Trent Boult

Cricket betting tips: Cricket World Cup – England v New Zealand preview and best bets

By Richard Mann

09:29 · THU October 05, 2023

England begin their World Cup defence against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning, where Trent Boult is expected to be among the wickets.

Cricket betting tips: England v New Zealand

2pts Trent Boult top New Zealand bowler at 5/2 (Coral, Ladbrokes)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

In a re-run of the 2019 final, England and New Zealand kick off the 2023 World Cup when locking horns in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning, 9.30am UK time.

In fact, these two sides have got to know each other really well in recent weeks having contested an ODI series in England only last month.

Despite losing the opener, England dominated the series thereafter, eventually running out convincing 3-1 winners having won the last two games by 181 and 100 runs respectively.

New Zealand need to up the ante

Those were ominous signs ahead of England’s World Cup defence, and the most telling thing from that series was how easily New Zealand were brushed aside when England raised the stakes and took their aggression to even greater levels.

In those last two matches, England scored 368 and 311 batting first and New Zealand never looked like making a fist of either run chase, appearing almost intimidated by the prospect and the breakneck speed at which their opponents were playing the game.

If we get good conditions to bat in, I do fear for New Zealand at this World Cup, with their top three in particular built for steady accumulation, not the power and speed that might be required in some high-scoring matches.

Kane Williamson is expected to miss Thursday's opener

That could make the Kiwis especially vulnerable in the first 15 overs runs match, which could be an angle to explore as the tournament goes on. However, given the rain we’ve seen in India over the last few days and, as a result, plenty of swing with the two new balls, I’ll sit this one out first up.

Boult the standout for Kiwis

Nevertheless, the case for TRENT BOULT in the top New Zealand bowler market is very straightforward, and the 5/2 available very fair.

It’s probably time we put Boult in the elite bracket in which he deserves to sit, and he’s now closing in on 200 ODI wickets at 23.56, an average marginally better than Jasprit Bumrah’s. His strike-rate is superior to Bumrah’s in this format, too. Point made, then.

Following a spell out of the New Zealand side following his decision to decline a central contract and focus his time and energies on franchise opportunities, Boult made an instant impact on his return, recording figures of 3-37 and 5-51 against England.

In truth, he fought a lone battle as England largely made hay, and Boult’s quality and determination shone through in an attack which, Matt Henry apart, could struggle for penetration in the coming weeks on some largely unforgiving India grounds.

Boult won’t be phased by these conditions, though, having been a regular in the Indian Premier League for a number of years now, where his ability to take early wickets with the new ball has made him one of the most sought-after bowlers in the competition.

As already noted, India is still coming out of its rainy season, so if ever there was a time for the pitches to offer some assistance to the seamers, it will be early in the tournament, and that’s where Boult's left arm swing could really come into play.

And even if conditions are flatter than expected, the recent England series once again demonstrated that Boult is a level above his New Zealand bowling colleagues who are likely to be left playing supporting roles.

England's power can win sixes battle

Back to the team markets and regardless of what the ball does up front, England ought to hit the most sixes in the match.

Glenn Phillips – whose batting position of number six means I can’t bet him at the current prices – is the only player in this Kiwi line-up able to match England’s top seven for power, but quotes of 4/7 confirm our suspicions and I’ll keep my money in the wife’s pocket.

The World Cup is a marathon, not a sprint, and with plenty to go at in the pre-tournament specials markets, I’ll stick to Boult for Thursday’s curtain-raiser.

Preview published at 1230 BST on 04/10/23

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