Richard Mann is keen to side with the bowlers in Friday's ODI between England and Australia – where rain is the one potential problem.
Cricket betting tips: England v Australia ODI
1pt Josh Hazlewood to be named Man of the Match at 16/1 (Star Sports)
1pt Olly Stone to be named Man of the Match at 22/1 (General)
England kept the series alive after their dominant win in Durham but as was the case there, punters have to factor in the risk of weather-related disruption when the sides do battle at Lord's on Friday.
Rain is virtually guaranteed throughout the morning but it could make way for a brighter afternoon, although the prospect of a heavily limited version of the 50-over ODI is strong.
For however long they do play, I'm expecting ball to dominate bat, that weather more likely to help than hinder the bowlers who will fancy getting the new ball in hand here.
It might be wise but to go overboard on matches played in The Hundred here this summer, given the ball used in that completion swung throughout across all venues, but the likes of Dan Worrall, Fazalhaq Farooqi and OLLY STONE all bowled well on this ground in that tournament, enjoying particular success with the new ball.
Stone fits the ball for England, given how well he bowled on this ground for in their Test win over Sri Lanka earlier this summer. He is a tall, line bowler of the type that tends to bowl well at this ground with its famous slope. Think Glenn McGrath, Steve Harrison and Stuart Broad in Test cricket.
I’m a big Stone fan and thought he bowled well in Leeds, so assuming he comes in for Jofra Archer while the latter is managed through the latest phase of his recovery from injury, Stone should be a real handful.
For Australia, JOSH HAZLEWOOD stands out like a sore thumb.
Impressive for his two wickets in that game at Leeds, Hazlewood looks to have English opener Phil Salt in his pocket and is just a brilliant bowler in the likely conditions.
Hazlewood has 13 wickets at an average of 26.15 from three Tests on this ground and he’s almost certain to bowl well again providing the weather affords him that chance.
If this match is decided by the ball, Hazlewood looks a likely candidate for Man of the Match honours and, given the uncertainty surrounding the forecast, I'll split stakes between these two.
Any severe reduction in overs could be in our favour as batting milestones prove hard to reach, and in these two we've a bowler on each side who will know they've everything in their favour, both underfoot and overhead.
Posted at 1600 BST on 26/09/24
Related links
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling.
Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.