The Mzansi Super League suffered a washout which muddied the waters for a number of sides on Thursday, but there is no such issues forecast on Friday when the Cape Town Blitz take on the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants at Newlands.
We are running out of matches in the regular season which means that each game counts from here on in, and for the Cape Town Blitz this is near enough win or their season is over. The Bay Giants will be guaranteed a playoff spot should they come out on top.
Cape Town Blitz
The Cape Town Blitz ended a losing run at just the right time in their last match against the Tshwane Spartans, but they are pretty much playing knockout cricket from here on in given the way results have gone this term. Their overall form has been a concern this season, but they have shown they have the ability to beat anyone when they are at their best, so they need to find a way to be at the optimum more often.
Really and truly we have seen that the bowlers for the Blitz need to come to the party and get the job done for them. In truth, they have looked a batsman light all tournament so the likes of Dale Steyn, Wahab Riaz and Vernon Philander has to come to the party. Cape Town only have three men with more than 100 runs to their name so if any of them fail, it could well leave them vulnerable to the better sides.
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Nelson Mandela Bay Giants
The Nelson Mandela Bay Giants head into this match on top of the table and they will all but be straight into the final should they come out on top in Cape Town. They have already won a high scoring contest against the Blitz this term, which should give them plenty of confidence heading into this match. They might need their batsmen to deliver the goods here too because only Jozi Stars have been kept under 160 by the Bay Giants bowlers this term.
That is something that might have to change if the Bay Giants are to win the tournament, but if they can win here and secure top spot then they will only need one more good batting display to get their hands on the title, unlike a couple of these competitions which have pretty convoluted postseason systems. They certainly have the bowling talent to deliver the goods so it is up to them to get the job done now.
Betting
I’m tempted by the odds against on the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants but I’m not sure whether I want to trust their bowling attack or not. My gut instinct says I shouldn’t trust it. That said though, I’m not convinced I like the Cape Town Blitz, in fact I don’t really like them at all so the match betting doesn’t really inspire me into anything. That means I’ll head to the side markets for a bet I this contest.
I’m going with the runs in this match. Nelson Mandela Bay Giants have only kept the Jozi Stars below 160 this season so the 319.5 runs line looks a touch on the low side. Jozi Stars haven’t even looked like winning a match yet so I think we can disengage that as a form guide. Cape Town have been involved in some high scoring games themselves and the must win nature of this one could see teams packing their batting on a good pitch. I expect to see 320 runs here and a fair few more.
Tips
WON – Back Over 319.5 runs for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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