Cricket picks - Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers

The Deccan Chargers need to pick up maximum points this afternoon against the Mumbai Indians if they are planning to make the knock-out stages of the IPL this year. Gilchrist and Co will be cursing the fact that they have dropped some points in earlier games and now need to make it up against Tendulkars men.

Our picks for this fixture:

• Split bet on top Deccan batsman - Andrew Symonds (5/1) and Herschelle Gibbs (4/1)


• Top Mumbai Indians batsman - JP Duminy

Come on Deccan!

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IPL standings after game 22

After 22 matches in this years IPL these are the standings. Our picks for the season were the Deccan Chargers and the Rajasthan Royals who are at present slugging it out in third and fourth place respectively.

Mumbai Indians 8 +1.167
Royal Challengers Bangalore 8 +0.961
Rajasthan Royals 6 -0.017
Deccan Chargers 6 -0.031
Delhi Daredevils 6 -0.618
Chennai Super Kings 4 -0.079
Kolkata Knight Riders 4 -0.851
Kings XI Punjab 2 -0

So has IPL 2010 caught your eye? Is it losing any of its "novelty" factor yet? I won't lie I haven't watched as much of it this year as I did last year and its been more of the quirky things like Matt Hayden and "The Mongoose" which has made the news.

Kemar Roach

Does anybody know much about this West Indian cricketer that's apparently making a bit of a name for himself at the Deccan Chargers?

Apparently he is quite quick!

Just looked him up on CricInfo - full profile here - I like this bit though: "He won admirers in Australia for his hostile pace and in one Test, forced Ricky Ponting to retire hurt. He was one of the top draws in the third IPL auction and was bought by Deccan Chargers for $720000"

I'm a fan of anybody who roughs up the odd Australian!

Two match ups in the IPL on Sunday

The Deccan Chargers take on the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League today and this is followed up by Chennai vs Kings XI Punjab.

Here are our selections for the Sunday match ups:

Match-up one selections:

• Deccan to win
• Deccan top batsman - Herschelle Gibbs
• Delhi top batsman – AB Devilliers

Match up two:

• Chennai to win
• Top Punjab batsman – Yufraj Singh
• Top Chennia batsman – Either Matt Hayden or Albie Morkel (12/1)

Happy punting!

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IPL Season 3 betting

The third season of the T20 cricket bonanza that is the Indian Premier League (IPL) is on its way and it looks like quite an open season this year.

The pre-season odds as supplied by the team at World Sports Betting:

Delhi Daredevils – 3.5 / 1
Chennai Super Kings – 5/1
Deccan Chargers – 5/1
Bangalore Royal Challengers – 6/1
Mumbai Indians – 6/1
Kolkata Knight Riders – 7/1
Kings Xi Punjab – 7.5/1
Rajasthan Royals – 8/1

I am a Deccan Chargers fan so I’ve backed them and the Rajasthan Royals in this years competition.

The Chargers are a quality outfit and surprised that they are not favourites this year but I’ll take those odds thank you very much!

The Royals also surprised me that they were so far out of favour with the bookies. The side includes some quality T20 players including:

• Graeme Smith
• Shane Warne
• Morne Morkel
• Shaun Tait
• Yussuf Pathan
• Johan Botha

Suffice to say they are my outside bet but the Chargers remain my first pick. Bring on the IPL!

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T20 Champions League - Saturday Picks

Another day in the T20 Champions League competition today and now that a couple of teams have had a chance to stretch their legs punters will be able to make some more informed decisions.

Deccan vs. Somerset
It is hard to look beyond the Deccan Chargers for this fixture - too many big guns for the Somerset side and I would expect them to romp home.

Preditions

• Deccan to win
• Top Deccan batsman - Adam Gilchrist
• Top Somerset batsman - Justin Langer

Cape Cobras vs Otago
The Cobras were good in their last fixture and even minus Charl Langeveldt I'd expect them to win here.

Money on Andrew Puttick to top score for the Cape Cobras with Brendan McCullum top scoring for Otago.

Franchise cricket making big strides

I know I have blogged on the subject before but I think it is significant to see how the franchise brands are beginning to become an out and out competitor against the international teams. For those who don't know I had said that I expect franchise cricket to overtake the importance of the international fixtures by around 2012.

This won't be limited to T20 cricket either but will see the franchises playing full length One Day fixtures and most probably test matches.

This T20 Champions Trophy event is already providing a competitor for sponsors money, supporters at the ground, television revenue and even the importance in the players careers.

Players who could be resting are driven to play by the money that is attached to it - at some point this is going to come at the detriment of the national teams as fatigue starts to kick in.

Personally I think we are reaching an intriguing stage in world cricket and I guess if I have to attach my flag to the franchises it will probably be the Deccan Chargers and the Cape Cobras.

Champions League Twenty20 kicks off

JP Duminy has kicked off the Champions League Twenty20 with a stirring 99 off 52 balls to help the Cape Cobras beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore - a good result but its a pity he couldn't do that for the Proteas in recent weeks!!

I have to say that I am a little disappointed in the low-key build-up to the tournament at least in South Africa. Conceptually I think that it is a great idea and a brilliant way to reinforce the franchise brands and yet a lot of people didn't even know the event kicked off yesterday.

Anyway I'm a supporter of the Cape Cobras domestically and I won some nice money supporting the Deccan Chargers last year so I guess I will spread some money around these two teams to go all the way. Thoughts on which teams are looking interesting this year?

Sigh - the West Indies again...

Hahahahha the West Indies make me laugh - masters of self-destruction!

I put some bucks on them for the ODI against England this afternoon and I see that after a promising start from Chris Gayle, they are limping along at 150/7 after 35 overs....

Oh well - at least I got IPL final tickets.... Can't wait - got money on the Deccan Chargers - can't wait!

Adam Gilchrist

Heck it as to suck to be as talented as Adam Gilchrist! At 37 years old the guy is still blasting some of the best one-day international talent in the world to all corners of the park!

Tonight he bashed 85 off 37 balls and he has put the Deccan Chargers in the IPL final at Wanderers on Sunday. You have no idea how happy I am considering the series of close losses that the Deccan Chargers have taken in the last 3 games.

Even better than all of that - my wife and I have got VIP tickets to watch the final - it's gonna be a cracker and I'm gonna be cheering my lungs out as Gilly and Gibbs smash all comers!

Yes please!

Bugger!

So far my punt on the West Indies is not looking that great. It didn't help that Day 2 was rained out but now if they can show a bit of back-bone they can at least bat out for the draw.... They've just gotta get a few runs on the board.

Locally we're going into the last week of the IPL and what a great tournament it has been for South Africa.

A couple of nice games on the board today:

• Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils
• Deccan Chargers vs Kings Punjab
  

Lots of fun and games and well done to everybody who brought this competition to South Africa!

West Indies to beat England in 2nd test...

Ok so I've been battling to sleep following the ill advised decision to partake in some Jager Bombs.

Anyway I was surfing around looking for some interesting bets and I realised that the West Indies take on England in the second test match starting today.

So knowing how the West Indies blow hot and cold, I've decided to back them to win the second test and put some money on the table having had some luck back guys in the IPL.

So my bets are here for some transparency:

Outright win - West Indies
Top batter 1st innings - West Indies - Shiv Chanderpaul
Top batter 1st innings - England - Andrew Strauss

Wish me luck!

Bloody hell - how was that Deccan Chargers collapse yesterday?!

Aaaaahhhh man...

The Delhi Daredevils finally got one over the Deccan Chargers and we had to give up our undefeated record in the IPL...

Pity - we were going like a house on fire!

Unfortunately it would appear that if neither Gibbs nor Gilchrist gets going then there is some frailty in the Deccan Chargers batting line-up and if it hadn't been for some decent hitting from Dwayne Smith it would have been even worse.

A little disappointed that Scott Styris didn't get a run but I guess the obvious question - why tamper with a winning formula.

The IPL is definately capturing people's imaginations at the moment here in South Africa and it's amazing to skim through Facebook to see how many people have planned their long weekend around the IPL games.

Yeah yeah yeah!

Can you say Deccan Chargers baby!!!!

Gibbs and Gilchrist are loving this format of the game and they're just on top of their game -it's great to watch....

We racked up another hard fought win over the Chennai Super Kings today.... A good weekend of cricket for us.

How cool has it been to watch Shane Warne playing!? The standing (if a little uncultured) joke in South Africa is that Warney likes this T20 lark because the two guys who knew how to play him - Hansie Cronje and Jonty Rhodes - one is dead and one has retired...

Moving swiftly along...

Have to put the boot in again as well here... Freddie Flintoff and KP are the two most expensive players in this years IPL if my stats are correct... and they've contributed how much in runs and wickets?!

Not sure either of these guys classify as the top cricketers in the ODI format of the game... but that's just personal opinion and I appreciate that there is more a "celeb" factor when one looks at KP as opposed to cricketing skills.

To be honest

I have to say that despite my reservations about T20 cricket I've actually spent more time following the IPL this year than last year.

Heck I've even got a favourite team (The Deccan Chargers)!

Looking at the crowds as well, its probably been a good boost for SA cricket and tourism so that should have some economic spin-offs as well ...

... and best of all the cricket has been classy!

The Mumbai Indians and the Deccan Chargers are the top two teams in the competition at the moment and they haven't gotten there with crazy slogging cricket.

Gilchrist, Gibbs and Tendulkar have put on some seriously classy batting displays and while its not really a bowlers format of cricket, there have been some good spells as well.

My pick...

I forgot to post my pick for the IPL - this year it was easy - Adam Gilchrist opening with Herschelle Gibbs - no questions The Deccan Chargers are my team...

Then you have Andrew Symonds and Scot Styris there as all rounders - not too shabby mate!

Darren Lehman as a coach also not too bad...