Cricket: Indian Premier League

[Sir Fernando]

Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Delhi Daredevils

match 35 rolls onto Eden Gardens, momentum is vital in tournaments like this, with semi-final spots up for grabs, now is the time to start a winning run and not a losing one. Kolkata under an inspired knock from skipper Sourav Ganguly, with the aid of Hussey helped beat Deccan Chargers last time out.Hopefully the potentially dangerous LH opener Salman Butt will be give another chance at the top of the order.


Delhi on the other hand have lost their last 3 games. They have Glenn McGrath who will give 4 very good overs, Asif if selected will support him. As mentioned before Sehwag & Gambhir have to score the % of runs as the middle order is really struggling, de Villiers, Malik,Dharwan & Dinesh Karthik(wk) have not fired. Dilshan is an option, if it wasn't for all-rounder Maharoof blitzing 39 at the end, then their defeat to Rajasthan would have been much heavier. Umar Gul will have to back Ishant Sharma up with ball aswell, if Kolkata are to pull this one off.


Kolkata Knightriders WIN @ 11/10

[kevshat]

Originally Posted by Sir Fernando

nice again Kev,


Bangalore won the toss and chose to bat first.

Kings Punjab have got some decent Aussie's in there, Marsh quality yet again.

Ta mate. Marsh is impressing isn't he? I hadn't thought that much of him when I'd seen him before this tournament but up the order he's doing the business. +5.60 for the tournament now. Going against you tomorrow mate. I still think Delhi are the best side in this. It will be interesting to see what Ganguly does if he wins the toss because all of Delhi's defeats have come batting 1st while Sourav clearly prefers to bat 1st.

10pts Delhi to beat Kolkata 5/6 William Hill

These two sides play each other for the 1st time in this tournament here and they come into the match in totally opposite form. Delhi set off like an express train but 3 defeats have brought them to a halt. Kolkata were going nowhere but suddenly 2 wins on the bounce have pushed them into the semi final shake up. It's Ganguly vs Sehwag in this one.

Kolkata could play Shoaib Akthar in this match. I say could but I'd be surprised if they did. Umar Gul had an off day against Deccan but he showed his quality in the world cup of this format. Sourav Ganguly is the main man with the bat but take his 91 against Deccan out and he's having a bad tournament. David Hussey is doing a bit better but Salman Butt and Tatenda Taibu aren't my idea of solid overseas players. Ishant Sharma and Ashok Dinda have bowled well with the new ball and Ganguly has really starred with the ball too.

Delhi have a lot of options open to them and it's about getting it right for them. One thing which is decided is the top 3 of Gambhir, the orange cap wearer, Sehwag and Dhawan. AB de Villiers may well get another go although Shoaib Malik could return. It's between Farveez Maharoof and Mohammad Asif for the final overseas spot to see who partners Glenn McGrath with the new ball. Yo Mahesh had a couple of bad performances so he'll want to come back with the ball while Sehwag will need to find a 5th bowler so it could be that Dilshan plays.

In truth there's not much between these two. They both have great bowling attacks but someone's going to have to score runs and it could be that Sehwag decides the match. If he gets going he can take it away from Kolkata in a flash. Delhi's batting is probably overall stronger though. A lot's been made of their middle order not contributing but in three of the matches they've not had to. Delhi for me.

[kevshat]

One step forward and two back at the minute . How did Delhi lose that though . As a Hampshire fan I've seen some pisspoor batting performances over the years but nothing on that scale. Not even chasing 7 an over and to lose by so many with nobody other than Akthar bowling well for Kolkata was pathetic really. As for Farveez Maharoof, I suggest he goes back to school. A totally shocking piece of cricket from him for his run out . Kolkata must think it's christmas because that's twice they've batted poorly only for the other side to be even worse in their last 3 matches. Back to -4.40 for the tournament now. Will be back with my thoughts on tomorrow's match a bit later.

[kevshat]

No bet for me on Wednesday. I'll wait for a better opportunity. I was looking at Chennai at 11/10 as they've won their last 2 but I'm going to wait and see what effect Sachin has on the Mumbai side. He's back tomorrow so I'll leave this one as a watching brief.

[rleague_punter]

Im on chennai @ 2.20

Dhoni and Morkel are very dangerous

[Sir Fernando]

Pleased, if not a little shocked that Kolkata managed to defend 133, yesterday.Haven't liked Delhi's batting line-up fo a long time, except the openers.

todays game,

Mumbai Indians Vs Chennai Super Kings

Today see's the return of the best Batsman of the modern era, Sachin Tendulkar, not only will he bolster the batting line-up, his bowling could be useful if required, even if he fails today, his sheer presence will lift his team mates and the home crowd. With Sanath Jayasuriya, Robin Uthappa and Dwayne Bravo there's plenty of power.

Chennai after a bright start have faded, Dhoni has yet to explode, Fleming has looked solid, but the other opener's position has been a problem.Missed Hayden big style.Along with Dhoni and Fleming, Badrinath and Morkel are dangerous if allowed to cut loose. Murali will obviously carry a threat, but Jayasuriya has seen plenty of him over the years, Tendulkar and Uthappa, like most Indian batsman play spin very well.I am a little concerned by Mumbai's bowling attack, which will rely on the ever consistent Shaun Pollock, Ashish Nehra will probably share the new ball.


Mumbai win @ 8/11

[Sir Fernando]

Jayasuriya simply awesome, Tendulkar only managed 12 but Mumbai wrapped it up convincingly in the 14th over.

not sure about the Delhi against Deccan tommorrow, two teams on the slide, will have a look at team news before hand,looks like one to swerve though.

[harke]

any thoughts on this game btw delhi and deccan SIR F?

[Sir Fernando]

been lured in to have a punt on this game...

Delhi Daredevils Vs Deccan Chargers


Delhi were simply awful when failing to chase 133 against Kolkata in their last game, Sehwag and Gambhir failed, along with the mis-firing middle order. However their opponents Deccan, have only won 2 out of 9 games and are on a miserable run, its seems Gilchrist has to get a big score if they are to have any chance of winning, although a great player, he wont pull it off in every game.

Delhi are definately stronger in the bowling department, with stalwart Glenn McGrath likely to be tough to get away, as he has been all tournie, the Deccan bowlers haven't looked good at all, Vaas has not looked the same player, i think it is this area that will decide the outcome of this game.


Delhi WIN @ 8/11

[kevshat]

I'm gonna give Delhi another chance.

10pts Delhi to beat Deccan Chargers 5/6 Sportingbet

Both sides were pretty ordinary in their last match. Delhi failing to chase 134 against an average Kolkata side while Deccan were soundly beaten by the same side. Delhi will know they need a win here else the semi final spaces could be gone while Deccan in their heart of hearts will know it's game over for them already in terms of qualification.

Delhi have got the talent in their batting lineup there's absolutely no doubt about that, they've just got to be a bit more streetwise really. They'll know they should've won the last game and will make sure they don't bat so badly again. They may bring Bhatia in for Yomahesh but due to his economical bowling Farveez Maharoof may well stay in. AB de Villiers needs some runs but he'll come good. Gautam Gambhir continues to wear the orange cap.

Deccan's problem is their bowling attack. To be fair to it, it's on existant. It's definitely got the talent though. RP Singh was as good as anyone over here last summer and Chaminda Vaas is still as good as they come normally. Vaas may be dropped for Afridi here but he's not been as tight as he usually is. I say their main problem is their bowling but Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma have scored almost half their runs in this competition so if either fail they'll be in trouble unless Herschelle Gibbs, Scott Styris or Afridi come good. Gilchrist continues to captain the side with VVS still out.

I think overall Delhi are much stronger than this Deccan side and while it's never a good thing to back a side who've lost their last 4 matches at least we can be assured that Deccan are no better form wise. McGrath and Maharoof/Asif keep it tight and it's only a matter of time before their batting lineup explodes into life so with home advantage I'll go with the Daredevils.

[Sir Fernando]

GO GO GAMBHIR!!

stylish left hander, Gambhir blasts 79 off 48 balls to help Delhi win, first player to go past 400 runs in the IPL. Mishra bowled really well in the last over to wrap the tail up and help himself to a hattrick at the same time!

finally Delhi close a game out..

[Sir Fernando]

Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata are a very hard team to size up, they've played some decent cricket and some shocking stuff, Shoaib was their match winner against Delhi lto and he's likely to spearhead the attack with Ishant Sharma.Skipper Ganguly will carry Kolkata's batting again, Hussey has done ok but they've really missed Brad Hodge who would have beefed up the batting.

Mumbai imo have potentially the best top 3 batsman out of any team, Tendulkar is proven class and has given Shoaib a hammering in the past in IND/PAK matches. Jayasuriya showed us what he's been doing for years last time out with a commanding, dominant display. Also Robin Uthappa at 3 is a class act, a player so far who has reached plenty of 30's and 40's but is due a big score soon. Shaun Pollock bowled like a beast against Chennai, his 4 overs yielding 1 wicket for just 9 runs. Think Nehra needs to buck his ideas up though, has the ability to take wickets but can also be expensive.Kulkarni will also add something different to the attack which still misses premium indian off-spinner, Harbajhan Singh.


Mumbai Indians WIN @ 4/6

[kevshat]

Bit risky taking on SF in this tournament as he's on fire but I'll risk it here. Delhi's win put me back to +3.93 for the tournament.

10pts Kolkata to beat Mumbai 6/5 Boylesports

Mumbai have sprung into life in this tournament having won their last 4 matches and they now have their icon player Sachin Tendulkar fit and playing. Kolkata had a major blip mid tournament but have bounced back with 3 successive wins, the last of which a fortunate win over Delhi. Sourav Ganguly is their icon player.

Mumbai will hope Sachin Tendulkar can fire here and will also hope Sanath Jayasuriya will continue where he left off against Chennai. Robin Uthappa will provide the batting with further quick scoring at number 3 with Dwayne Bravo and Shaun Pollock further big hitters down the order. The bowling attack is quite weak though. It heavily relies on Shaun Pollock who is always economical. Dwayne Bravo can be great on his day but if he's slightly out he can go round the park.

Kolkata may well change Tatenda Taibu for Mohammad Hafeez and the Pakistan man can provide a bowling option. Murali Kartik may well come into the side too. They'll hope that David Hussey can clear the ropes a few times in this match - he's scored the most 6s in the tournament to date and hopefully Ganguly, Chopra, Butt and Hafeez can chip in too. It's the bowling which is Kolkata's strongest suit. Shoaib was superb the other night against Delhi and opening the bowling alongside him will be Ishant Sharma who is devastating too. Ashok Dinda has been very good in this tournament as has Ganguly. Any side which can leave Umar Gul on the sidelines will be tricky to face.

It's the classic match up between good bowling attack and flamboyant and destructive batting lineup here. Mumbai's attack can be effective but it's not in Kolkata's league while the Knight Riders do have ability with the bat even if they've not shown it yet. Their bowling is the major strength though and I think their bowlers can win this for them.

[harke]

ill go with mumbai man.Sir F is on a nice streak

[kevshat]

Nice call Sir F. Kolkata's batting got ripped apart by Pollock and that was that. Back to -6.04 for the tournament.

I did have proper writeup's done for both matches tomorrow but lost them and as I'm struggling with a broken hand I'm not even going to try and type them out again!!

10pts Rajasthan to beat Bangalore 4/7 Coral

Rajasthan are playing real good cricket while Bangalore aren't. Shane Watson, Graeme Smith and Sohail Tanvir are in great form and they could prove too much for the struggling Bangalore. Jacques Kallis, Misbah and Boucher will form the middle order but the Royals look stronger with bat and ball and given Bangalore have nothing much to play for I'll take the home side to win here.

10pts Kings XI Punjab to beat Delhi 10/11 Boylesports

Kings XI are in decent form right now and although Delhi ended their slump on Thursday I think the Punjab side will win this. Shaun Marsh is in superb form with the bat and they have the tournament's 2 leading wicket takers. Yuvraj, Mahela Jayawardene and James Hopes offer a strong batting lineup.

Delhi rely a lot on their top 3 and if Sehwag tees off it'll be game on but he's a bit hit and miss at the minute. Glenn McGrath is excellent with the new ball and Maharoof backs him up well but then the bowling can be got after. Kings XI are stronger from 1 to 11 and I think they'll win this one.

[Sir Fernando]

Agree with Kev here, good luck for today.

haven't got time for massive writeup, im playing cricket today, gotta leave in 10mins... argh

Kings Vs Delhi

Fancy Kings to win this, Delhi are a mixed bag, they rely on Gambhir and Sehwag too much, to be fair Dharwan stepped up last game, Sreesanth and Pathan, being International teamates should know where to/not to bowl to the Delhi openers today.Piyush Chawla is a legspinner capable of winning these types of games on his own, he will be the natural leg-spin replacement to superb veteran Anil kumble in the national side. Batting wise, there's so much power in the Kings side, Marsh/Hopes will probably open again, Yuvraj has yet to explode and Jayawardene is the man to hold the innings together if required.

Kings Punjab WIN @ 10/11

[Matt]

What an absolute farce this is.......rain is lighter than it has been for most of the Innings....

[Sir Fernando]

Kings Punjab win by D/L

nice double for the day Kev

[iluvsportsbetting]

Originally Posted by Sir Fernando

Kings Punjab win by D/L

nice double for the day Kev

Furious, i was on delhi and until the rain they had that game in the bag. it shows real weakness in D/L when they finished on 118 for 4 and (8.1 over played in regulation laws and 2.5 over after the match was reduced to 11 overs) were only given an extra 4 runs to the total????? not good, D/L cost delhi today, not happy!

[kevshat]

Originally Posted by Matt

What an absolute farce this is.......rain is lighter than it has been for most of the Innings....

Agree mate, was a complete farce. I'm of the opinion that if it can't be 20 overs then it should just be called off. 10 over and 5 over shootouts are complete lotteries. I remember being at Surrey vs Sussex over here last summer and that was reduced to 5 overs and it was stupid. If you can't get 20 overs a side in then don't play IMO.

Originally Posted by iluvsportsbetting

Furious, i was on delhi and until the rain they had that game in the bag. it shows real weakness in D/L when they finished on 118 for 4 and (8.1 over played in regulation laws and 2.5 over after the match was reduced to 11 overs) were only given an extra 4 runs to the total????? not good, D/L cost delhi today, not happy!

You was unlucky mate. No doubt that DL never helped Delhi. It needs it's equation tweaking IMO because twenty20 has changed scoring rates big style. That said, with McGrath's 1st over going for just 3, to concede 94 off 8 overs is bad bowling no matter what the batting is like.

Originally Posted by Sir Fernando

Kings Punjab win by D/L

nice double for the day Kev

Cheers mate. Bit lucky but I've had enough bad luck in this event so I'll take it. +8.46 for me now. 1 bet tomorrow but I'm getting fed up of typing 1 handed so only a shortish write up.

10pts Kolkata to beat Chennai 11/10 Boylesports

Kolkata were awful last time out but you know they will take wickets and that will always keep them in the game it's then up to the batsmen to win it for them. They've not been playing too well recently but at least here they won't be facing a hugely tough bowling attack. Chennai's strength is their batting but even then it's only Badrinath, Dhoni and Morkel who've contributed. Murali is almost on his own with the ball. There's too much quality in the Kolkata batting lineup for it to keep failing and I expect them to score enough to win here.

Not interested in backing Mumbai at 8/13 because that Deccan batting is going to go mad at some point in this tournament, it's too good not to.