We’re on to the Sri Lanka v England 5th ODI betting tips. England has won a weather-affected One Day International Series in Sri Lanka with three victories on the bounce. They now aim to put the finishing touches to what has been a confidence-boosting tour with a result that would complete the clean-sweep.
R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo hosts round five on Tuesday. Play gets underway at 10.00am, live in front of the Sky Sports cameras. Players, coaches and, of course, fans – both in attendance and those following the live TV pictures back home – will be hoping this series breaks a bad habit of producing wet weather; hopefully allowing us a clear day of cricket, free from infuriating delays.
The results have been fantastic, certainly on paper. However, the Cricket Board have come in for heavy criticism from fans and pundits regarding their decision to send the team to Sri Lanka at this time of year. Yes, the wins were made to feel most welcome by all concerned; however, the rain was no surprise and it has forced long delays and cancellations; one break lasted as long as six hours.
The Future of the ODIs
Putting that behind us, we look forward to Tuesday’s match. As you would expect, with England having already won the series at a canter, bookmakers are in no mood to oppose the tourists in any market. There is plenty to hold your interest, however. Those who fancy spicing up their viewing with a bet have a number of markets available.
Get your stake money down on the 5th ODI victor; highest first 15 overs; the top England batsman; top Sri Lanka batsman; highest first 10 overs; top England bowler; the top Sri Lanka bowler; first ball; highest opening partnership, and plenty more. Odds-makers ensure there’s something for everyone and there’s no lack of value around either.
Let’s take a look at what we have learned from the first four ODI matches and how they can help us pick a winner in the final act, ensuring you bow out with a profit in your pocket.
How the 1st ODI went
We got a sign of things to come on Wednesday 10 October; the opening match of the ODI series was abandoned due to heavy rainfall, making conditions unplayable. England stuttered in the early exchanges of what we did see and they were called in at 92-2. It was advertised as a break; however, things didn’t improve in Dambulla, forcing organisers to cancel.
The opening partnership of Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy were dropped for 25 and 24 and that gave the hosts – who didn’t get the chance to bat – plenty of encouragement heading into game two. Not a lot to go on, but the early signs suggested Joe Root would be an important player for the tourists.
How the 2nd ODI went
Finally, we got a game of cricket and any hope Sri Lanka had that their opponents had arrived out of sorts quickly evaporated. England was impressive when smashing their way to a 31-run win. The skies hung heavy in Dambulla, but the rain stayed off long enough for the match to be played to a conclusion, much to the delight of fans.
Root picked up on his early promise; he played an important part in the victory, alongside Eoin Morgan and Chris Woakes. With all three-firing, it was obvious Sri Lanka’s best was needed to go close to denying their visitors; however, they suffered an off day. Many of the locals’ big game players were poor, although that should take nothing away from what was an impressive performance from the victors.
How the 3rd ODI went
Another England success and this match was competitive in score only. The final margin stood at a seven-run win. That had more to do with the rain in Pallekele than England’s dominance. Sri Lanka was outclassed from the first ball as England pushed forward with the wind in their sails. Regular breaks didn’t affect their confidence; they seemed to deal with the delays better than the home side, remaining professional.
The match was cut to 21 overs, hence the final score. Having said that, it could’ve, and probably should’ve, been greater. Morgan again stood head and shoulders above the pack, whacking 58 not out; that was further enhanced by Roy, who chipped in with 41. Ben Stokes put the finishing touches to what was an enjoyable outing for England and their followers.
How the 4th ODI went
No surprises England turned the screw and showed just why they are top of the tree in this format. An 18-run win was no more than they deserved; Sri Lanka was powerless to stop the tide, the scores ending England 132-2, 273-7.
Captain Morgan was behind everything good about the match on Saturday and fans are excited by his timely return to form, with the World Cup fast approaching. This tour may have been badly timed; however, it has given the players a chance to shake off the rust and they appear to be really enjoying their cricket at the moment.
It wasn’t a one-man show, of course, and the likes of Root and Roy got pass marks. There was a little worry when it was announced Bairstow suffered an injury; however, he was replaced by Alex Hales who more than did his bit for the cause. This is a talented team who have the self-belief to go far, starting with a clean sweep of the ODI series.
What to expect on day five
The fifth and final One Day International Match goes on Tuesday and punters can take two things for granted – there will be rain delays and England will sign off with another impressive victory. Sri Lanka has shown nothing so far to suggest they are capable of laying a glove on their opponents and morale amongst the locals must be low.
The reason for that is they haven’t played terrible cricket, but England has been the better side every step of the way. There’s talent in this Sri Lanka side, but they’ve rarely had the chance to prove it. There will be a desire to get off the mark before it’s too late and aim to put up some kind of a fight, but bookies really don’t expect them to get anything out of the match or ODI series.
England Worthy Addition to Multiples
With not a lot for England to play for, punters will be overjoyed to find there’s a little more value than expected. Will Sri Lanka fire back and get the win they crave? It’s almost impossible to make a strong case for the underdogs, given what we have seen so far. Traders at Coral agree and are giving out an eye-catching 11/4 if you fancy a pop at the bigger price. That may attract bits and pieces of attention, especially for interest stakes, but it’s not for us.
England to finish the job is a 2/7 shot at Coral and although that’s tight, it looks well worth a play, either for big stakes or as part of your midweek accumulators. There’s plenty of sport taking place on Tuesday, including Champions League football, and England to win the 5th ODI deserves a place in your multiples.
After a bigger price? Why not follow the clues and predict the top England batsman? Root is favourite at 11/4, or you can have Roy 10/3, Bairstow 10/3, Hales 4/1 and Denly 4/1. Captain fantastic Morgan appeals at 9/2. All prices provided by Coral.
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