After nailing our suggested head to head bet on New Zealand in the first T20 we turn our attention to the second of five matches between the Black Caps and Australia.
There might be a chance for Australian to turn the tables in this one!
HEAD TO HEAD
25th February 12:00pm
Australia were comprehensively defeated in the first T20 on Monday evening after falling 53 runs short of the 184-run target set by New Zealand.
It was a very shaky start for the Black Caps after they were reduced to 3/19 thanks to brilliant opening spells from gun short format bowlers Jhye Richardson and Daniel Sams.
Enter Devon Conway.
In only his seventh international T20 match, Conway blasted the Aussies on his way to an incredible 99 not out to leave the Australians what would ultimately be an insurmountable chase.
The Australian bowlers could barely match it with the hitting power of Conway as Sams went for 10 runs an over, while Ashton Agar (0/20 off two overs) and Kane Richardson (0/42 off four overs) offered very little resistance with the ball.
A top order collapse after some brilliant bowling from veteran seamers Tim Southee (2/10 off three overs) and Trent Boult (2 for 22 off three overs) saw the Australians left stranded at 4/19.
Despite Mitchell Marsh’ best efforts to rectify the run-chase with 45 runs off 33 deliveries, it was all too much as Australia were bowled out for 131 runs with 15 balls to spare.
Australian captain Aaron Finch was dismissed cheaply for one run while T20 debutant disappointed only managing two runs.
As always, the market must be respected. New Zealand were heavily backed in the first game but Australia did start the slight favourites.
The travelling side, who had never lost a T20 match in New Zealand prior to Monday, may have felt the fatigue of travel and having to quarantine for a period of time.
Australia rarely put together two bad matches of T20 cricket, the market seems to have overreacted to the loss and has posted it as the outsiders here.
Backing the Gold and Green to bounce back in this one.
Suggested Bet: Australia head to head at $1.98
TOP BATSMAN
D'Arcy Short & Devon Conway
Australia
Mitch Marsh led the way for the Australian batting top-scoring with 45 runs and he is a $4.75 elect in the markets this time.
Even with the top order collapse with Aaron Finch, Matthew Wade and Josh Phillipe failing to make meaningful runs they still command plenty of consideration given their run-scoring feats in BBL 10 competition.
The one player who stands out, if he is selected, is D’Arcy Short.
His 23 career innings at T20 international sees him average 30.52 runs at a strike rate of 118.89 might not put him in the upper echelon of star batsmen in this format but he is reliable.
Glen Maxwell disappointed with the bat on Monday too but we all know what type of game he has in armoury.
In his 61 T20 innings he has smashed 1688 runs at an average of 32.46 and a strike rate of 157.32
He’s another player that is hard to keep down for long and if the top order continues its poor form he is well and truly capable of blasting a high score.
Suggested Bets:
D’Arcy Short top Australian batsman at $4.15
Glen Maxwell top Australian batsman at $4.35
New Zealand
Devon Conway was breathtakingly brilliant with the willow on Monday evening as he belted the Aussie bowling attack all over Hagley Oval.
His 99 not out came off only 59 deliveries and in that were 10 fours and three maximums.
It was a career best innings in T20 international for Conway and he’s now a $4 elect to top score the batting for New Zealand.
However, the player who can improve is Martin Guptill.
He came into the first T20 having to pass a fitness test for a tight hamstring and did so.
The three-ball duck he scored on Monday does not inspire huge confidence but he has been a consistently world class performer at T20 level.
His 91 innings boasting a 31.20 average and a strike rate of 134.41.
Suggested Bets:
Devon Conway top New Zealand batsman $4
Martin Guptill top New Zealand batsman $3.4
TOP BOWLER
adam zampa & tim southee
Australia
Jhye Richardson continued to show why he is the premier bowler in T20 cricket after backing up his 29-wicket BBL 10 tournament by topping the Australian bowling charts in the first match against New Zealand.
He managed to take two wickets for 31 runs off four overs in the loss and was the clear pick amongst the pace bowlers.
Adam Zampa bowled very well without taking a wicket. He slowed down the New Zealand run rate by only going for 20 runs off his three overs and probably should have been used for his final over.
Daniel Sams was in wicket taking form but he was expensive.
Suggested Bet: Adam Zampa top Australian bowler at $3.2
New Zealand
Ish Sodhi bamboozled the Australian batting attack with his crafty right arm leg breaks.
Sodhi took four wickets for 28 runs off his four overs and was the clear standout in the Black Caps bowling line up.
He was much longer than that $3.70 currently on offer to lead the New Zealand bowling attack in the first match and that current quote looks under the odds here.
The dynamic veteran duo of Trent Boult and Tim Southee went to work on the Australians very early in the first T20.
The fast bowling pair were at their best.
Boult reversed the poor form he showed against Pakistan last year as he skittled the Aussies by taking two for 22 off his three overs but it was his seaming counterpart Southee who took the honours as best fast bowler.
Southee produced figures of two for 10 off only three overs and helped set the foundations for a brilliant bowling display by the Black Caps.
He can lead the way for New Zealand again.
Suggested Bet: Tim Southee top New Zealand bowler at $3.3
