Major League Cricket Tips Matches 6 & 7: Orcas can make splash against LA

Click here for LA Knight Riders v Seattle Orcas odds
Sunday 21 June, 21.30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

LA Knight Riders v Seattle Orcas MLC Tips

LA Knight Riders won their opening match with a surprise success over San Francisco Unicorns. It was only their sixth win in their three-season history. It wouldn't be entirely surprising then, if they failed to go back-to-back.

Conditions in Dallas for that contest suited them. Rain had reduced the match to a 14-over game. A thrash and bash in the splash is ideal for LA. They have not been a team known for nuance and craft so an opportunity when both attributes are reduced in effectiveness is ideal.

Colin Munro and Jason Holder were the stars. Chasing 151, Munro hit 64 from 40 in the opening berth while Holder, batting at No 4, made 28. We don't expect Holder to retain that spot. Unmukt Chand, their best batter, was kept away from the action. He of the 40% win rate n top bat should return to the top order although betting him isn't advised because we don't know where he will be placed yet.

Orcas have a win and defeat under their belts. They lost a high scorer against Texas and then came out on top in the same against Freedom. Tim Seifert has won back-to-back top bats. They do need others to step up now.

It has to be said the balance of their batting order is not right. Tim Robinson, an opener, is down at No 4. Shimron Hetmyer, who should be at No 3, was at No 5. Marcus Stoinis missed that Freedom game, though, so if the skip returns it could sort itself out.

The value is a bet on Orcas at odds-against with Sportsbook. Maybe we're wrong about LA but we'lll need plenty more evidence than one game that they have morphed into an odds-on team. This is quite clearly a choice affair with two sides finding their way.

Texas Super Kings v MINY
Monday 22 June, 01.30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Texas Super Kings v MINY IPL Tips

MI New York lost their opener against Freedom on Sunday. They will not be in the least bothered. MINY lost six of their first seven last season and still won the title. They are still to be bolstered by arrivals from Afghanistan's ODI squad.

Rashid Khan and Allah Ghazanfar were in action on Sunday so this game probably comes too soon for them. Corbin Bosch stepped in despite the apparent availability of Shakib-al-Hasan. Bosch had a good game with a wicket and a 14-ball 35 but he will almost certainly make way for Rashid. or Romario Shepherd could get the chop.

We would have said it was Kieron Pollard who would step away. But the coach hit 100 from 56 balls in their first game. It would have been a frustrating watch for top-bat players. Nic Pooran and Quinton de Kock both had massive win rates and the strategy was to wait to see who won first. It is now a game of patience.

There was bad good news for Texas fans in defeat by San Francisco. A failure for Faf Du Plessis saw the top order panic. Perhaps no surprise. Faf has scored almost all of their runs and had an even-money win rate on top bats in the last three seasons (including this one). It may take time for someone else to take responsibility.

But who? The bat order doesn't impress it has to be said. Getting Wiaan Mulder and Donovan Ferreira (totally wasted at Nos 6 and 7 respectively) is a ploy they need to action quickly. The upshot of that may be that it just makes sense to back Faf to hit back. Sportsbook are likely to go around 9/43.25.

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