Pakistan Super League Tips Matches 20 and 21: Dishy Rishy at 35s

• Lahore ground one for extremes

• Low scores can win top bat

• Home bowling can hurt Quetta

• Hossain a fancy for runs

Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings
Thursday 1 May, 11:00
TV: live on Sky Sports

Multan Sultans v Karachi Kings PSLT20 tips

We continue to target big-priced top-bat bets on a poor Lahore batting surface. Thirties and 40s can win this market and although in the case of Sultans there is a Mr Reliable to take down, Mohammad Rizwan won last time, we still eye Chris Jordan's price of 35/136.00. 

Jordan has been out of the team as Sultans' camapign has been well and truly torpedoed but he is training. Maybe he comes back for this one. He was batting at No 6. For Kings, Hasan Ali looks too big at 70/171.00. He should be half that on ability and has copped at big prices before. 

Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators
Friday 2 May, 16:00
TV: live on Sky Sports

Lahore Qalandars v Quetta Gladiators PSLT20 Tips

The wicket at the Gaddafi Stadium has taken punters by surprise. Previously a road (fours and overs on par lines was de rigeur) it appears to be a minefield with many batters struggling to get it off the square. 

So far we have seen all-out scores of 129, 142, 114, 89 and 121. And yet Lahore posted 209 to beat Islamabad last time out before this round of fixtures to upset the runaway leaders, Islamabad United. They replied with that 121 listed. 

Extremes are possible. And it does seem that batting first may be the way to go. On a surface which clearly has the propensity to be difficult and get tougher, posting any sort of score keeps a team bang in the game.

Lahore at 1.814/5 may represent value given the opportunity to go big again against a Quetta side which is hanging tough just behind them in the standings with three consecutive wins. In time that price may look very big indeed but the market is wary about this track.

It could be that Lahore are the best team in this tourny even if United have won five from six. The big-gun players that United signed - and tempted many into betting them outright - just haven't played and they still wait on Rassie van der Dussen's arrival for example. We are expecting United to suffer a dip in form and be brought closer to the pack.

We are not convinced by their line-up at all and man for man Lahore should have too much. Saud Shakeel and Finn Allen is an opening combo that doesn't impress  long term and bar Mark Chapman and Faheem Ashraf in the middle- and lower-order there's not a huge amount to worry about with the bat.

Against United, Lahore's new-ball strength was there for all to see. Haris Rauf took four wickets and Shaheen Afridi one for ten. When those two are both in form Lahore  are hard to stop. For that reason we are eye a lay on Quetta runs batting first at 165, 170 and 175. There is a chance we might get 2.1011/10 about the mid point. They look to have a soft underbelly and that home pace attack has the ability to get into it quickly.

Rishad Hossain, the Bangladesh all-roudner, has been out of the side for Lahore recently. We assumed he might have been involved in the Bangaldesh Test squad but he has not been named in their second group. He fits the bill for our strategy of taking big-priced top bat bets in Lahore. When the tournament moves on to Multan late on in the month, it is unlikely we continue with the ploy.

Hossain is 35/136.00 with Sportsbook. We were hoping for the option to buy his performance, already a winner for us this term, but Sportsbook are yet to price. For Quetta, we are keen on Kyle Jamieson, Akeal Hosein and Sean Abbott all at 35/136.00 with Sportsbook. The problem is, Quetta will find it hard to make room for even one of them in this XI currently because of balance. It is money back if we bet a non-runner and suggest a 0.25 point stake on each. 

On a potentially tricky surface and therefor tight game, we reiterate the  tie trade from a standard 50.049/1 to early teens in the last throes of the second dig. The back-to-lay strategy is reliable. It is one to remember as we continue in Lahore. 

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