Sports Blog 19/06/2015: Cricket Preview - England v New Zealand 5th ODI, Saturday 20th June 2015

It’s 2-2 and all to play for in the deciding match of the most entertaining one day series ever played in England.

Chester-le-Street is the venue for the fifth and final match between these two sides, with both teams desperate to seal a 3-2 series win. This series has deserved a grand finale, and hopefully with the weather set fair this Saturday should provide just that. There is simply no splitting the two teams, with both England and New Zealand priced at 47.6-52.4 on the binaries – it really is a choice match up.

One of the most eye-catching elements of the series has been the way in which both teams have relentlessly attacked with the bat. 15 different players have hit a 6 in the series, which must surely be a record. New Zealand have been playing this way for a while now, but it is the approach of England which has raised eyebrows and reinvigorated the English cricketing public. Total Sixes are quoted at 13.25-14.25, a reflection on the carnage seen so far in the series. Total fours are pitched at 52-55, with the multi-fours (England fours multiplied by New Zealand fours) quoted at 690-760. The pitches prepared for this series so far have been very kind to the batsmen, and it would be no surprise to see this continue at Durham on Saturday for the decider.



England’s new approach with the bat starts right from the top, with former world number one twenty20 batsman Alex Hales setting the tone. Hales blasted 67 in game four to get the England run chase off to a flyer, and in truth New Zealand never really recovered as England cruised home. Hales’ player performance is quoted at 40-45, and you can rest assured he will once again be trying to launch the New Zealand bowlers from the off. Fixed odds punters are offered 15/4 about Hales top scoring for the English. Hales is included alongside Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan in the England Joy of Six specials market, which rewards each 6 hit by the trio with 25 points. Our traders quote 92-100, expecting almost exactly 4 sixes to be hit by these three players alone.

For New Zealand it has been the engine room of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor plundering the majority of the runs, with captain Brendan McCullum surprisingly misfiring at the top of the order. Both Taylor and Williamson have hit centuries in the series, with Williamson’s 44 fours hit an incredible 14 greater than any other batsman from either side. Williamson’s player performance is pitched fairly high at 52-57, despite only bowling six overs all series and taking just the one wicket. Taylor is available at 44-49, and his ability to play big shots throughout the middle overs will again be key to New Zealand’s batting effort.

For the most part this series has been one to forget for the bowlers. Unforgiving pitches, unfavourable fielding restrictions and batsmen in top form have led to some horrendous bowling figures and some chastening experiences. England’s most economical bowler has been Mark Wood, who has remarkably only gone for 4.85 runs an over. This may not sound particularly impressive but in the context of this series is a fine achievement. Wood will look to continue his impressive start to his international career, and punters looking to have an interest in the young seamer are offered a player performance quote of just 30-35 to do so. The leg-spin of a resurgent Adil Rashid has added intrigue to the series, with some pundits wondering if he could even make a late push for inclusion in the Ashes squad this summer. His cameos with the bat have also caught the eye, and with multiple strings to his bow his player performance quote of 37-42 is certainly of interest. Rashid is available at a tempting 28/1 to top score for England.



For New Zealand Tim Southee will lead the attack, shorn of his regular strike partner Trent Boult. Southee has performed solidly this series, but has not delivered the devastating burst we saw in the World Cup. His player performance quote is 35-40 for those wishing to take a view on his display in this deciding game. Youngster Mitchell Santner caught the eye with both bat and ball at Trent Bridge, particularly when taking Adil Rashid for 28 off a single over. The big-hitting spin bowler’s player performance quote is 39-44, and given Santner is capable of contributing with bat and ball could well be worth a look.

Those that expect the avalanche of runs to continue may well be interested in the 50 Ups and Ton Ups quotes. 50 Ups are priced at 110-118, with England 50 Ups 53-58 and New Zealand 56-61 respectively. Ton Ups are quoted at 20-24, with both England and New Zealand Ton Ups pitched at 10-13. The attacking approach of both teams has made the series the brilliant spectacle it has been, and it is unlikely either side will take a backward step at this stage. With live coverage on Sky Sports 2, Spreadex will be offering a comprehensive in-running service across spread markets and fixed odds so settle in for what should be a great day of ODI cricket!