by Ryan D Jaeger
Cricket betting fans are in for a treat over the next few weeks as the first
of a five-game One Day International (ODI) series between England and Australia
kicks off today (Tuesday, June 22) at Southampton's Rose Bowl.
The big question ODI betting fans will be asking themselves is whether
England's national cricket squad has improved its prowess where limited-overs
cricket is concerned, considering how easy the side was trounced by Australia a
year ago.
It's no secret that there is vast difference between test cricket and
limited-overs cricket. In the former, opening batsmen have time to build up
their runs, whereas in ODI cricket, the opening batsmen must aim for the covers
from the outset.
Unfortunately for England, it was slow to realise this last year and paid the
price. However, England seems to have learnt its lesson, and high-scoring Andrew
Strauss and Craig Kieswetter may be the perfect pair to combat the Aussies.
And the new and improved England cricket squad doesn't end there as its
hand-picked fast bowlers - Ajmal Shahzad, Stuart Broad and James Anderson - are
more than capable of making even Australia's fearless batsmen run for cover.
But rhetoric aside, the Australian national cricket squad are a wily bunch
and equally capable of 'putting the pinch' on England once more.
Consider how Australia's Cameron White and Mike Hussey helped to dispatch
Scotland recently.
So with the national pride of both teams at stake (considering neither
nation's national football team looks likely to make it past the group stage of
the 2010 World Cup), there is no doubt each will pull out all the stops in the
ODI series.
Leading sports book 888sport
has laid the following odds on which team will win the ODI series overall:
England 4/7
Australia 11/8
William Hill has also laid the following odds on either team winning the ODI
series 5-0:
England 20/1
Australia 7/1
