Cricket Tips: Sri Lanka vs England T20I Series
A 2-1 ODI Series win over Sri Lanka has set England up nicely for the T20I clashes as both sides prepare for the upcoming World Cup.
England face Nepal in their opener, and the 2019 champions will hope to boost confidence ahead of the tournament in Pakistan and Sri Lanka by getting a series win under their belt here – and some runs on the board.
Harry Brook leads the Lions once more, as they aim to build on the impressive ODI performances in the shorter format.
Here, we look at the markets and pick out three of the best bets for the first T20I and the series as a whole…
Tip 1 – England to win series 3-0 @ 2/1
The 2-1 series win was somewhat of a surprise given Sri Lanka’s impressive home record and England‘s slump to eighth in the world rankings.
In T20Is, though, the Lions are third and their explosive batting can come into its own even more.
Strong recent performances in this format against the West Indies, South Africa and New Zealand will breed confidence as England look to reclaim their world crown.
An astonishing 304-2 against South Africa in September showed just what they can be capable of in the shortest format of the game. If they are on form, Sri Lanka could be in trouble.
They are ranked eighth in the world and have won just two of their last seven T20I series. With Brook showing the form he did in the final ODI, anything is possible and the 2/1 for England to win the series 3-0 is more than worth a look.
Though the format can be unpredictable, the World Cup provides a great chance for some success for England after a period of turmoil, and this could be the perfect warm-up.
Tip 2 – Harry Brook top England run scorer in first T20I @ 5/1
Brook put a difficult spell behind him with his highest-ever ODI score in the third match of the Sri Lanka series, and can kick on here as he gears up to lead his country in the World Cup.
His stunning unbeaten 136 came from just 66 deliveries and contained a staggering 20 boundaries, nine of which were sixes.
Batting at five, Brook and Joe Root – who is not part of England’s squad for this or the T20 World Cup – both smashed unbeaten centuries to win the decisive match by 53 runs.
Though batting in the middle order, odds of 5/1 for the skipper to top score for England remain attractive.
He’s yet to hit a T20I century but his 78 in his last outing in this format in New Zealand saw him scoop player of the match honours.
His T20I strike rate of over 150 is useful and Brook has accumulated more than 1,000 runs from his 44 innings. Picking a player to top score in such a short format can be a lottery but the odds here make this one a sensible shout.
A talented player, coming into form, with a point to prove. Brook to fire once more for England.
Tip 3 – Jos Buttler under 24.5 runs in first T20I @ 17/20
An explosive wicketkeeper-batsman, Jos Buttler has been tasked with getting England off to a flyer at the top of the order for years – and has so often delivered.
With a strike rate of a tad under 150, coupled with an average of over 35, Buttler has been a reliable opener for England in this format and even bagged a T20I century in 2021 against this very opponent.
While there his no doubting his effectiveness the 35-year-old has passed 30 just three times over his last 12 innings, albeit two of those scores were 96 and 83.
We are looking at the 17/20 for him to score under 24.5 in the first match here and seeing value.
Half of those last 12 innings have seen the Lancashire batsman score fewer than 24.5, while there were also scores of 25, 28 and 29.
Consider, too, that against Ireland Buttler scored zero and 28 and you could certainly argue he isn’t quite in top nick with the bat.
With the World Cup around the corner, England will be hoping he can get to his explosive best.
Unfortunately for Buttler, we like the look of this pick that says he doesn’t quite manage it.
Odds correct at time of publication but subject to change
