Cricket betting tips: Manchester Originals v Oval Invincibles preview and best bets for The Hundred

By Richard Mann

10:41 · WED August 07, 2024

Richard Mann previews the two matches from The Hundred on Tuesday, when some big names take centre stage.

Cricket betting tips: The Hundred

3pts No Fifty In The Manchester Originals v Oval Invincibles Match at 4/1 (Paddy Power, Betfair Sportsbook)

2pts Ben Stokes top Northern Superchargers batsman at 9/1 (bet365)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair Sportsbook

Birmingham Phoenix v Northern Superchargers

1830 BST

BEN STOKES is finally expected to make his first appearance of the season when turning out for the Superchargers when they travel to Edgbaston to face Birmingham Phoenix.

The rumour mill has got Stokes’ return wrong for the last week or so, but Sky Sports Cricket confirmed his comeback date on Sunday, and for the same reasons I tipped him on Friday night, I’ll be backing him again.

I reckon Stokes will slot into the Superchargers XI at the top of the order, a role he has filled with some success for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. I doubt the Supercharges will tinker with Nicholas Pooran at three and Harry Brook at four.

Furthermore, it’s hard to see England’s Test captain turning out here on the back of three Tests in just over three weeks, following plenty of County Championship cricket prior to that, just to bat at number five.

Stokes, then, looks the obvious answer to open the batting, and as such, the 9/1 available with bet365 in the top Northern Superchargers batsman market makes plenty of appeal.

Scores of 69, 54 and 57 not out (from 28 balls) in his last three innings for England confirm his game to be in good working order, and the latest of those half-centuries came when opening the batting following injury to Zak Crawley.

The case for Stokes is strong, and the current odds too big.

Manchester Originals v Oval Invincibles

1500 BST

This season has gone from bad to worse for the hosts, losing Jos Buttler for the entirety of the tournament before a ball had been bowled, and on Sunday losing to Northern Superchargers having at one stage appeared firmly in control of their run chase. They are now 0-4 this term.

A punchy 78 from the recalled Matthew Hurst was one positive the Originals can take from that defeat in Leeds, and I did think they bowled well at the death, but it’s hard to shake the feeling this team is firmly on the downward spiral now. That can happen in franchise cricket when the games come thick and fast.

Having got their own season back on track with victory over London Spirit on Sunday, the Invincibles will fancy chalking up another victory here, with their potent spin attack expected to dominate. Adam Zampa is the current leading wicket-taker in the competition, while fellow wrist spinner Nathan Sowter is a very handy accomplice.

Old Trafford always offers something for the spinners and as the competition wears on, we generally see one particularly low-scoring game here when spin rolls a team out cheaply. Last season it came when leg spinner Calvin Harrison took 5-11 from his 20 balls as the Superchargers were bowled out for just 83.

I wouldn't be surprised were we to see something similar on Tuesday afternoon, and I’m happy to take 11/4 about NO FIFTY TO BE SCORED IN THE MATCH.

In four matches, the Originals have only managed one half-century so far this term, and despite sitting at the top of the league table, this Invincibles batting line-up have only managed one themselves. In three games played at Old Trafford in The Hundred this season, we have yet to see a fifty scored on this ground.

As such, 4/1 looks plain wrong. Should the home team bat first, confidence would be heightened, but if bowling first, they ought to keep the Invincibles honest. The likes of Tom Hartley, Usama Mir and Fazalhaq Farooqi give the Originals bowling plenty of bite – it's the batting that continually lets the side down.

With bookmakers seemingly reluctant to price up the Match Hero market, I won't add anything else to the staking plan, but both Zampa and Sowter must be of interest given everything I’ve said above.

Posted at 1615 BST on 05/08/24