4th July 2012
West Indies vs New Zealand ODI Series Betting: Kane Williamson can take advantage of NZ absentees to top score
After they dished out a couple of heavy beatings to New Zealand in the two T20 matches in the USA over the weekend, West Indies will be looking to pick up where they left off when they take on the same opponents in a five match ODI series which begins on Thursday. The two sides will move from mainland American to the Caribbean for this series, a series which promises to be full of big hitting.
After the emphatic wins in the T20 matches West Indies go into this series as the 2/7 favourites with BetVictor but they haven’t won an ODI series against a test nation other than Bangladesh since 2008 which is a remarkable run and wouldn’t be inspiring confidence in betting at those odds. Their latest series loss came in England when they went down 2-0 despite all their heavy hitters being available for them but the T20 matches at the weekend give the Caribbean men hope.
New Zealand named a weaker squad than usual for this series to ensure everyone is fit and rested for the rigorous cricket to come later in the year and they were dealt another blow when Ross Taylor got injured in the T20 matches so Kane Williamson will become New Zealand’s youngest ever ODI captain in this series. New Zealand haven’t won a series against a top nation since 2009 so neither of these sides are used to winning ODI series.
Given their respective records I have no faith in backing either side to win the series although I would be very surprised if the Windies don’t win the series. Instead the bet I like is in the top New Zealand Batsman market. With Ross Taylor likely to miss at least the first two ODI’s if not the whole series then there is the opportunity for someone else to step up to the plate. The man I like is Kane Williamson. Williamson is a special talent who has been playing a lot of cricket in recent times so he is match sharp and should be confident. The likes of Brendon McCullum and Jesse Ryder aren’t involved in the series so I would say Martin Guptill is the major danger. Guptill is 5/2 whereas Williamson is a 9/2 shot so at almost double the price with a lot less than double the chance I’ll go with Williamson here.
Back K.Williamson Top New Zealand Series Batsman for a 2/10 stake at 5.50 with Bet365
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Author: 'Arry Allsports
