Australia will be looking to get off to a good start in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy this Friday when they take on New Zealand in their opening match. If you haven’t checked out our tournament preview and tips yet, you can see them here.
The dust has settled on a lengthy IPL campaign and now Steve Smith’s men will be chomping at the bit to get out on the field after what seems like an eternity since the Australian national team have played at a competitive level.
The number one question heading into their opener against the Kiwi’s will be the selection committee’s decision on the batting line-up. Naturally, Steve Smith and David Warner will assume their positions at the top order but apart from them, the rest of the top six is at the moment, up in the air. Both Smith and Warner had ridiculous tournaments in the IPL and will look to bring their great form into the Champions Trophy.
TIP: Steve Smith top AUS run scorer - $5 at Sportsbet
Aaron Finch, Chris Lynn, Glen Maxwell, Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis will compete for the remaining four spots in the top six, with Stoinis looking likely to be the unlucky one to have the first stint on the bench. Depending on weather the selectors opt for a spinning of seaming all-rounder could be the difference between Head/Maxwell or Stoinis, but either way, the Australia’s will boast one of the most formidable batting line-ups at the tournament.
Matthew Wade will bat at seven and resume the keeping duties while the bowling unit will be spearheaded by Mitch Starc. Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson will be in the mix for the remaining two pace options while Adam Zampa is the lone spinner in the squad.
It begs one question for the Aussies, what to do with John Hastings? The bowling all rounder was at one point a top 10 ranked bowler in the ODI format, and could give Australia a ridiculous amount of batting depth if they choose to play him instead of one of their front line quicks. However, Pat Cummins and Mitch Starc have both shown their capability with the bat throughout the Big Bash and Australian ODI and Test summer, so Australia will likely go for Option A here.
On the other side of the ball, New Zealand also boast one of the stronger batting line-ups at the tournament. Their #4 ODI ranking is backed up by the deadly trio of Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor, who are all ranked in the top 20 ODI batsmen in the world. New Zealand’s problem is that they fall away quite quickly after those three. Neil Broom and Tom Latham are capable of pitching in but they will likely need a hundred from one of their big three to win on most days.
TIP: Kane Williamson top NZ run scorer - $3.60 at Ladbrokes
New Zealand’s bowling unit, on the other hand, is world class from top to bottom. Tim Southee recently returned from an extended period out of the game due to injury and will compete at the tournament while spearhead Trent Boult is one of the premier fast bowlers in the world. They are supported by the likes of Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry.
Australia will enter the match as $1.50 favourites, and for good reason. Since their ICC World Cup victory in 2015, the Aussies have barely put a foot wrong in the ODI format winning 8 of their 11 series with one of the losses coming in South Africa with a 2nd XI team.
We saw Australia get the upper hand over New Zealand in the World Cup Final, but since then, New Zealand have actually won 2/3 ODI series against Australia. While their top three are capable of beating anyone in the world, New Zealand’s depth after that worries me. Mitchell Starc is the master of taking a wicket in the first five overs and if they were to lose Guptill or Williamson early, it would almost be curtains for the Kiwis. Can’t look past the Aussies here.
TIP: Australia to win - $1.50 at Sportsbet
Always Gamble Responsibly.
