England and Pakistan meet in the second instalment of their One Day International series on Saturday afternoon. Sky Sports send a camera crew to The Ageas Bowl in Southampton – one of the venues for the upcoming World Cup – and armchair fans can follow all the action live from 11am. Here are our top England v Pakistan 2nd ODI betting tips.
We have a fascinating contest in store and one where both teams will be itching to get at each other after the first ODI match was cancelled due to the weather. That was disappointing for players and fans of the sport who had planned to get themselves along to the venue on Wednesday, but it couldn’t be helped.
It does build anticipation for Saturday’s match and this one will play an important role in an action-packed weekend of sport, including Premier League football and major horse racing. English football teams Liverpool and Tottenham did their bit to boost the standing of British sports on the world stage. The England cricket team will be desperate to get their World Cup preparations up and running with an impressive win over a talented opponent.
As well as a meeting of two well-matched international outfits for armchair fans to enjoy, bookmakers have also done their bit to ensure there’s plenty points of interest for sports punters to get stuck into. Stakes were returned to customers following Wednesday’s wash out and that means those who had a bet, as well as new players, can have their say on a number of interesting markets on this match.
Rained Off
The 1st ODI match was rained off in midweek, leaving the hosts feeling frustrated as they missed an opportunity to sharpen their tools ahead of this summer’s showpiece Cricket World Cup. It’s their own tournament, with various stadiums in the UK playing host, and it’s also a competition the locals are expected to win, with bookies marking them as favourites in the outright list.
Agree with the thoughts of odds-makers? You can get your hands on 9/4 at Bet365 on England winning the World Cup, priced ahead of nearest rivals India at 3/1 with Ladbrokes. It has been an interesting year for Australia, but they can be found next in line, 4/1 attached to their chances when betting with Bet365 and that’s market best price. Other selections of note are South Africa 10/1 (Bet365) and Pakistan 14/1 (Bet365).
It was a strange day at the Oval on Wednesday as the rain first forced organisers to shorten the match to 47 overs each, and Pakistan got to play a bit of cricket, notching 80-2 from 19 overs. England didn’t get the chance to bat and with the forecast looking bleak and another downfall in the books, the surface was deemed too wet for any further play to take place safely. It’s a shame as, although we didn’t get a proper look at the teams and can take nothing from the cricket that was played, we expected a cracking contest.
Archer One to Watch
One man who did shine between the showers was the promising Jofra Archer who gave an example of things to come this summer and his recent form makes him a man in with a great shout of playing a huge part in this year’s World Cup. If all goes to plan, he will take to the big stage in the summer where he’ll kick on and show exactly what he’s about. We did have him picked as top bowler in the first One Day International between these sides, but obviously didn’t get a run for our money.
Archer’s performances have been catching the eye of both pundits and fans and he was given credit by Liam Plunkett who spoke to the media about a player he descried as a class act. Plunkett added that it looked quite easy for him and he was sure there was more to come. That was echoed by Freddie Flintoff who thought England could and should drop anyone in the squad to make room for Archer this year. That’s a bold statement.
That praise will do wonders for the player’s confidence and it hasn’t gone unnoticed by traders at major bookmakers who have acted swiftly and now like to keep on the right side of him. Archer to be England’s top batsman vs Pakistan is sure to attract a fair share of shrewd money on Saturday. We’re happy to go with that and will have him backed at 7/2 with Bet365. That market is headed by Rashid as a 3/1 favourite.
Add England to Accas
You can take advantage of a number of betting markets available on the 2nd ODI, including the winner of the toss, which is always set at 10/11 heads – tails 10/11. This is an interest bet only and little more than a bit of fun, but it could help boost your balance before a ball is bowled and give an indication as to how your luck is looking for the game ahead.
England were betting favourites to win the 1st ODI and, with that being rained off, it’s little surprise to see the money men hold their ground and back them to win the 2nd ODI. Backers can get their hands on a useful 2/5 for a home win and that will do a job in many accumulators this weekend. The price is a little short, granted, but we’d be keen to have it in multiples. It makes more sense than shooting for the 2/1 about Pakistan upsetting the odds. Both quotes taken from the Bet365 site.
If England are going to win and Archer is going to take the wickets needed to put them in a strong position, who is the player that will score most runs? We’ll have our stake money down on Root at 3/1 for an interest play. That’s a wide-open market at the time of writing but we’re confident of getting a run for our money with that one.