WEDNESDAY T20 WORLD CUP: The Edge previews Sri Lanka v New Zealand with a recommended BETDAQ bet.
Sri Lanka v New Zealand
MATCH OVERVIEW:
The T20 World Cup Super 8 continues on Betdaq Exchange on Wednesday as Sri Lanka take on New Zealand. Surely we’re going to have a packed house in Colombo as the stakes really couldn’t be much higher for the home side. Sri Lanka’s Super 8 campaign has started disastrously. They were beaten comprehensively by England on Sunday at Pallekele, that means they find themselves in a situation now where every game is a must win game to survive. They have had much luck against England lately – they extended what is now a twelve game losing streak against England in T20Is. They’ll be hoping for better luck against New Zealand!
New Zealand, meanwhile, will be hoping for better weather! They come in off the back of a washed-out game against Pakistan on Saturday – the game was abandoned without a ball bowled, and while it doesn’t put them under as much pressure as Sri Lanka, it’s not an ideal situation to be in. In classic Kiwi fashion, they haven’t made any fuss about much at this World Cup – they progressed nicely through the Group stage and have ticked most of their boxes. They might get outclassed at some stage, but surely that win for South Africa against India at the weekend gave e=nearly every side more hope that they can actually win the tournament! They look well-balanced and they know exactly what they need to do here.
Sri Lanka haven’t been a force in T20 cricket for a while now; they have consistently come up short against the top sides. On paper, it was a surprise that they beat Australia at the Group stage, even in their own conditions. This is effectively a must-win for Sri Lanka – lose here and they are out.
WEATHER AND PITCH WATCH:
We’re back in Colombo; obviously Sri Lanka will know conditions at every ground in their home country very well, but they’ve already played here twice in the tournament whereas this is New Zealand’s first. The first innings scores here this tournament have been 163/6 (won), 182/6 (won), 169/2 (won), 175/7 (won), and then Zimbabwe chased down Sri Lanka’s 178/7 in the final group game. I would have said it was a massive advantage to bat first here, but obviously Zimbabwe put that opinion down a little in the last game! It does slow down as the game goes on, so spinners can still play a role in the middle overs; obviously have to watch for dew as that makes chasing easier. Weather in Sri Lanka has been a worry throughout this tournament; it goes without saying to keep a very close eye on the radar. Sri Lankan weather can change very quickly.
RECOMMENDED BET:
New Zealand are the favourites here and it’s not hard to see why. They have more balance, they’ve had a better tournament, and they are coming into this game with no real negatives. Sri Lanka were put in their place by England at the weekend – I suppose we’ve known for a while now that they haven’t been a top T20 side. This is a must win home game for Sri Lanka, they will have the crowd behind them, but I still feel that the 1.68 on New Zealand is worth a small bet. New Zealand feel like the better side right now, have a stronger squad and I’m happy to back them at the odds.
The Edge Says:
One point win New Zealand to beat Sri Lanka at 1.68 with Betdaq Exchange
View the market here -> https://betdaq.biz/WCSrNe
IN-RUNNING STRATEGY:
As always in Sri Lanka, keep an eye on the weather radar. There’s always an angle around a rain interruption, we’ll just have to play that as it comes. Given how the pitch plays here and the fact their bowlers are far more threatening than their batting has looked in the Super 8s, I do not want to see Sri Lanka chasing. I would have said batting first was a massive edge here before the Zimbabwe win over Sri Lanka – they were always in control of the chase too. Dew will be a major factor to monitor as the night goes on in that regard. If there’s no dew, then I’d heavily favour the side who bats first.
