T20 Cricket World Cup Friday Tipsheet: It could be Kirtons for UAE at 9/2

• Zimbabwe need spinners to work hard

• Marsh a doubt for Australia

• Kirton has strong win-rate record

• USA-Netherlands could be tight

• For Betfair's latest cricket betting odds click here

Australia v Zimbabwe - back Ryan Burl top Zimbabwe bat 15/28.50

Australia v Zimbabwe
Friday, 05:30
TV: live on Sky Sports

Australia avoided a slip against Ireland with a comprehensive 67-run win at the RPS Colombo. They were, however, made to scrap for their first-innings total of 182 and it could stand them in good stead against Zimbabwe.

The RPS doesn't look to be the most reliable of surfaces for batters who want to hit through the line. It is stodgy and tired. Whether that suits Zimbabwe's style is doubtful and there is unlikely to be a rush to back them for a shock. 

Zimbabwe are a pace-on team with Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans all very fine fast bowlers. Sportsbook make the 11/43.75 for a wicket each after the trio took three apiece in their opener. 

Sikandar Raza is medium pace and he may have to bowl cutters and slower balls to keep them keen. The Zims would want at least 12 overs of pace off one suspects and they may not have the depth for that.

Ryan Burl, the leggie, may have to do some work. Sportsbook's overs performance quote (1pt per run, 10 per catch, 20 per wicket) at 22.5 may be of interest. 

Indeed, Burl is of interest for top-bat. A score of 30-odd could win this and although Brian Bennett and Raza have reliability, this is a quality Australia attack. The 15/28.50 offers an edge on how often he wins, too. 

Australia have called up Steve Smith as cover for Mitch Marsh who is recovering from internal bleeding after being hit in the groin. We would probably prefer Smith to Matt Renshaw in this XI, particularly on this surface. Josh Hazlewood is being nursed back into action but he may find it hard to get back into the XI with Nathan Ellis and Xavier Bartlett fine operators. 

Canada v United Arab Emirates - back Nicholas Kirton top Canada bat 9/25.50

Canada v United Arab Emirates
Friday, 09.30
TV: live on Sky Sports

There is a decent 9/25.50 chance for a contest which doesn't exactly set the pulse racing. Both Canada and UAE are not expected to set the tournament alight. Both teams didn't really lay a glove on their Big Boy opponents in their openers against South Africa and New Zealand respectively.

The top-rated bet is Nicholas Kirton to top score for Canada. Sportsbook rate him at 9/25.50, which is implied probability of 18.2%. We know that is a very healthy study sample of all matches since the end of the last World Cup, Kirton cops at a rate of 26.3%. We are much happier getting with win-rate wagers when it is Associate versus Associate. The talent gap between them and the established nations can rather skew things.

Kirton is in the middle order and therefore protected from any new-ball shenanigans. He has played only once again UAE, way back in 2019, and scoring an unbeaten 37.

USA v Netherlands - back USA 2.285/4

USA v Netherlands
Friday, 13.30
TV: live on Sky Sports

By contrast to Canada-UAE this could well be a corker with two well-matched teams set to go toe-to-toe on a potentially attritional surface in Chennai.

Shocks have not exactly been forthcoming in this tournament (it was 15 wins from 16 for the favourites as this preview was written) and although the USA overcoming odds of 2.206/5 doesn't exactly scream upset there is good reason to think this should be closer to a choice affair.

The Yanks are a durable outfit who have improved markedly thanks to Major league Cricket. In Andries Gous, Shayan Jahangir, Shubman ranjane and Saurabh eNtravalkar they have global franchise performers. Shadley van Shalkwyk ha salso topped the wicket charts in this tournament.

The key for the US will be getting Netravalkar and van Schalkwyk to do damage with the new ball and then hope spinners Harmeet Singh, Mohammad Mohsin and Milind Kumar can put on a squeeze. it's possible that Nosthush Kenjige, another slow left-arm bowler, is brought in to bolster the spin options.

The Netherlands have won all three on the head-to-heads from 2022. A two-game series in 2024 kicked off with a 104-run win for the Dutch before the Americans came back in game two to go down by only four runs.

Harmeet took three for eight in that game, suggesting the omens are good. The Dutch managed to defend 132 in that game with pace off crucial. it could be another similar contest.

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