Cricket tips: England v Sri Lanka
2pts No fifty in the match at 6/1 (bet365)
England’s cricketers are back on white-ball duty this week, beginning a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in Southampton on Tuesday (18:30).
In the dying embers of the summer, when the weather has most definitely turned following the hottest on record in the United Kingdom, it feels odd to be switching codes again after the conclusion of the recent Test series with Pakistan.
If it feels disjointed, it’s because it is, and Harry Brook’s side will need to adapt quickly and summon a September push before they can finally take a break.
We shouldn’t forget, The Hundred came before that recent Test series with Pakistan, which preceded India’s white-ball tour, which in turn preceded the New Zealand Test series. It's been a busy few months for Brook and co.
Plenty of fresh faces return for this format, of course, but there could be an end to season vibe about this series, and the ODI one that follows.
That’s not to say all the cricket to come will be poor, but I don't expect England to consistently reach the same heights they scaled when dismantling India in this format earlier in the summer.
England beat the world champions 4-0 back in July, with the final victory coming on this very ground when a hundred from Jos Buttler saw the hosts amass 257-3 batting first, before India hit 201 in reply.
As such, both teams to score 200+ runs backers might be interested in the 9/1 currently available with Flutter firms, but I’m really not sure runs is the play on this occasion.
In fact, Southampton was particularly hard work for batting in The Hundred, with the pitches doing plenty for the new ball and generally proving two-paced and hard to score on.
As such, we saw a plethora of low scores in Southern Brave’s home fixtures, when NO FIFTY IN THE MATCH proved a sporting wager throughout.
Bet365 go 6/1 on Tuesday, with the 11/2 with BOYLE Sports also fine.
Yes, the counter-argument is that this summer’s earlier T20I on this ground saw a mountain of runs, but that game was played in July in the midst of some glorious weather.
That is not the case now, with autumn’s shadow growing larger and this square have seen so much cricket already this year.
With broad concerns about Sri Lanka’s batting in England, added to doubts about the surface and a few multi-format players in the home camp, I'm happy to go low.
Finally, while I won’t be putting him up this occasion, readers are advised to keep an eye on Dasun Shanaka throughout the series.
I rate Shanaka highly and, given the excellent form he has displayed in the CPL in recent weeks, the Sri Lanka finisher is one to note despite generally batting down at six or seven.
Preview posted at 21:15 BST on 13/09/26
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