We're just a short time away from the first ball of the Australia vs Sri Lanka twenty20 match at Trent Bridge. After Ireland pulled off a major coup by ousting the underwhelming Bangladesh, things have definitely opened up and it really looks like it could be anyone's tournament.
Paddy Power has Australia listed at 8/15 compared to Sri Lanka's 11/8. Watson and Warner are co-favourites to be named top Australian runscorer with Ricky Ponting coming in at 4/1. Michael Clarke is listed at 11/2 while Brad Haddin carries a 6/1 price ahead of the Hussey Brothers who are at 7/1 and 10/1 respectively.
Dilshan and Sangakkara are Sri Lanka's main threat and they each carry a 3/1 listing. Jayasurita is at 4/1 while Jayawardene is at 9/2.
Australia have a slim edge on highest opening partnership with a 4/5 price. Sri Lanka are listed at 10/11.
Paddy Power will have in-play wagering on this fixture and backing batsmen to reach a specific target can be quite profitable. Also remember that method of dismissal betting is more lucrative in twenty20.
I think that the Aussies were really overwhelmed by the performance they saw against the West Indies. I'm really of the opinion that twenty20 cricket is becoming the great equalizer and we've seen associate nations performing well above their usual standard thanks to the condensed version of the game. I think that Australia are a more methodical and calculating team than a side that resembles the West Indies or the Netherlands.
I have a feeling that this one could come down to who chooses to bat second. Early wickets will be key, and if some team finds themselves into their lower-order batsmen, then things could certainly get interesting. The value is on Sri Lanka and I have a feeling they may ask too many questions of Ricky Ponting's Australia.
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