If there were any doubts about how tough New Zealand would come at Australia, they were quashed in the first ODI at Auckland. The comprehensive win for the hosts puts more pressure on the visitors. Fortunately we favoured the Kiwis to win the first ODI as we head to the second ODI at Wellington on Saturday February 6th.
New Zealand always punches above its weight and the performance at Eden Park was a sample of that. There were runs from everyone with Marin Guptill leading the pack as they raked a total in excess of 300. The rare duck from Kane Williamson didn’t have an impact as Henry Nicholls performed well to anchor the middle order.
If the batsmen showed how to master the short boundaries at Eden Park, the bowlers showed how to master the conditions. They made light of the absence of Tim Southee as Trent Boult and Matt Henry ripped through the top order. Before they knew what hit them, the game was over for the Aussies. The winning margin of 159 runs looked almost respectable because of the lusty blows late in the innings otherwise it could have been even worse for Australia.
It was a collective failure from the Aussies – a rare one, but they will hope to quickly recover to push the series to the decider. Leaving out Usman Khawaja was a surprise and a mistake as the left-hander looked prolific whenever he got on the field over the summer – irrespective of the format. He now comes into the side for the second ODI in place of Shaun Marsh but could he be the saviour they are after?
The inexperience of the bowling unit was exposed by the rampant Kiwis as Australia struggled for consistency. It was only John Hastings who provided some control for Steve Smith while Mitchell Marsh chipped with some wickets. The loss of James Faulkner for this game will expose them further, especially at the death overs. Adam Zampa gets a look-in and is a good option with his leg-spinners.
Smith and his squad are proud of their record and wouldn’t want to lose the series. Expect them to come hard at the hosts and win the match at odds of $2.00 at Sportsbet.
Hard to go against Usman Khawaja for Australia’s best batsman at $3.75 at Sportsbet with his incredible run of form, while John Hastings has been Australia’s best bowler recently and looks a good price at $4.00 at Sportsbet.
For the hosts, Martin Guptill will once again lead the way at the top of the order at $3.75 at Sportsbet for the most runs for the Kiwis. Trent Boult continues to be the tormenter with his swing so happy to back him for most wickets for New Zealand at $3.75 at Sportsbet.
Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
