It’s an important few weeks for international cricket’s top teams and players as they put the finishing touches to their preparations for the upcoming World Cup that’ll take place in England this summer. The hosts are betting favourites with bookmakers. Ireland won’t have a say, of course, but they are playing the part of keeping opponents warm and sharp in the build-up. Here are our top Ireland v Bangladesh betting tips.
Ireland and Bangladesh face off at The Village in Dublin for what will be the latest leg of an interesting Tri Series. Not the top level of cricket, but this has already proven a useful exercise for all involved. As well as giving teams match sharpness and allowing them to work on a few things before the summer, it also allows followers the chance to see just where Ireland are at with their progress.
They are a team determined to close the gap between themselves and the top level of the sport and although they have proven themselves more than capable of upsetting the big boys on their day, it wouldn’t be unfair to say they are still some way off where they need to be to earn the respect of the sport’s biggest and best.
Increase Your Interest
One sure-fire way to make this match a little more interesting is with a bet on the outcome and bookmakers have done the hard work to ensure you aren’t short on options. Have your say on which side will win Thursday’s match in Dublin – the coin toss expected around 10.45am GMT – in attempt to nick a small profit.
You can also aim for the bigger prizes by betting on one of the many specials that are available. Have your say on betting gems such as top Irish batsman or bowler, who will score most runs for Bangladesh in this ODI and which player in the away dressing room will be responsible for most Irish wickets taken.
Gamble on highest first 15 overs, first ball, first innings 50, highest opening partnership and total run outs. The coverage is so detailed, in fact, you can even bet on the winner of the coin toss. The prices are set at 10/11 each, for obvious reasons, and this should be seen as little more than an interest, but it could line your pockets before a bat is swung in anger, giving a hint to how your luck is looking on the day. It’s also a fun way to get the match moving.
Punters will be delighted to learn many of the pre-match betting markets will remain live throughout the course of this match thanks to in-play betting, That means a punt is as interesting in the final few balls as it was before the start, with odds and lines adjusted to keep pace with the play.
Ireland Take a Beating
Ireland go into this match having taken a bit of a beating in their last outing, downed by West Indies on Sunday afternoon at this very venue. The hosts went into the game competitive in the pre-match betting markets and hoping to prove they are an improving side, but they failed to deliver and ended on the wrong side of a harsh lesson. That was dealt out by an opponent who proved themselves head and shoulders above this level of cricket.
The final scoreboard read West Indies 381-3 (50.0) at the end of a dominant display, with Ireland only able to respond with a score of 185 all out (34.4). As far as defeats go, they really don’t get much more convincing and the home side fell well below the effort expected of them. Not had Ireland picked for the win, of course, but they did expect them to fare a bit better than they did after showing promise in the ODI format against Afghanistan.
Early Error Proved Costly
Fresh from giving England a bit of a share on the Friday of last week, there was confidence in the home camp, but they made a crucial error right at the start of the game by putting West Indies in to bat and that proved a disastrous decision. Windies hit the ground running, teaching the Irish bowlers a thing or two, leaving Ireland with nothing from the afternoon other than experience.
It’s clear they won’t make that mistake again when coming up against a side of Windies talents. Any slim hopes they had of making the game interesting, at the very least, disappeared when Paul Stirling, William Porterfield and Lorcan Tucker were easily dealt with.
Any high spirits in the Irish ranks evaporated almost as quickly as it did amongst those watching the horror show in the stand. Fans were soon following through the cracks in their fingers, knowing they were witnessing nothing better than the complete destruction of their team. Fancy Ireland to bounce back? You’ll certainly be in the minority in the betting ring and there’s 16/5 on the home cheer at Unibet. A nice price and one that leaps off the page at us, but Sunday’s match tells us there’s still not enough in that quote to make Ireland a good bet.
Bangladesh Looking to Stick the Boot in
Bangladesh would’ve watched on as interested parties at the weekend and although you can be sure Ireland will aim to bounce back from that thrashing, the visitors have seen enough to ensure they go into the contest with confidence high. West Indies left Ireland battered and bruised and it’s now up to the visitors to finish the job. If Bangladesh can make a fast start in Dublin, we imagine Irish heads will drop early and they won’t recover.
This will be Bangladesh’s second outing of the week following Tuesday’s meeting with West Indies and with that behind them we are expecting a polish performance. Before that midweek clash with Windies, Bangladesh hadn’t been seen in action since 7 March, so they may take a while to work their way into this game. The away win is our pick at 2/7 (William Hill).