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Advantage to batting first in MI v DSG
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DSG possibly worth a trade batting first
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Rassie looks worth chancing for top bat
MI Cape Town v Durban Super Giants
Friday 13 January, 15:30
TV: Live on Sky Sports
Team news
Mumbai powered past Paarl in the opener and the tournament favourites will be hard to stop. Jofra Archer was a surprise starter. He could be rested with Kagiso Rabada or Beuran Hendricks likely to be available. How about that for a replacement? If not Olly Stone may miss out for the former.
Possible XI: Brevis, Rickleton, Roelofsen, Van der Dussen, Curran, Potgieter, Linde, Rashid Khan, D Jansen, Archer, Rabada
Durban Super Giants' lack of batting power came home to roost in game one when they came up short in a chase against Joburg. It was a surprise Matt Breetzke wasn't trusted to hit with Jason Holder and Dwaine Pretorius batting ahead of him. Reece Topley may come in to add much-needed pace.
Possible XI: Mayers, De Kock, Klaasen, Mulder, Breetzke, Holder, D Pretorius, Paul, Subrayen, Maharaj, Topley
Pitch report
Paarl were well below the average score of 165 and even further behind the average winning score of 174. There is an advantage to batting first and going hard over a longer study period. Cape Town should bust 170 batting first.
How to play
Cape Town are 1.584/7. That's probably too short given we've just had one game. The question is: are Durban 2.68/5 to hit that average winning score? Possibly not. Batting first Durban should merit a trade to a choice affair.
Tops value
Dewald Brevis and Quinton de Kock have been boosted to 15/8 and 12/5 rspectively for top Cape Town and Durban bats. If Mumbai make a strong start, Sam Curran is liekly to be promoted. That means Rassie van der Dussen is delayed to the crease. However, in other circumstances rassie should bat at Nos 3 or 4. In short, he's not an 8/1 shot with Sportsbook.
Sunrisers Eastern Cape v Pretoria Capitals
Saturday 14 January, 15:30
TV: Live on Sky Sports
Team news
Sunrisers were well-beaten by Capitals in their opener. They let their rivals off the hook having reduced them to 80 for four in the tenth. A total of 190 should never have been on from there.
Possible XI: Smuts, Erwee, Cox, Markram, Stubbs, Abell, Fuller, Jansen, Magala, Crane, Baartman
Capitals ensured Sunrisers were never truly in the hunt in the chase. Which is as you would expect. They appear to be a bowling team rather than a batting team. If they can hit consistently like tey did in the opener they will be a force.
Possible: Salt, Jacks, Rossouw, de Bruyn, Muthusamy, Dadswell, Neesham, Parnell, Bosch, Rashid, Nortje
Pitch report
Centurion is a flat one, borne out by 178 being the average winning score. And it retains its decent nature in the chase. There's a big bias of 75% in a 20-game study.
How to play
The challenge for Sunrisers if they bowl first is to keep the Capitals below that 178 figure. Earkly market numbers suggest there's little confidence. Capitals are chalked up at 1.528/15. We expect that to level up to around 1.705/7. If it doesn't, however, and we can get 2.407/5 Sunrisres ina chase, we'll take it.
Tops value
Ottniel baartman was a dead-heat winner on top bowler in the opener. but we swerve him here. He went for a boatload at the death and may be removed from that duty. We're keen on Aiden Markram for top Sunrisers and will be getting involved at 5.004/1 with Sportsbook.