Major League Cricket Tips Matches 26 and 27: Three top-bat bets up to 4/1

Click here for MI New York v Seattle Orcas odds
Friday 10 July, 21:30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

MI New York v Seattle Orcas MLC Tips

Inconsistency continues in the MLC. Two games ago MI New York, the holders, looked like they were establishing themselves as the team to beat with three consecutive wins. Two defeats later and they are back in the middle of a congested pack. Although Texas Super Kings are bottom with six points, just two points separate the first and fifth-placed teams.

With all teams having two fixtures left, net run rate looks likely to be the deciding factor. MI New York may be okay as they boast an advantage over Washington Freedom. Seattle Orcas should be fine with a healthy 0.23 in the black.

The head-to-head between these two ended in a five-run win for MINY. Quinton de Kock and Marcus Stoinis top scored in that contest.

De Kock has won once this season, which is below his expected hit rate. Given the record for openers winning at this ground, it may be time to return to the wager. Before the latest round of Dallas matches, openers had won top bat in more than half the innings. Since the second leg began, three openers have won in two matches.

There is also an argument that Tim Seifert is due to return to decent-sized scores following a tricky sequence on the harsher surfaces of Pomona. De Kock is 3/14.00 with BetfairSportsbook although he faces stiff competition from Ryan Rickleton, who is aiming to go back-to-back. Seifert is priced at 13/53.60.

Click here for LA Knight Riders v San Francisco Unicorns odds
Satrurday 11 July, 01:30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

LA Knight Riders v San Francisco Unicorns MLC Tips

A combination of a strategy and a trend can be put to to the test in this one as San Francisco Unicorns look to cement a top-two finish with a sixth win in nine.

The Unicorns have emeregd as the only consistent outfit but have done it against a backdrop of inconsistency from Finn Allen, who was supposed to be a key player. Inconsistent, in fact, is the wrong word. Allen has been reliably low of notcieable scores. He has passed 20 three times this season with a high of 45. He is yet to win a top-bat market.

Could this be the time? As stated, Dallas hugely favours the opening bats and it is a consistent trend over the now three editions. Allen may also perfectly epitomise the helter skelter nature of opening the batting in franchise cricket.

Players like Allen need to take risks and be aggressive. Their wicket, in short, is not valued. They are supposed to be able to cut loose without fear of failure. Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn't. But so long as they are trying to hit boundaries, they are doing their job. Allen's strike rate of 146.6 this season is what is expected. That's his job. Big scores are a bonus along the way.

Many may look a Allen's sequence of scores and reckon he has suffered a chronic loss of form. But with Allen's role it is extremely hard to decipher or prove. Form for the likes of Allen may not actually exist. For example, how can anyone say Allen has a significant issue with his feet movement, the way he is seeing the ball (or something else technical), when he is striking it so well? Allen's boundary percentage rate in this tournament is more than 22%. That is considered elite.

Allen is out to 3/14.00 that he top scores for Unciorns. It's slightly bigger than normal because of the Ludan-dre Pretorius's 'form'.

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