England To Open With Victory At Old Trafford

England and the West Indies meet in the first match of their ODI series at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

The Three Lions were able to see off the tourists in the Test series, but the Windies were able to get some revenge by winning the only T20 contest.

Eoin Morgan’s men were beaten by 21 runs in the match at the Emirates Riverside, failing to chase down their target of 177.

Evin Lewis and Chris Gayle got the tourists off to the lightning start and that proved to be decisive. Lewis notched half-century off just 26 balls, while Gayle made a brisk 40 in wet conditions.

England responded through the bat of Alex Hales, but once he was dismissed for 43 the innings went downhill.

Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow offered resistance, although they failed to guide their side over the line, allowing the Windies to secure the win.

The Three Lions will be aiming to respond at Old Trafford to continue their good form in ODI cricket. They underperformed in the Champions Trophy, but have won six out of their last seven series.

This includes a victory over the West Indies in the Caribbean earlier this year. Jason Holder’s men will have their sights set on building off their T20 win in the ODI opener at Old Trafford.

We’ll now break down the betting odds for the first contest of the series.

England’s Top Batsman

Bairstow was an outsider in the ODI side due to the impressive form of England’s batsmen. However, Jason Roy’s lack of form allowed the Yorkshireman to come into the side against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. He did not make an impact in the clash, although it was an off day for majority of line-up as the Three Lions crashed out of the tournament.

Roy’s first-ball dismissal in the T20 against the Windies, highlighted his issues. As a result, Bairstow will continue to open with Hales for the series. The 27-year-old only has 23 ODI innings under his belt, boasting an impressive average of 38.33. He has made five half-centuries in his brief career, despite arriving at the crease in the lower order.

Bairstow’s most notable limited-overs’ knock came against New Zealand in 2015. He came to the middle with England in a crisis at 40-4, but scored an unbeaten 83 to guide his team to their winning total of 192 with an over to spare.  The Yorkshireman now has the platform to build a career as an opener and has the talent to become one of the leading players in the world at the position.

The 27-year-old has the defensive technique, but also the ability to go through the gears and score at a rapid rate. He played some decent strokes in the T20 before being dismissed for 28 as the required run rate increased late in the innings.

At Old Trafford he will have time to play himself into knick before exploding with his array of shots. Therefore backing him at odds of 5.50Bet €100 to win €5509/2Bet £100 to win £550+450Bet $100 to win $5504.50Bet HK$100 to win HK$5504.50Bet Rp100 to win Rp550-0.2222Bet RM100 to win RM550  with BetFred could be a valuable punt.

West Indies’ Top Batsman

Gayle has not played ODI cricket since 2015, but he will return to the fold after settling his dispute with the West Indies’ Cricket Board. The 37-year-old returned to competitive action for the Windies for the first time since June at the Emirates Riverside. He needed no time to find his form in the middle, blasting 40 off just 21 deliveries, including four sixes.

He will be a vital cog for the tourists in the series as he was absent for their 3-0 defeat against the Three Lions in the Caribbean. Gayle will offer impetus at the top of the innings to put England on the back foot, challenging the home side’s bowlers from the off.

Morgan’s men were creaking against Lewis and Gayle’s assault before they were both dismissed. The Windies will need their star man to have a similar effect in the series. England are more than capable of racking up the runs to put Holder’s men under pressure – therefore fast starts will needed.

It has been two years since the 37-year-old played ODI cricket. His last appearance came in the Windies’ quarter-final defeat to New Zealand in the 2015 World Cup. Gayle made 61 off 33 balls in the loss, highlighting how destructive he can be. He may need time to adapt back to life in the 50-over format – so patience will be the name of the game for the opener.

Gayle has the quality to score heavily at Old Trafford – therefore back him at odds of 4.00Bet €100 to win €4003/1Bet £100 to win £400+300Bet $100 to win $4003.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$4003.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp400-0.3333Bet RM100 to win RM400  with Bet365 to lead the way.

England’s Top Bowler

Adil Rashid had a strong performance in the T20 as he collected three wickets. The Yorkshireman has been a solid performer for the Three Lions since their rebuild after the 2015 World Cup. He has offered a wicket-taking option in the middle overs, while keeping the runs down in the process.

The 29-year-old has taken 70 wickets in his 49 matches, highlighting his growth as a spinner. Rashid was controversially dropped for England’s opener in the Champions Trophy. However, he bounced back to prove his worth with excellent displays against New Zealand and Australia.

The Three Lions have come to rely on his quality, although he has been ignored for a call into the Test side. Rashid has dropped down the pecking order below Mason Crane. He will be looking for another response to a potential shunning for the Ashes squad this winter.

Rashid fared well enough against the West Indies in the Caribbean. He took four wickets in the three matches and his figures were economical. The seamers did the majority of the damage in those games, but he will look to take centre stage at Old Trafford.

Back him with Ladbrokes at odds of 4.33Bet €100 to win €433333/100Bet £100 to win £433+333Bet $100 to win $4333.33Bet HK$100 to win HK$4333.33Bet Rp100 to win Rp433-0.3003Bet RM100 to win RM433  to lead the wicket column in Manchester.

Winner

England will have been frustrated by their defeat in the T20 contest at Durham. They put themselves in a decent position after the initial onslaught by Gayle and Lewis to chase down 177. Hales got them off to a lightning start, but were unable to sustain their reply, with Morgan struggling more than most in the middle order.

The Three Lions should come out firing in response to their defeat, with the return of key players Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali back into the fold. As a result, back England at odds of 1.40Bet €100 to win €1402/5Bet £100 to win £140-250Bet $100 to win $1400.40Bet HK$100 to win HK$140-2.50Bet Rp100 to win Rp1400.4000Bet RM100 to win RM140  with William Hill to claim the win in Manchester.

Tips Summary

England To Beat West Indies 1^st ODI
Tuesday 19^th September 2017 12:30 BST
Odds: 1.40Bet €100 to win €1402/5Bet £100 to win £140-250Bet $100 to win $1400.40Bet HK$100 to win HK$140-2.50Bet Rp100 to win Rp1400.4000Bet RM100 to win RM140

Jonny Bairstow To Be England’s Top Batsman
Tuesday 19^th September 2017 12:30 BST
Odds: 5.50Bet €100 to win €5509/2Bet £100 to win £550+450Bet $100 to win $5504.50Bet HK$100 to win HK$5504.50Bet Rp100 to win Rp550-0.2222Bet RM100 to win RM550

Chris Gayle To Be West Indies’ Top Batsman
Tuesday 19^th September 2017 12:30 BST
Odds: 4.00Bet €100 to win €4003/1Bet £100 to win £400+300Bet $100 to win $4003.00Bet HK$100 to win HK$4003.00Bet Rp100 to win Rp400-0.3333Bet RM100 to win RM400

Adil Rashid To Be England’s Top Bowler
Tuesday 19^th September 2017 12:30 BST
Odds: 4.33Bet €100 to win €433333/100Bet £100 to win £433+333Bet $100 to win $4333.33Bet HK$100 to win HK$4333.33Bet Rp100 to win Rp433-0.3003Bet RM100 to win RM433