Thursday’s installment from the ICC Cricket World Cup comes to us from Trent Bridge in Nottingham where Australia and Bangladesh face off in an exciting fixture from 10.30am. The Aussies are firm favourites with bookmakers to grab a much-needed win, but followers of this competition have already enjoyed their fair share of high-profile upsets, including a surprise defeat for the host nation, and that ensures nothing can be taken for granted. Here are our top Australia v Bangladesh betting tips.
You can follow all the play live thanks to Sky Sports and major bookmakers lay on a spread of exciting betting markets to help you ramp up the interest. Have your say on the winner, going with the favourite or risking the outsider, or seek out the value that exists in the specials markets.
Options here include top batsman, top bowler and highest first 15 overs. When the game is underway many of the most popular markets exist thanks to in-play betting. Have your say on the outcome at any point of the afternoon.
India Provide a Timely Reminder
Australia got their 2019 World Cup campaign off and running with a simple win over Afghanistan on the opening day of the month. As close to a perfect opponent as the Aussies could’ve hoped for, they got the desired result and looked good doing so, but the beaten side handled themselves with credit and proved there will be no easy games this summer. The days of whipping boys at major international competitions are over and every nation involved in the World Cup are here on merit.
The Aussies followed that seven wickets win over lowly Afghanistan with a 15-run cheer vs West Indies on matchday two. A better effort was required to get themselves over the line that day, but they were deserving winners of the match and put in a performance that gave a timely boost to their confidence. Australia smashed their way to a score of 288 all out and that was a target the West Indies couldn’t chase down, ending 273-9. An entertaining match and one that showed us just what this Oz team is all about.
Their perfect start was to come to a shuddering halt in game three, however, when falling to a 36 runs defeat to India in what was a gripping contest from the first ball. Australia put up 316 all out but, on this occasion, that wasn’t enough to stop an opponent firing on all cylinders with India responding with a score of 352-5. A lesson learned that day, Australia reminded they still have much work to do if they are to compete against top level opposition.
Oz Come Firing Back
Despite their strong start, Australia found themselves in need of a big performance against Pakistan on 12 June and they got it in the form of a 41-run victory to explode back into contention. They put up an impressive score of 307 all out and that was enough to see off a rival who thought they had the scent of blood going into the match. Pakistan believed Oz were there for the taking following defeat to India but what they got was an opponent desperate to respond.
Aaron Finch and Mitchell Starc put in match winning performances for Australia, the former scoring 153 runs off 132 balls. Speaking to the press at the conclusion of their most important win of the competition so far, captain Finch said his team are happy with the way things have started but are also looking at ways they can improve going forward. He told followers everyone in the squad believe they can work towards standing on the balcony at Lords having retained the World Cup and that statement of confidence will be music to the ears of fans.
They are favourites to beat Bangladesh on Thursday and are expected to do so at a canter with bookies confident they have the right side picked. Ladbrokes offer 1/6 on the Aussies and although that looks to be on the short side, the results and performances of both teams so far makes it almost impossible to argue against that view. The match win could be used in stacked accumulators but be careful who you trust with your stake money as there’s plenty of 1/8 out there on the same bet. That quote will likely push most players into the specials markets. The jolly to record the highest first 15 overs is 1/2 at Ladbrokes.
Bangladesh Won Last Time Out
Bangladesh began their World Cup with a 21-run win over South Africa on 2 June and that injected confidence into the ranks. They were quickly brought back down to earth next time out, however, when losing by two wickets to a determined New Zealand. There wasn’t a lot in that match, but a mixed bag meant all eyes were on their performance in the third outing. They left empty-handed again, completely destroyed by England when falling to a 106-run defeat at the hands of the hosts.
Things went from bad to worse when the team were left frustrated by a call off against Sri Lanka, just at a time when they really could’ve done without it. A heavy downpour meant that match was pulled before a ball had been bowled and, unfortunately, that game wasn’t alone in being cancelled. The unseasonal wet weather has hampered this competition and shown the lack of a reliable back-up plan put in place by organisers.
The underdogs do go into this contest on the back of a win thanks to a seven wickets cheer vs West Indies last time. They were written off by most ahead of that match, but the brief rest seemed to spark the team to life and they showed there’s plenty of fight in the ranks. Bangladesh can be backed at an incredible 9/2 – best price when taking advantage of the generosity shown by Unibet traders. That’s market best price, but not a bet that works for us.