The first cricket match of 2018 sees New Zealand taking on West Indies in the second T20 of three. This match comes from Mount Maunganui and gives the home side the chance to win the series with a game to spare after their won the first match convincingly.
West Indies so far have absolutely nothing to show for their efforts on this tour so they should be eager to win these final two matches so they can hold their heads up a little higher when they get back home.
New Zealand
A much changed New Zealand side put up a very good performance in the opening game and if the personnel on show can do the same here you would think they would have a very good chance of taking down this second match as well. They are set to be stronger player wise in this match too which should help them.
Even though they lost an early wicket in Nelson, New Zealand kept on attacking with the bat and a flurry at the end of their innings saw them up to a total they never looked like failing to defend. They got rid of Chris Gayle in the early stages of West Indies’ innings and from there they definitely were not going to lose.
West Indies
Up until the final over of the innings with the ball, West Indies could be forgiven for thinking they were right in the game in that first match but then they imploded in six balls and were never really in the hunt with the bat despite a strong enough batting line up to chase down even an above par total overall.
If West Indies are going to get back into this series then they are going to have to make a significant improvement with the bat and they will need their senior players to stand up and be counted. They played spin horribly and some of their dismissals were amateurish and they certainly can’t afford that to happen again.
Team News
Kane Williamson will return for New Zealand in this match after being rested for the last couple of matches. He will replace Ross Taylor who was only included in the first game of the series. Lockie Ferguson is pushing for a place in the side.
West Indies need to do something about their batting which may well mean bringing Shimron Hetmyer into the side. Kesrick Williams’ final over could make him vulnerable with Sheldon Cottrell waiting in the wings.
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Betting
If West Indies are at their best then there is no doubt they are the value in this match but they look like a beaten side, especially with the bat right now so even at the prices it is hard to back them. New Zealand are too short given the danger that the tourists potentially offer so it is to the side markets I go for a bet.
The side market in question is the player performances with Carlos Brathwaite being the one I am most interested in. His line is 34.5 and given the three dimensional nature of his play I think that is more than achievable. In the first match he took two wickets, two catches and scored 21 runs which should have been more but for a mishit when trying to clear the boundary. That made up 81pts in all.
As captain he needs to lead from the front both with the bat and the ball and as skipper he’ll be in the better fielding positions. It should all add up to him going beyond 34.5pts over the course of the match.
Tips
VOID – Back C.Brathwaite’s Performance – Over 34.5pts for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Bet365
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