Australia came back from the brink to secure a dramatic two-wicket victory in the Chappell-Hadlee trophy opener at Cazaly's Stadium on Tuesday night. Both teams struggled to score runs in the first of three matches and will be forced to reconsider their strategies heading into the second day/night encounter. However, there is little time to spare, with the first ball of Game 2 between Australia and New Zealand to be bowled at 2:20pm on Thursday.
Josh Nevett takes a close look at the contest with his free preview and cricket betting tips below.
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Australia vs New Zealand 2nd ODI Preview & Betting Tips
Cazaly's Stadium, Cairns, Thursday September 8th, 2:20pm
Squads
Australia: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Trent Boult, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson (c)
Match Preview
As expected, Tuesday proved that this short and sharp series will be tightly contested and filled with big moments.
New Zealand looked a certainty to win Game 1 when they had Australia 5/44 chasing 232, however the decision of the Aussie selectors to pick a long batting lineup paid off, as developing stars Alex Carey (85) and Cameron Green (89*) rescued the match. Despite the epic comeback, there is now further pressure on the Australian top order to perform, with Aaron Finch in the firing line. The struggling leader managed just 5 before falling to Trent Boult and this series could be his last if there is no turnaround in form.
Speaking of Boult, he was the standout for the Black Caps with the ball, taking 4/40 as the spearhead of a refreshed pace attack. Matt Henry was solid alongside him, but the Kiwis will be looking for more from the third, fourth and fifth bowling options. It appears as if the Cairns pitch will offer something for both seamers and spinners, so expect a better performance from the NZ tweakers in this one. Australia has no such concerns with their bowling ranks. Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood were deadly accurate with the new ball before Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell did the damage through the middle of the innings. Maxwell’s 4/52 effort positions him as a genuine second spin option for the rest of this series, and beyond, and gives the selectors confidence that an eight-batter team can work heading into upcoming major tournaments.
This second match will be won with the bat, in my opinion. Which side can master the conditions and put pressure on the opposition?
While New Zealand put up a good showing in Game 1, they still have not won an ODI down under in many years and don’t look to have the depth required to combat Australia’s firepower. As such, I’ll back the home side to go 2-0 up.
Prop Bets
Finch was unable to stop the rot in Game 1, falling for 5 to the masterful swing bowling of Trent Boult. I expect that the day/night format could continue to highlight flaws in his technique if Australia bat under lights. Given that Finch hasn’t hit his 24.5 run line in four innings over the last fortnight, it makes sense to play the unders here.
Aaron Finch Under 24.5 runs $1.83 (Ladbrokes)
Hazlewood has worked himself into top form up in Queensland, taking six wickets in his last two matches. Assuming Australia don’t tinker too much with their bowling lineup, the ‘Hoff’ should continue to get opportunities to take wickets at both the start and end of the innings, so I’m happy to back him for two or more on Thursday.
Josh Hazlewood Over 1.5 wickets $1.83 (Ladbrokes)
