Champions League Twenty20 Betting – NSW’s big guns need to fire against Victoria

Champions League Twenty20 Betting Odds

NSW Blues vs. Victoria Bushrangers
Wednesday, October 21, 10am

NSW Blues –135
Victoria Bushrangers +105

Australia’s best exponents of the short form of cricket will battle out the first semi final of the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 tournament in Delhi today with a win securing the team a chance at the US$2.5 million first prize.

The biggest individual prize offered in international cricket is a tempting lure for the NSW Blues and Victoria Bushrangers whose players will all face a financial windfall beyond their own comprehension if they can just make it into the final on Friday.

NSW were clear favourites of their group at the start of the tournament and were equal favourites to win the competition alongside IPL franchises Deccan Chargers and the Delhi Daredevils.

With both of those teams gone from the competition NSW are now clear favourites to win and despite a shock loss to fellow semi-finalists Trinidad and Tobago in the second leg of the tournament, the state team has never really looked in danger.

Not only do they sport some of the classiest and brutally aggressive batsmen in the tournament, they also have the bowling ability to back it up.

Phillip Hughes is the tournament’s highest run scorer with 164, averaging 55 at a strike rate of 106.49 and fellow opener is not far behind with 140 runs at 132. Captain Simon Katich is hitting the ball cleanly, and the rest of the batsmen have al contributed.

To put it into perspective, the NSW are the only team in the tournament that have never been dismissed. They have never lost all 10 wickets, the four bowlers have never had to face a ball showing that the top order is doing its job.

While their pace attack, which reads like an Australian team and their stats read in a similar fashion, hasn’t been required to bat, they have been prolific with the ball in dismissing other teams.

Brett Lee is bowling with an economy rate of 3.6. Yep, that’s 3.6 over 15 overs no less. By far and away the most economical figures of the tournament are combined with Moises Henriques’ wicket taking ability (seven wickets averaging 15 at an economy rate of 7.77). Then Stuart Clark slots in with six wickets at a strike rate of 15.

If Victoria are to win they are going to need to try and contain NSW, which they can do. They have the bowlers to hit a line and length and keep the likes of Warner and Hughes from accelerating.

It will be a tough ask, but it can be done. Shane Harwood and Clint McKay along with Peter Siddle and Andrew McDonald know which lengths to hit and have mastered the subtle change of pace needed to win T20.

Gone are the days of the big slower ball, the dramatic change in pace. Teams have realised that their fielders are athletic enough to cover vast distances on the oval and if players sky the ball, they have safe hands to take the big catches.

Victoria’s only stumbling block will be their batsmen. They need to be able to stave of the likes of Lee and Clark to set a competitive total. Anything around the 120-130 mark won’t be enough. Not with Warner and Hughes at the top.