Cricket betting tips: The Hundred – Northern Superchargers v Welsh Fire preview and best bets

Cricket tips: The Hundred, Tuesday August 22

1pt Both Teams to Score 160+ Runs in the Match at 11/4 (Sky Bet)

1pt 350+ Runs to be Scored in the Match at 7/2 (Betway)

1pt Adam Hose top Northern Superchargers batsman at 10/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Regular readers of these pages will know only too well about the author’s penchant for betting big runs at Headingley in limited-overs cricket, and that strategy should be the order of the day when Northern Superchargers host Welsh Fire in Leeds on Tuesday night.

While there was a bit in the surface for the Ashes Test match in West Yorkshire last month, the pitch still had good pace and offered a lightening quick outfield that allowed batsmen to score freely once set. In white-ball cricket, that is almost always true and unlike the red Dukes ball, the white Kookaburra tends to offer nothing after a set or so.

As such, Headingley has proven a very good place to bat over the last few years, including in the last two editions of the T20 Blast, the 2022 running of the Hundred and then again this time around.

Oval Invincibles racked up 185-5 when batting first against Superchargers recently, and the hosts really ought to have chased that down before eventually finishing on 176-8. A few days later and Manchester Originals made 182-6 when batting first at this venue, before Superchargers replied with 141-9 from 90 balls in a rain-affected match.

Betting BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE 160 RUNS IN THE MATCH appears the obvious play, then, and for those with a Betway account, 7/2 about 350+ RUNS TO BE SCORED IN THE MATCH is also worth serious consideration. That bet would have been voided in that latest match held on this ground owing to the reduction in balls, but would have landed when Invincibles won here, and the current odds rate good value.

• CLICK HERE to back Both Teams to Score 160+ Runs with Sky Bet

The two batting line-ups in question certainly tick plenty of boxes, too. Jonny Bairstow will be making a rare appearance in Leeds as an opposition player having made runs when Fire beat London Spirit on Sunday in a match where there were handy contributions from Tom Abell and Glenn Phillips. The fact the latter – one of New Zealand's best in limited-overs cricket – bats at number six in this team confirms the strength of the batting unit.

As for Superchargers, Harry Brook, Adam Lyth, Tom Banton and Adam Hose help form a fearsome top five and frankly, two wins from seven matches is a poor return for a side laced with so much batting power. That batting ought to click before long and with a good weather forecast, Tuesday might well be the night.

A word on the aforementioned Brook, who will again have all eyes on him having somewhat surprisingly missed the cut for England’s 50-over World Cup defence in India later this year. As selection blunders go, I’m not sure I’ve seen many worse and good luck to Luke Wright and co trying to defend this one should things not go how they hope in India.

Ben Stokes’ retirement U-turn apparently left Brook as the odd one out, but if any of Jason Roy, Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone are better players than Brook in 2023 – in any situation – then I’ll happily make an appointment at Specsavers. For what it’s worth, I expect Brook to feature in the World Cup at some stage, with injuries within the squad inevitable, but that won’t gloss over a remarkably poor initial selection call.

The Yorkshireman certainly played like a man with a point to prove when blasting 44 against London Spirit on Friday night, but again on price grounds, I have to side with ADAM HOSE in the top Superchargers batsman market at 10/1.

Such quotes are an insult to a wildly-talented player who finished with a better average (30.33) and strike-rate (159.64) than Brook in this competition last year, and has made quickfire scores of 41, 33 and 15 in three of his last four innings. That match-winning hand has so far eluded Hose in this competition this season, but he isn’t far away and has enjoyed a fine summer overall.

In fact, his 41 from only 19 balls on this ground against Invincibles was the catalyst for Superchargers to launch a counterattack that should have ultimately resulted in victory, and for all he finds himself in a good field, Hose is no 10/1 shot.

• CLICK HERE to back Hose with Sky Bet

Preview posted at 2100 BST on 21/08/2023

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