cricket

ICC World Twenty20 Final Betting Preivew: England are in the final of one major World Tournament this year. England’s cricketers secured their berth in the final of the ICC World Twenty20, with a comprehensive victory over dangerous Twenty20 side, Sri Lanka. It was an emphatic seven wicket victory, which was largely inspired by lead bowler Stuart Broad, who took down the crucial wicket of in form Mahela Jayewardene, the tournaments top scoring batsman, as Sri Lanka batted first. The Sri Lankans, who have power personified in their batting line up, were restricted to just 128-6 in their twenty overs, as the England bowlers kept things extremely tight. This backed up the new look and confidence that England have displayed in the tournament, after winning all three of their Super 8 matches against Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand, to reach the semi finals.

The chase was helped by the return of Kevin Pietersen, who returned to the West Indies after the birth of his new son. Pietersen cracked 42 off 26 balls coming in at number three, after openers Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb racked up a rapid 68 in the first 8 Overs. It took England only 16 Overs to chase down the total, again looking accomplished in all aspects of the game, and especially looking dominant in the batting department. Captain Paul Collingwood’s men now stand on the brink of cricket history, as England have never won a World tournament. Reaching the final has been something of a success, as they were rank outsiders in the betting before the tournament. Their new dynamic look has turned everything on its head, and look to be bursting with confidence.

England had to await the winner of Australia and defending champions Pakistan in the second of the semi finals. Australia are favourites still to win the tournament, and England have already beaten Pakistan comfortably in the tournament. It will be their old foes Australia who they will take on in the final of the ICC World Twenty20, after they played out an incredible semi final match against defending champions Pakistan. Pakistan posted the second high score of the tournament, setting the Aussies a target of 192 to win, with the Akmal brothers dominating the show in the Pakistan line up. But, unfortunately for Pakistan, their bowlers could not defend the total, despite looking as if they had the Aussies batters on the ropes. It wasn’t until Michael Hussey stepped up to the crease, that the match threatened to go down to the wire. The Aussies even needed 18 to win from the final over, but with Hussey cracking sixes, they drew level on scores with two balls to draw, setting themselves up for one of the most thrilling finishes seen in World Twenty20.

The ominous run chase completed will confirm Australia’s status as favourites in the final against England. But there is hope. England are displaying something of a great all round team spirit and capability. Why can England win the ICC World Twenty20? Well, for starters, England have e at the tournament (Kevin Pietersen 3rd with 201, Eoin Morgan 6th with 168, Kieswetter 7th with 159 and Michael Lumb 12th with 135). In the bowling department, England have generally been tight, with Graeme Swann being the 6th most prolific wicket taker in the tournament with 9 wickets, Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom have both taken 8 a piece.

England to win: 7/5 at Totesport
Australia to win: 8/13 at SkyBet

England v Sri Lanka ICC World Twenty20 Betting Preivew: England now know their ICC World Twenty20, and it is Sri Lanka who they will take on in the first semi final on Thursday. England cruised through their Super 8 group, with victories of Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand. England topped the group, setting themselves up for a real run at making the final, to some surprise as the English went into the tournament as somewhat underdogs. They were initially out at a long price, but their bold selection in brining in new faces to the team, is paying dividends as they look to be going from strength to strength in the competition. The bold selections came primarily in the form of the openers, Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb. Both South African born players, made fantastic strides with the England Lions team, and they forced themselves into the team with some impressive performances with the bat in the short format of the game.

They have injected a new pace at the top of the innings, which has made England stronger. England have always struggled in the Twenty20 format, but now they look to be a team with direction and youthful drive. With Kevin Pietersen backing them up after rediscovering his old form (until he flew home from the tournament for the birth of his child) and some continued impressive batting displays by Eoin Morgan, England, under Paul Collingwood, have looked more and more composed, and professional. Even when they have looked to be struggling at times in matches, which will invariably happen, they have showed great authority and responsibility in getting things. Unbeaten in the Super 8’s there is every chance that they could meet favourites Australia in the final, which would make for a thrilling final. Australia topped their group, and go into the second semi final on Friday against the defending champions Pakistan.

But first the challenge of Sri Lanka is on the table in the semi final for England. Sri Lanka played their way into the semi finals, courtesy of a last ball six hit by Chamara Kapugedera to beat and eliminate India from the tournament. The Sri Lankans will be no pushover, with world class players like Jayawardene, Jayasuriya, Dilshan, Sangakara and Malinga being the experienced backbone. The Sri Lankans are a thrilling cricketing side in all formats of the game, and possess some awesome batting power of their own. They have also brought in some youth to bolster their squad, and they look an accomplished all round side, capable of beating anyone. They will challenge and push England all of the way, and are keeping one of their secrets weapons under their hat. Whether potential menace and match winner, spinner Ajantha Mendis will make it into the side for the semi final or not, will be left to the last minute. Mendis is a bit of maverick with his style of different types of spin, making him a serious threat. But England’s power player will be back for the semi final, as Pietersen rejoins the squad. The only question is, how much the rush around the world will effect his performance on Thursday.

There is not  too much to chose between England and Sri Lanka in the betting, but surprising England are edging it as favourites. They are a much improved side, but Sri Lanka are a proven quantity and quality side, perhaps more accomplished all round. As for Australia, they have racked up an awesome run-rate, and look in top notch, and should beat Pakistan.

ICC World Twenty20 Semi Finals

England to win: 4/5 at Bet365
Sri Lanka to win: 11/10 at SkyBet

Australia to win: 4/9 at Bet365
Pakistan: 21/10 at SportingBet

The ICC Twenty20 cricket tournament gets underway on April the 30th, with the final being held on May 16th, spread around four grounds in the host nation of the West Indies. St Lucia, Barbados, Guyana and St Kitts/Nevis will all host matches over the course of the tournament, with England, captained by Paul Collingwood, setting up shop in Guyana for their two group matches. The tournament is formatted with a Group Stage, from which the top two from each go through to the Super 8 stage, which consists of two groups of four. The top two of each then go onto the semi finals, and the finals respectively. If there are any drawn matches during the tournament, the Super Over will come into effect with each team batting one over each to determine supremacy.

Here are the groups for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20, with a cricket betting preview for each of them:

Group A
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Australia
Pakistan won the tournament last year and are back to defend their title. Their victory was something was of a surprise, as they attended the tournament, held in England, under some adversity and lacking match practice. It is no great surprise that Pakistan has been in the headlines again for all the wrong reasons, as issues of discipline has led to all sorts of suspensions and bans from the international team. At full strength, Pakistan would be able to bring the most all round complete team to the ICC World Twenty20 party, but perhaps the adversity and scandals they have gone through this time, will be a step too far for them. They will be led by Shahid Afridi, and can still call upon some great talent, and have the best win percentage record in Twenty20 cricket, having won 75% of all of their games. Their victory in 2009 goes to show that anyone can win matches on their day, but there are of course favourites, and that crown will usually fall upon the head of Australia. The Aussies will go into the match brimming of confidence in their own ability to win. They fell short in the last tournament, somewhat famously, as they were knocked out in the group stages, and that failure to reach the Super 8’s meant that there has been something of a shake up. There is no Ricky Ponting for starters, as they Aussie Twenty20 side is captained by Michael Clarke, and they have packed the side with more specialists in the short format of the game. This should make them a lot more balanced and stronger, and the crucial fixture will of course be the one against Pakistan. After being outplayed by England during their recent tour to the subcontinent, Bangladesh will struggle against both of these nations, or at least they should. The Bangledesh side looks plucky, but without the world class talent needed to progress.
Projected Outcome: Australia, Pakistan, Bangladesh.

Group B
Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe
Sri Lanka are a great batting side, and they reached the final at Lords in 2009, where they fell short against Pakistan. They do have awesome power throughout the side and should in all honesty be one of the favourites to win the tournament, or at least makes a great each way bet. They should be able to beat New Zealand quite comfortably one would suspect, and they realistically have the third best record in International Twenty20 matches. They should comfortably get through this group, as they have pace in attack, along with quality spin, which, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori thinks will prove vital on the West Indian tracks. New Zealand struggled to make any mark against Australia in any format of the game against them recently, and on paper they are not as good as the Sri Lankans. The Kiwis are generally in the mix of things though, but always appearing to play catch up to the stronger teams ahead of them in the World standings. Group B of the ICC World Twenty20 should be something of a formality, with Sri Lanka and New Zealand coasting through. Zimbabwe, back on the international scene, caused some surprises by picking up unexpected victories over the West Indies recently, until the West Indies finally got themselves together and retaliated somewhat. Much like Bangladesh, Zimbabwe should provide awkward opposition, if not the toughest.
Projected Outcome: Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Zimbabwe
   
Group C
South Africa, India, Afghanistan
A mighty tussle in Group C for the top spot will ensue between South Africa and India. India has a lot to prove after going into last year’s tournaments as one of the expected strongest forces. That did not pan out at all, and they only average around the 50% success rate in their International Twenty20 fixtures. It is somewhat surprising given the sheer amount of talent which India has to chose from, and the inaugural winners of the ICC World Twenty20 will be looking to redeem themselves this time around. It was against Pakistan which they won the final in 2007, and they will look as nothing less than a final appearance as a failure. With the recent conclusion of the IPL, in which a lot of India’s star participate, could mean that they are sharp, or could mean they are more fatigued than other nations. South Africa are probably the team to beat in the tournament, as they hold the best ICC Twenty20 record, in terms of win percentage, despite having not won the trophy. They have won 9 out of their 11 ICC World Twenty20 matches to top the table of averages for the tournament. Much like the Aussies, they have incredible talent throughout their batting line up, and if there is a slight concern over backing them strongly, then it could be in their bowling department, which may not be quite as strong and diverse as some of the other teams. Afghanistan take their place in the finals amongst the big boys, thanks to a great qualification tournament, in which they won a headline grabbing match against the USA. They reached the finals of the qualification tournament along with Ireland, the reward for each being given a place in the ICC World Twenty20 finals. They are insistent that they are not there to make up the numbers, but it will be one of the biggest shocks in cricket if they manage to qualify from a group with South Africa and India in it.
Projected Outcome: South Africa, India, Afghanistan

Group D
West Indies, England, Ireland
England should win this group with ease, but we all know that they are not the most proficient team in the short format of the game. They have lost more Twenty20 matches than they have won since entering the International world of the format, and they famously lost against the Netherlands in the group stage of last year’s tournament. The England side has taken on a much different shape now though, with something of a fearless opening pairing leading the way. Craig Kieswetter and Michael Lumb have played their way through the ranks of the England Lions to stake their claims for their full international spots. Paul Collingwood leads the way, and primary bowler Stuart Broad is confident that England can go deep into the tournament and win it. It is quite an exciting England line up actually, with Kieswetter, Lumb, Pietersen, Morgan in the batting line up, with Ravi Bopara knocking on the door to pay England back for some pretty disappointing performances for his country. Bopara performed very well in the recent IPL. The England selectors have taken three spinners with them (Graeme Swann, Michael Yardy and James Tredwell) which could definitely gives them an edge in the bowling department. After breezing past Bangladesh in the format recently, it should at least give them some kind of confidence going into the tournament, and if they are going to be genuine challengers for the trophy, then they should not face any hassles against the West Indies or Ireland. The West Indies have been struggling for any kind of foothold on the World stage for sometime, after being destroyed by Australia and losing matches to Zimbabwe. Ireland, who qualified strongly through the qualification tournament would dearly love a victory against England, but they could pose problems to the West Indies.
Projected Outcome: England, West Indies Ireland

England Group Stage Schedule
 
Mon 03 17:30 GMT
West Indies (8/11 at Ladbrokes) v England (Evens at Ladbrokes)
Providence Stadium, Guyana

Tue 04 17:30 GMT
England (1/9 at Ladbrokes) v Ireland (5/1 at Paddy Power)
Providence Stadium, Guyana

ICC World Twenty20 Outright Betting
Australia: 7/2 at Bet365
India: 9/2 at SkyBet
South Africa: 5/1 at Blue Square
Sri Lanka: 6/1 at Totesport
England: 10/1 at Coral
West Indies: 10/1 at Bet365
Pakistan: 12/1 at Boylesports
New Zealand: 12/1 at William Hill
Bangladesh: 66/1 at SkyBet
Zimbabwe: 300/1 at Victor Chandler
Ireland: 500/1 at Ladbrokes
Afghanistan: 750/1 at Bet365

The Final of the 2010 IPL Season will culminate in Sunday’s showdown between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Chennai ran out comfortable winners of the Deccan Chargers in the second semi final, largely helped by Australian bowler Doug Bollinger, who notched up great figures of 4-13, after posting a total of 142-7 in the first innings. Not a great total, but all things considered after a rocky start, it was challenging enough, and proved more than comfortable in the end, as Bollinger’s efforts with the ball, restricted Deccan’s chase to just 104 all out in the nineteenth over. Deccan would have been expected to have chased down Chennai’s average total, as they have looked strong and powerful throughout the tournament, but the Super Kings bowlers put paid to that. The Deccan openers Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs didn’t help their own cause though, as they were far to cautious in the swinging conditions, putting pressure on themselves.

In the first semi final, the Mumbai Indians put on a fine batting display, as they put up 184-5, with Saurabh Tiwary top scoring with 52 not out, to beat Kevin Pietersen’s Bangalore Royal Challengers. Mumbai batted first and stood at 107 after 15 Overs, and then went run crazy in their last five Over to post a challenging total. Bangalore, who were probably one of the heaviest hitters in the competition couldn’t match that final onslaught. The scores actually stood even after 15 Overs in their run chase, but with more wickets down, they could only post a total of 149 under pressure. There is doubt over whether Sachin Tendulkar will appear in the final for Mumbai Indians, as the great man injured his right hand in the semi final.

IPL Cricket Final
Chennai Super Kings to win: 6/5 at Totesport
Mumbai Indians to win: 17/20 at SportingBet

Mumbai Indians: P14, W10, L4, Net RR +1.084
Chennai Super Kings: P14, W8, D6, Net RR+0.274

2010 IPL Meetings
Mumbai Indians won by 5 Wickets
Chennai Super Kings won by 24 Runs

Third/Fourth Place PlayOff
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 8/11 at BetFred
Deccan Chargers: 6/5 at SkyBet

The England cricket team will make their way to the West Indies for the ICC World Twenty20 tournament by plane after all. There was much discussion about England having to do something like go around the world in eight days or something in order for them to get to their base ahead of the tournament. This was all due to the volcanic ash which grounded European flights after the eruption in Iceland, but England were cleared for take off on Sunday to fly directly to the Caribbean for the exciting tournament. All the talk of alternative travel plans over land and sea in order to get to Dubai to fly from there, have been bowled for a duck, as England revert to their original tour itinerary.

The only travel plans left for England to figure out now, is getting their players there from the IPL league, which includes captain Paul Collingwood. Some of the English players in the Indian Premier League are expected to join up with the main squad before they depart on Sunday, but the likes of Kevin Pietersen may just have to make his own way there, as he has an IPL match on Sunday. Anyway, the good news for the Barmy Army is that all of the players will turn up as expected, and England will warm up for the cricket tournament, by playing a couple of warm up games. First they take on Bangladesh next week, followed by a tougher test against South Africa.

England’s first match of the ICC World Twenty 20 is against hosts West Indies on May 3. Paul Collingwood’s team, which could lean towards some of the raw talent which has come through the ranks of the England Lions team, are one of the rank outsiders for the tournament, given their poor history in the Twenty20 format. However, there have been encouraging signs with the emergence of Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan and Craig Kieswetter with the bat, and they could ultimately prove to be one of the really good bets for the tournament, purely in the guise of being a dark horse. England’s other group opponents are Ireland, who had to come through a qualifying tournament to make the main event, but are already in the Caribbean getting ready for their adventure.

You can find early odds on both of England’s friendly matches at Betting Exchange BetFair.

ICC World Twenty20 Outright Betting Prices
Australia: 7/2 at Bet365
South Africa: 9/2 at SkyBet
India: 5/1 at Blue Square
Sri Lanka: 6/1 at Sporting Bet
West Indies: 10/1 at Bet365
Pakistan: 10/1 at Boylesports
England: 12/1 at 888sport
New Zealand: 14/1 at Stan James
Bangladesh: 66/1 at Skybet
Zimbabwe: 250/1 at Bet365
Ireland: 500/1 at Expekt
Afghanistan: 1000/1 at Coral

England are Evens at Sporting Bet to win Group D
England are Evens at Ladbrokes to beat West Indies in their opening ICC World Twenty20 Fixture

ICC World Twenty20 Cricket Betting Preview: England have announced their cricket squad for the forthcoming ICC World Twenty20 and two names are notable by their absence. The selectors have omitted Alastair Cook, who captained England on the recent successful tour of Bangladesh, while established wicketkeeper Matt Prior has also been left out. The tournament, which is being held in the West Indies, starts at the end of April, and England look to have been quite bold in some of their selections. The rise and rise of opening batsman Craig Kieswetter has meant that Prior will take a back seat, as the South African born Kieswetter will also take the gloves as the only recognised wicketkeeper in the 15 man squad. There is no place for specialist keeper James Foster either, who has been repeatedly on the fringes of cementing a place in the senior squad.

Cook has admittedly been working hard on the shorter format of the game, but still, he is not seen as a specialist in the Twenty20 format. While that has been a bitter pill for both players, they have both respectful of the players coming in to do jobs in their place. While Kieswetter has been explosive, making a century against Bangladesh in the ODI series, exciting opening Lions partner Michael Lumb also earns himself a place. Lumb has the perfect balance of aggression with the bat for opening in Twenty20, and can also offer controlled options with his left arm spin. Left hander Lumb is currently proving his Twenty20 worth with the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. The IPL is also the scene of an increase in form from Ravi Bopara, who looked out of place for England for most of last year in all formats. Bopara has been putting bat to ball with some aplomb for the King’s XI Punjab.

In the bowling department, James Anderson has been selected after missing the Bangladesh tour through injury, as has Ryan Sidebottom. Ajmal Shahzad brings his pace to the side after debuting for England on the Bangladesh tour, and Tim Bresnan, after continuously good work, earns his Twenty20 place. England have selected a heavy bowling attack, and they have plenty of options for the tournament, which may need some quality spin on the slower Caribbean tracks. Stuart Broad and all-rounder Luke Wright gives England good depth with the bat as well, and it looks to be an exciting, versatile and strong fielding side.

Paul Collingwood will captain the side in the Caribbean, while other England players left out along with Cook and Prior, are Owais Shah, Jonathan Trott and Joe Denly. Batsman Michael Yardy gets a surprise call up, and again provides some spinning options when needed, with James Tredwell and Graeme Swann in as the spinners. With Kevin Pietersen looking as if he is rediscovering some of his form in Bangladesh, the inclusion of short format specialists, Eoin Morgan, Kieswetter and Lumb look to be the backbone of a potentially explosive batting line up. It has been the performances of the England Lions team which has been far more promising than what the senior side has produced in Twenty20 in recent times, and England will look to carry good momentum and individual form into the competition. England have been drawn alongside hosts West Indies and qualifiers Ireland in their group stage.

England ICC World Twenty20 Squad
James Anderson, Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Stuart Broad, Paul Collingwood (cpt), Craig Kieswetter (wk), Michael Lumb, Eoin Morgan, Kevin Pietersen, Ajmal Shahzad, Ryan Sidebottom, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy.

England are 12/1 at Boylesports to Win the ICC World Twenty20
England are Evens at SportingBet to Win Group D
Kevin Pietersen is 17/2 at BetFair to be Top Batsman
Craig Kieswetter is 21/2 at BetFair to be Top Batsman
England are 5/6 at Ladbrokes to beat West Indies in Group D Match
England are 1/10 at Paddy Power to beat Ireland in Group D Match

Bangladesh v England second cricket test betting preview. England have received good news ahead of the second test against Bangladesh, with most experienced bowler Stuart Broad being past fit. England went with just four bowlers in the first test, which meant that there was a lot of work to do on a very flat and unresponsive pitch. Spinner Graeme Swann stole the show taking a ten-fer and that could lead to a place in the team for other spinner James Tredwell to make an appearance to ease the burden. Broad took four wickets in the first test, as part of a four pronged attack with Swann, Finn and Bresnan. In a relatively inexperienced attack, the pitch did not do any bowlers any particular favours, but England won the match by 181 runs after stand in captain Alastair Cook, Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen dominated the first innings with the bat.

The odds are with England sticking with four bowlers though instead of going for five, and that means Tredwell could just replace Steven Finn who picked up only one wicket on his Test debut. England are without senior bowlers James Anderson, Graham Onions and Ryan Sidebottom and that has opened the door for others to step up and shine. Bangladesh are no the toughest opposition that England will face this year, and that gives England some wiggle room to change things up in terms of team selection. England do favour just one spin bowler so it will be a departure for them to go with two, but with Swann having the biggest impact in the subcontinent, it could influence a change.

Another victory for England would complete a full whitewash of Bangladesh on the tour. After this tour, England will be at home for the rest of the year until they next travel abroad to face Australia in the Ashes tour. How big a test this has been for England is debatable, but it has been more of an exercise in getting players like Pietersen back into top form, as well as blooding some new talent in the likes of Tredwell and Carberry. One thing the tour has highlighted is that England are lacking a genuine all rounder in the mould of Freddie Flintoff, which would cover the position of fifth bowler. Luke Wright has been trying to fill the role, but there is not place in the Test team for him, and since his retirement from test level, England have not been able to replace the big man. Whichever line up England go with, probably a 7 batsman and 4 bowlers line up as usual, they will be strong favourites to win. Bangladesh’s highlight was being stubborn on the fourth day when the pitch was dead for the England bowlers, and held up England’s victory.

England to win: 1/3 at Stan James
Draw: 4/1 at Bet365
Bangladesh to win: 14/1 at Boylesports

Top England Batsman
Alastair Cook – 7/2 at Totesport
Kevin Pietersen – 7/2 at SkyBet
Jonathan Trott – 11/2 at ExtraBet
Paul Collingwood – 11/2 at Boylesports
Michael Carberry – 11/2 at Blue Square

All the cricket betting attention turns towards the One Day action in New Zealand, as the Black Caps look to take down their old foes Australia in a prospectively thrilling five match series. The two sides produced an edge-of-the-seat thriller in the second of two Twenty20 Internationals, needing a Super Over (equivalent of a football penalty shoot out) to decide the winner, after both teams had finished level on runs. The Kiwis won that one with a cracking performance from Brendon McCullum over all on the day, tying the series at one a piece.

If you are looking for betting strategies beyond the match and series outrights, Kiwi bowler Tim Southee is one to watch out for, as he looks sharp at the moment, and in line to be New Zealand’s top performer with the ball in the One Day series. There are two Test Matches between the nations to follow after the five One Day International encounters. The series stars in Napier, which, historically has been a happy hunting ground for batsmen, with some heavy scoring on the pitch.

New Zealand have won just 13 of 41 One Day International matches against Australia on home turf, and the Australians look to have the firm upper hand again. Australia are looking their normal formidable selves over their summer, with triumphs against Pakistan and the West Indies. New Zealand will be firm underdogs in the series, despite being on a bit of a winning streak themselves in ODI. They thrashed Bangladesh 3-0 recently, but of course, facing a quality Australia is a whole different prospect.

For the Kiwis to win, they need the likes of Brendon McCullum to consistently spark, and they have drafted Scott Styris back into the team to add some weight and stability to the batting. The Black Caps will also need to keep the bowling tight. For that, Southee, captain Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond will have an enormous task against the big hitting Aussies. But trying to cage Australian batsmen, is one of the toughest jobs in the cricketing world. After retiring from international Twenty20, Australia welcome back Ricky Ponting to the side to make for a powerful batting line up, alongside the likes of Michael Clarke, Shane Watson and Cameron White.

New Zealand v Australian First ODI Outright
Australia to win: 2/5 at Blue Square
New Zealand to win: 11/5 at Bet365

ODI Series Outright Betting (Five Matches)
Australia – 1/4 at Bet365
New Zealand – 3/1 at Totesport

Alastair Cook, who is leading England at the moment on the tour of Bangladesh at the moment, was dealt a blow as he was left out of the England Twenty20 Squad for the ICC Twenty20. While only the provisional squad has been named, the England opener’s name was not one of the thirty, and is something of high profile omission. This is somewhat of surprise, as Cook’s form, which was under some debate for most of 2009, has picked up dramatically, with his scoring heavily and regularly with the bat during the tour of the UAE and Bangladesh, both in Twenty20 and One Day Internationals.

England have named five newcomers to the full international Twenty20 fold, with four spinners and one batsman looking to earn spots in the team at the tournament. Bowlers Steven Finn, Peter Trego, Chris Woakes and David Wainwright have been drafted, along with another South African born batsman, Michael Lumb. Whoever makes the final 15 will be under the captaincy of England stalwart Paul Collingwood, who keeps going and going, and still delivering for his nation, in all formats of the game. Collingwood remains one of the most decidated cricketers to the England cause, never seemingly taking a break from international cricket.

Perhaps this is not as much of a knock on Cook’s confidence as it may first appear to be. To be fair he has not really excelled at the Twenty20 game, looking more of a patient player. But his form at the moment, may just have seen him turn the corner in both of the shorter formats of the game, and there will be time, if he continues his fine form, to make his mark on the international Twenty20 scene. The young players being called into the provisional squad, have been looking impressive and making strides with the England Lions, and Craig Kieswetter showed that breaking into the full England team can be done.

Someone who may be missing from the ICC Twenty20, which begins at the end of April, is Kevin Pietersen, who could be away on paternity leave, during the crucical stages of the tournament. England are in a three team group along with hosts West Indies and qualifier Ireland. England’s first match of the tournament is against Ireland on May 1st, something which former Ireland star Eoin Morgan will be looking forward too, as he continues to impress for England with the bat.

England’s tour of Bangladesh continues, with the visitors holding on to their unbeaten record against the sub-continent nation. Eoin Morgan came to the rescue in the second of three ODI’s, with a cracking 110 scored from 104 balls, which saw England home. Paul Collingwood was the stand out performer with the bat in the first match of the series, in which England started as strong favourites to win. With series now secured, England will look to head into the Test Match series against Bangladesh with a 100% record.

Bangladesh vs. England Third ODI Outright Betting
England to win: 1/4 at Boylesports
Bangladesh to win: 4/1 at Bet365

ICC World Twenty20 Outright Betting
Australia – 9/2 at Totesport
South Africa – 9/2 at SkyBet
India – 5/1 at Ladbrokes
Sri Lanka – 6/1 at Boylesports
Pakistan – 7/1 at Blue Square
West Indies – 12/1 at 888Sport
England – 12/1 at Boylesports
Bangladesh – 80/1 at Bwin
Zimbabwe – 300/1 at Victor Chandler
Ireland – 500/1 at Bet365
Afghanistan – 1000/1 at Ladbrokes

England head into the second of three one day internationals against Bangladesh, with their unbeaten record still in tact. Bangladesh fired themselves into a strong position at the start of the first ODI, with a thrashing 125 from opener Tamim Iqbal. It was a feisty start, which looked as if England might be under the cosh a bit, but once the England bowlers improved around the 10 over mark, there looked to be only one winner. Needing a target of 229 to win, Bangladesh’s bowlers never really put the England batsmen under enough pressure.

Stand in captain Alastair Cook, with Andrew Strauss resting back home, hit another fine knock. He scored regularly to reach 64 from 68 balls, and the experience of Paul Collingwood guided the England crew home with a fine 75 off 100 balls. New boy Craig Kieswetter hit a rapid 19 off 26, before being stumped. Kieswetter’s inclusion came at the expense of Joe Denly after all, and not fellow wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

There may well have been calls, and justifiable ones to include two spinners in the attack, with James Tredwell awaiting his chance at full international level. But only front line spinner Graham Swann was selected, and enjoyed the conditions in the sub-continent, taking 3-32. England used a total of seven bowlers, which may highlight the fact that there is room for improvement, especially in the front line pace attack. Still, England look strong and will have to face some more spin in the second ODI on Tuesday.

Second One Day International
England to win: 3/6 at Bwin
Bangladesh to win: 5/1 at BetFred

Series Outright
England to win: 1/66 at Totesport
Bangladesh to win: 20/1 at Bet365