At last Australia are starting to show some cracks. After just being swept 3-0 by New Zealand and having lost their last 3 of 4 in the Commonwealthbank series they have fallen from the number one spot in the ODI world rankings.
I have been saying for some time that Australia's failure to introduce younger players in dead teat matches would come back to haunt them at some time and I may have just been correct. Without Warne, McGrath, Langer and Martyn in the test arena, its a large wealth of experience to be losing.
And now they are in the position that resting key players in the one day side is proving probmatic. Without Gilchrist, Ponting, Symonds and Lee, the Aussie's would find it hard to win a raffle even if they had bought the only ticket to be sold.
Admitterly, Ponting and Gilchrist will be back for the start of the World Cup, but Lee and Symonds participation in the early group matches is still in doubt. They have more than enough talent and when they are firing they are an exceptional side, but losing how they have their last two must be worrying having not been able to defend around 340 runs on both occassions.
So while Australia have a few worrying problems and a need to address the loss of players over the next two to three years (Gilchrist, Hayden, Hussey), the other nations will close the gap.
Having already taken the gamble (speculate to accumalate) in backing England to win the World Cup for small stakes totalling ?200 with the exchanges and one sportsbook whilst the Commonwealthbank Series was taking place, I was fortunate enough to see England's fortune's turn around and was able to lay off for a guaranteed profit whatever the outcome.
I was expecting England to get to the second stage of the World Cup (beating Kenya and Canada and possibly New Zealand in the early group stage) and with luck or good play, managing to win two of their earlier sets of games would have meant I would be in the position to lay off at some stage during the competition for a probable small profit. But I didn't need to wait as long as I thought I would have to as England are now as low as 9.00 with the books and below 12.00 on the exchanges.
Backed
England @ 67.00 @ ?30 and ?10
England @ 121.00 @ ?9
England @ 101.00 @ ?6
England @ 71.00 @ ?8
England @ 56.00 @ ?8
England @ 51.00 @ ?62
England @ 34.00 @ ?67
Total staked ?200
Possible profit: ?10,631
I took the option of trading England back at an average price of 12.00, securing ?902 in stakes, so producing an outright profit of ?702 regardless of who wins the World Cup.
So I now find myself in a very nice position before a ball has been bowled.
But having seen the Australian's struggle in recent ODI's I am going to make a play on the new world number one's in the hope that a trade is very much possible at some stage during the World Cup. Step forward SOUTH AFRICA.
With most of the prominant countries having injury scares in one form or another, South Africa have no such concerns.
The Proteas have won 12 of their last 16 ODI's played with two no results due to weather. And it's not just recently that their form has improved as they have won 75% of their last 50 ODIs. That is the best figure in the World at present.
It's been written elsewhere that South Africa's attack will not be suited to the expected conditions in the Caribbean as they lack a world class spinner. Well, past results don't reflect that as the Proteas have won 10 of their last 11 there including 5-0 back in 2005 against the West Indies.
Everything at present points to South Africa having an exceptional chance this time around and I fully expect a good showing. At the 6/1 available (7.00), an early lay is possible if South Africa beat Australia in the early group match as they will be able to carry the points won from that match through to the Super Eight stage.
3 units South Africa @ 7.00 to win the World Cup.
1 unit South Africa @ 2.50 to win "Group A"
1 unit Pakistan @ 2.36 to win "Group D"
I have been saying for some time that Australia's failure to introduce younger players in dead teat matches would come back to haunt them at some time and I may have just been correct. Without Warne, McGrath, Langer and Martyn in the test arena, its a large wealth of experience to be losing.
And now they are in the position that resting key players in the one day side is proving probmatic. Without Gilchrist, Ponting, Symonds and Lee, the Aussie's would find it hard to win a raffle even if they had bought the only ticket to be sold.
Admitterly, Ponting and Gilchrist will be back for the start of the World Cup, but Lee and Symonds participation in the early group matches is still in doubt. They have more than enough talent and when they are firing they are an exceptional side, but losing how they have their last two must be worrying having not been able to defend around 340 runs on both occassions.
So while Australia have a few worrying problems and a need to address the loss of players over the next two to three years (Gilchrist, Hayden, Hussey), the other nations will close the gap.
Having already taken the gamble (speculate to accumalate) in backing England to win the World Cup for small stakes totalling ?200 with the exchanges and one sportsbook whilst the Commonwealthbank Series was taking place, I was fortunate enough to see England's fortune's turn around and was able to lay off for a guaranteed profit whatever the outcome.
I was expecting England to get to the second stage of the World Cup (beating Kenya and Canada and possibly New Zealand in the early group stage) and with luck or good play, managing to win two of their earlier sets of games would have meant I would be in the position to lay off at some stage during the competition for a probable small profit. But I didn't need to wait as long as I thought I would have to as England are now as low as 9.00 with the books and below 12.00 on the exchanges.
Backed
England @ 67.00 @ ?30 and ?10
England @ 121.00 @ ?9
England @ 101.00 @ ?6
England @ 71.00 @ ?8
England @ 56.00 @ ?8
England @ 51.00 @ ?62
England @ 34.00 @ ?67
Total staked ?200
Possible profit: ?10,631
I took the option of trading England back at an average price of 12.00, securing ?902 in stakes, so producing an outright profit of ?702 regardless of who wins the World Cup.
So I now find myself in a very nice position before a ball has been bowled.
But having seen the Australian's struggle in recent ODI's I am going to make a play on the new world number one's in the hope that a trade is very much possible at some stage during the World Cup. Step forward SOUTH AFRICA.
With most of the prominant countries having injury scares in one form or another, South Africa have no such concerns.
The Proteas have won 12 of their last 16 ODI's played with two no results due to weather. And it's not just recently that their form has improved as they have won 75% of their last 50 ODIs. That is the best figure in the World at present.
It's been written elsewhere that South Africa's attack will not be suited to the expected conditions in the Caribbean as they lack a world class spinner. Well, past results don't reflect that as the Proteas have won 10 of their last 11 there including 5-0 back in 2005 against the West Indies.
Everything at present points to South Africa having an exceptional chance this time around and I fully expect a good showing. At the 6/1 available (7.00), an early lay is possible if South Africa beat Australia in the early group match as they will be able to carry the points won from that match through to the Super Eight stage.
3 units South Africa @ 7.00 to win the World Cup.
1 unit South Africa @ 2.50 to win "Group A"
1 unit Pakistan @ 2.36 to win "Group D"
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