Two matches feature in The Hundred on Thursday, including the big evening clash between Oval Invincibles and Southern Brave – Richard Mann provides his preview.
Cricket betting tips: The Hundred
2pts Dawid Malan top Oval Invincibles batsman at 100/30 (bet365)
It’s the big one in The Hundred on Thursday, with the top two teams in the league table, Southern Brave and Oval Invincibles, locking horns at 6.30pm, UK time.
Invincibles, champions last year, are 4-5 so far this term having pulled off a heist against Manchester Originals on Tuesday, and they have the tournament’s in-form performer in Sam Curran who comes into this with back-to-back fifties to his name to go with his 11 wickets for the season.
Throw Australians Adam Zampa and Spencer Johnson into the mix, along with the likes of Dawid Malan and England new boy Jordan Cox, and this looks a serious outfit once again. Followers of these pages are already with Invincibles outright at 4/1, and I’m in agreement with them being chalked up as match favourites here.
But Brave are a very fine side in their own right, and this bowling attack is very tasty, headed by Jofra Archer who is ably backed up by the experienced Chris Jordan, Craig Overton and West Indies spinner Akeal Hosein.
In James Vince, Brave have the competition’s leading runscorer who has just peeled off scores of 90 not out and 73 not out. Add Leus du Plooy, Laurie Evans and Kieron Pollard to the list, and the batting certainly compliments the excellent bowling.
It’s worth saying that the pitch at the Oval hasn’t quite been the batsman’s paradise we can usually expect here, but it hasn’t been a minefield either, so we should be set for a cracking contest between bat and ball and two good sides.
Sky Bet are again sticking their neck out by going 11/4 for Vince in the top Brave batsman market, but it’s a big ask to expect him to win this market three times in a row.
It’s been a largely underwhelming start to the season for DAWID MALAN, but he’s still the second highest scoring Invincibles batsman after Curran this term, and he did come into this tournament hot from a fruitful run in the T20 Blast.
Malan remains a class act and ultimately, the push on his price which means he can now be backed at 100/30 in the top Invincibles batsman market is hard to resist.
The key factor here is conditions. The Oval, though not quite as flat this year, always offers decent pace and good carry – conditions in which Malan revels – while Brave's attack is full of quick bowlers, another area of strength for the silky left-hander.
Malan has always played quick bowling well – the chief reason why he was recalled for the last Ashes tour of Australia, having made a century at Perth on the previous one – and his last ODI innings on this ground saw him make a very good 96 against New Zealand in September.
I suspect that is one of the main reasons why Invincibles axed Jason Roy at the last Player Draft, preferring to bring in Malan to open the innings.
With lots seemingly in his favour, then, and 100/30 available, Malan looks the bet.
Earlier on Thursday, Northern Superchargers bid to get back on track when travelling to face Welsh Fire in Cardiff, 3.00pm, UK time start.
Having correctly predicted that Ben Stokes would open the batting on his return to the Superchargers XI on Tuesday, we got no run for our money when 9/1 betting slips went up in flames with a first ball dismissal.
With the secret out, 4/1 is the best we’ll get now, so I won’t be getting involved, nor too with Fire who have looked a very poor outfit so far.
Posted at 1445 BST on 07/08/24
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