The Hundred Tips Matches 28 and 29: Bets at 5/1 and 80/1 as pressure mounts

• Phoenix have edge over Rockets

• Edgbaston pitch tricky to call

• Livingstone and Thompson underrated

• Northern without Ben Stokes

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Birmingham Phoenix v Trent Rockets
Monday 12 August, 18.30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Birmingham Phoenix v Trent Rockets team news

Phoenix have done well to put their opening-day defeat by Oval behind them, winning four from five since. Their batting remains a worry, though, and they have a collapse in them for sure. Witness the cruise and then chaos in the chase against Fire last time. Moeen Ali appears to have made the opening slot his own.

Probable XI: Duckett, Moeen, Smith, Livingstone, Mousley, Bethell, Howell, Abbott, Southee, Milne, C Wood

If Rockets lose their qualification hopes are over. After a decent start they paid the price for tinkering to make room for Joe Root. Sam Hain, previously Adam Lyth, is the latest to be axed for the England man.

Possible XI: Lyth, Banton, Hales, Root, Powell, Gregory, Rashid, Imad, L Wood, S Cook, Turner

Birmingham Phoenix v Trent Rockets pitch report

Edgbaston isn't easy to call. Brave's 169 suggested a very flat one because of Phoenix's normally canny bowling. Then Superchargers flopped to 83 all out. We suspect the Rockets batting is an unders play if the option to go low at the high 140s is on. There's a small chance of rain.

Birmingham Phoenix v Trent Rockets match prediction

Phoenix are 1.8810/11 with Rockets 2.1211/10. It is arguable that Phoenix should be shorter given the respective form of the two sides.

As much as the hosts give us a bit of a wobble when it comes to batting, the Rockets are probably less reliable. Their ability to get stuck in a rut in a chase has cost them.

That fear could be exposed by a Phoenix team expert at the squeeze. They did it to Rockets on their previous meeting with Dan Mousley causing consternation.

Birmingham Phoenix v Trent Rockets player bets

Liam Livingstone has been hugely disappointing and has no wins on top-bat this term. And yet he's still closer to 4/15.00 on win rate on three-year form than Sportsbook's boosted 5/16.00. A score of 30 against Rockets last time suggests he has some mettle. For Rockets, Thompson may not play but he is not an 80/181.00 chance on ability with the bat.

Northern Superchargers v London Spirit
Tuesday 13 August, 18.30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Northern Superchargers v London Spirit team news

Ben Stokes is out with a hamstring injury which looks likely to keep him from the Tests against Sri Lanka. His replacement for Northern could be Jordan Clark. Ollie Robinson or Graham Clark could return to opening roles..

Probable XI: Short, O Robinson/G Clark, Pooran, Brook, Hose, Santner, J Clark, Rashid, Potts, Topley

Spirit have lost four in a row and last time out against Oval they were bowled out for 96. There were particularly bad knocks from England pair Ollie Pope and Dan Lawrence. Shimron Hetmyer has been a waste of money.

Probable XI: Kennings, Pepper, Pope, Lawrence, Hetmyer, Russell, Cricthley, Dawson, Stone, Ellis, Worrall

Northern Superchargers v London Spirit pitch report

It's tempting to think that Northern rack up a huge score batting first on a flat one. But Spirit's bowling has been good. It's the batting that has been the issue. Any jump in the par line from what should be a buy in the 153s region should be treated with caution.

Northern Superchargers v London Spirit match prediction

The match odds market is giving nothing away with the hosts at 1.558/15. We were hoping that the Stokes news might have pushed out Northern a touch but no luck.

Any sniff of 1.804/5 in-play on the home team should be snaffled. One supposes there's a chance that on a good deck batting first Spirit play with freedom and go well enough to trade.

Northern Superchargers v London Spirit player bets

If we're right about Clark and Robinson vying for the opening slot alongside Matt Short Sportsbook could be considered to be generous with offers of 5/16.00 and 8/19.00 respectively for top Northern bat. Harry Brook is 4/15.00 with Nic Pooran [10/3]. For Spirit, Pope really should have the class to make a score on a good wicket at 4/15.00.

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