World Cup Betting: Bangladesh v Netherlands

Match Previews / Ed Hawkins / 13 March 2011 /

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Tamim Iqbal is Bangladesh's top bat so far

"The best advice is to prepare for a back-to lay of the men in orange, especially if they chase"

Ed Hawkins reckons the future could be orange at Chittagong on Monday - and bleak for Bangladesh

London start time: 03.30

Team news
Bangladesh must win to keep their qualification hopes alive and ensure that the pressure remains on England ahead of their contest against West Indies.

It would be a surprise if they made a change from the side that beat England. Mahmudallah, preferred to Mohammad Ashraful, will be a fixture for as long as he wants following his match-winning unbeaten 21 against Andrew Strauss' side.

Dutch skipper Peter Borren said what we're all thinking: "As we have seen, Bangladesh can be an unpredictable team, a team which has its problem with consistence."

Venue and conditions
The toss is crucial in Chittagong because of the evening dew which makes the ball difficult to grip by bowlers. Just ask Graeme Swann. Of the 10 ODIs played at the venue, seven have now been won by the side chasing.

Match odds
This is not a game that many will be getting up in the wee hours for. A shame because Netherlands are a reasonable punting opportunity at [5.00]. Bangladesh are untenable at [1.24].

Despite this column being keen on a trade on Bangladesh on the outright, a healthy level of mistrust has developed following an abominable performance against West Indies, a nervy one against Ireland and a lucky one against England.

It is the first two matches of that sequence which are our most reliable form guides. Under pressure and expectation, Bangladesh panic. They are expected to beat the Dutch so it would be reasonable to assume that they will have a wobble or two.

The best advice is to prepare for a back-to lay of the men in orange, especially if they chase. Last year, in the only match played between the two, the Dutch won in a curtailed game in Glasgow.

Top batsman - Bangladesh
Tamim Iqbal, a [3.50] shot (152 runs) leads the Bangladeshi run-scoring chart. But Imrul Kayes (111) and Shakib Al-Hasan (111) are also in the mix. Shakib is forever value at [7.00].

Top batsman - Netherlands
Ryan ten Doeschate (148 runs) has done nothing after his century in the opening match against England. Tom Cooper, with 140 runs, might be the better wager. Ten Doeschate is [4.00] and Cooper [4.50].

Best bet: back-to-lay Netherlands at [5.00]

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