Lanka 282 all out, 287-3.
Mendis and Mathews Effort Should Be Noted
As well as the result and performance in the latter stages of the Test, Sri Lanka can also take real heart from the rally of batsmen Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews who stood firm under pressure; they held their nerve to bat superbly in what was increasingly difficult conditions.
Both men scored centuries, which was outstanding under the circumstances and they will be desperate to pick-up where they left off when we get re-started on Tuesday night.
Punters who kept tabs on the final day of play would’ve jotted that late spike in their notebooks and will be eager to get their stake money down on both men putting in another big performance in the 2nd Test.
An Overdue Reason to Cheer
It was an improved performance that was long overdue from Sri Lanka after suffering some miserable results in the second-half of 2018. They were famously demolished on their own patch by England in Test cricket and that followed a few heavy beatings in the shorter version of the game. That makes for interesting reading if you’re a follower of English cricket as much was made of just how poor the beaten side were; however, perhaps the victors didn’t get nearly enough credit for their efforts.
Will we see Sri Lanka build on that draw to go and steal the Test series? They certainly go in with a renewed sense of self-belief; however, bookmakers don’t fancy their chances of taking the lead and we must say we’re not holding out much hope either. Sri Lanka played well in spells against England during defeat and also showed glimmers of their potential in that draw last time out, but they seem to lack the consistency needed to turn a good performance into a win.
We are more than happy to take them on and back New Zealand to go one better and finish the job. Their opponents looked there to be beaten in the 1st Test and if NZ can be a bit more clinical when it matters, they should blast their way to the desired result without too much drama along the way.
Latham Breaking Records
One player who shone bright for the hosts was Tom Latham who put in a record-breaking performance to score 264 not out which eclipsing the previous record of Alastair Cook who shot 244 for England against Australia in December of last year.
Latham started the day on 121 and was at the crease for a stunning 11 hours, needing only 412 deliveries to reach a double century that’ll live long in the memory of the player. It was a showing that put his side in control and proved the difference during the early exchanges. It’ll also ensure there’s plenty of stake money coming down in support of him doing something similar again here.
Another record? That’s perhaps a big ask, but if he shows anything like the form of the 1st Test he will put the Sri Lankan bowling team under pressure from the moment he steps up with the bat in hand. We expect another match winning performance from this talented player and wouldn’t put anyone off a bet on him being his nation’s leading batsman come the conclusion.
In all, you’d get the best odds backing the Sri Lanka win – with odds of 6/1 at Ladbrokes; however, we think that’s unlikely. Our advice is to keep this one simple and back the home nation for 2nd Test victory at odds of 4/11 at Ladbrokes. We predict they will do it quite easily, meaning you can count your winnings in plenty of time for the weekend. Let’s hope New Zealand live up to expectations.