England To Edge Out Windies In T20 Clash

England wrapped up the Test series against the West Indies, claiming victory at Lord’s by nine wickets to secure a 2-1 win.

Joe Root has enjoyed a perfect start to his tenure as Test captain by defeating South Africa and the Windies in his two series.

He now goes back into the ranks for the limited-overs cricket as Eoin Morgan returns as skipper.

England will have revenge on their mind from their defeat in the World T20 final last year when Carlos Brathwaite smashed Ben Stokes for four sixes in the last over to deliver a stunning win.

The Three Lions are ranked only behind New Zealand in the world rankings, with the Windies in fourth place despite their World T20 triumph.

After missing the Test series, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Keiron Pollard all return to the fold. They will be hopeful of finding their form quickly to make an impact on the rest of their side’s tour.

England have taken the opportunity to rest Moeen Ali and Stokes ahead of the five-match ODI series. Morgan’s men are in good form in the format having defeating South Africa earlier in the summer, with their only defeat coming at Taunton by three runs.

We’ll now break down the contest and the odds for the clash at the Emirates Riverside.

Top England Batsman

Alex Hales has formed a reputation as one of the most dominant batsmen in limited-overs cricket. The 28-year-old is ranked seventh in the world by the ICC given his form over the last year. He has been in impressive form since for Nottinghamshire since his last appearance for the Three Lions.

Although since Hales scored a double-century in August in a first-class contest his play has cooled off. His last three T20 appearances have yielded runs at the quick rate – so it would not be a surprise to see the opener get England off to another flier.

With the ODI series on the horizon and a potential place in the Ashes squad, Hales will be determined to produce a strong performance. The West Indies do not boast an overwhelming amount of quality in the bowling attack so there will be scoring opportunities.

The only aspect of the clash that could prevent Hales from racking up the runs is the seaming wicket at the Riverside. September weather and the pitch itself could make life interesting for the openers, especially under lights.

Backing Hales 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 Ladbrokes would be a prudent option, although Root’s presence in the side could affect that. The 26-year-old lost none of his old vigour with the bat after inheriting the captaincy. With the shackles removed Root could be line for a big score against the Windies.

Top West Indies Batsman

Gayle returns to action for the West Indies after missing the Test series. The 37-year-old has not played for his side since their victory over India in their T20 clash in Kingston in July. He was dismissed for 18, playing second fiddle to Evin Lewis who scored a match-winning century.

However, the opener has punished England in the past, scoring a century himself against the Three Lions in their World T20 group game last year. Gayle can single-handedly destroy an opposition attack with a flourish of his bat, and he will be aiming to start the tour on a high note.

The 37-year-old has not played a lot of cricket for his country over the last year, scoring just 31 runs in his last four innings. Gayle has racked up a few high scores for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League, but conditions will be completely different in the North East of England.

Whether Gayle will be able to rise to the occasion on a seaming wicket will be decisive in the contest. His quality alone is enough to 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 Boylesports to top score for the Windies in the match, although Lewis will push him all the way.

Given the age of the Windies’ stars, the country are in need of new leading men. Shai Hope offered a glimpse into a bright future in the Test series. Lewis could be the same in the limited-overs format, building off his blistering 125 not out against India.

Top England Bowler

England’s Test bowlers drop out of the side for the limited-overs game. James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Toby Roland-Jones all dominated the West Indies in the Test series. Now they turn the attack into the hands of Chris Jordan, David Willey and Liam Plunkett.

Adil Rashid will also be aiming to continue his impressive displays in the limited-overs format. The 29-year-old’s Test ambitions appear to be over as Mason Crane earned the nod in the squad during the summer.

However, a strong series of performances could see him nudge out the upstart to get him on the plane to Australia. The leg-spinner has become a vital player for England in the middle overs, offering control and a wicket-taking threat.

Rashid did not play in the series against South Africa after the Champions Trophy. Therefore he has a point to prove to the selectors. The wicket in Durham does always provide assistance for spinners, but it does have long boundaries.

That could play a vital part in the contest – therefore backing Rashid 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  with Coral is the option to take.

Winner

England will be full of confidence given their recent results against the West Indies and the format. However, the tourists have the quality to put them to the sword if they’re not at their best.

Gayle, Samuels and Pollard have been playing in the Caribbean in recent weeks. The shock of playing in England in September may take time to adjust to the conditions, especially on a seaming wicket.

Therefore the advantage should be with Morgan’s men. Expect them to continue their good form in the format by securing the victory at odds of 1.67Bet €100 to win €16767/100Bet £100 to win £167-149Bet $100 to win $1670.67Bet HK$100 to win HK$167-1.49Bet Rp100 to win Rp1670.6700Bet RM100 to win RM167  with SkyBet.

Tips Summary

England To Beat West Indies T20 Match
Saturday 16^th September 2017 18:30 BST
Odds: 1.67Bet €100 to win €16767/100Bet £100 to win £167-149Bet $100 to win $1670.67Bet HK$100 to win HK$167-1.49Bet Rp100 to win Rp1670.6700Bet RM100 to win RM167

Alex Hales To Be Top England Batsman
Saturday 16^th September 2017 18:30 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

Chris Gayle To Be Top West Indies Batsman
Saturday 16^th September 2017 18:30 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 Top England Bowler
Saturday 16^th September 2017 18:30 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