England vs Sri Lanka 1st T20 Betting Tips

Host England will be looking to start their home summer on a winning note when they face Sri Lanka in the opening game of the T20I series at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on Wednesday.

Eoin Morgan-led unit will play their first T20I series at home this year. The home side has selected their full strength to prepare well for the upcoming T20 World Cup that will be played later this year. Earlier this year, England suffered series at the hands of India in a five-match T20I series played in India.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka will return to T20 cricket after almost three months. Kusal Perera and co. will have to adjust to the conditions in the UK. The Islanders will be keen to put on a decent show with bat and ball in this series opener.

England Form and Team News:

England have gone for their premier players for this series as they have recalled T20 star Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, David Willey, and Chris Jordan for the three-match T20I series.

They have a solid mix of experience in the ranks in Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, and Jos Buttler along with some exciting young talent such as Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, and Liam Livingstone so it will be interesting to see how they fare against Sri Lanka.

In the batting department, the onus will be on the likes of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, and Dawid Malan to deliver the bulk of the runs. 

Middle-order comprising of Eoin Morgan, Jos Buttler, and Moeen Ali will be given the task to deliver big runs in the latter stages of the innings.

In the bowling department, pacers Chris Woakes and Mark Wood will be looking to make early breakthroughs with the new ball. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid will be premier spin options for England for this match.

Sri Lanka Form and Team News:

The visitors have played two-intra squad practice matches at Old Trafford Cricket Stadium in Manchester to prepare adequately for the three-match T20I series against England.

In the batting department, the side will be relying on Captain Kusal Perera, rookie batsman Pathum Nissanka, opener Danushka Gunathilaka, and Kusal Mendis to deliver the bulk of the runs.

Avishka Fernando, Oshada Fernando, Niroshan Dickwella, and Dasun Shanaka are other key players in the batting lineup for Sri Lanka for this three-match T20I series.

In the bowling department, the side will be relying on Dushmantha Chameera, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Lakshan Sandakan to deliver crucial breakthroughs.

Akila Dhananjaya, Dasun Shanaka and Nuwan Pradeep are other premier bowling options for Sri Lanka for this series opener.

Odds by Casumo

According to the Casumo sportsbook, Host England will be the favorites to win this opening game of the T20I series to be played at Cardiff. For the series opener, England are placed at 1.26 odds, while Sri Lanka at 3.70 odds.

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Our Tipster’s Angle

Both teams have gone for full-strength squads for the three-match T20I series. With experienced players like Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan and David Willey make their return to the T20 squad; England appears to have a plethora of options in the batting and bowling department for this T20I series.

On the other hand, Sri Lanka have not played enough T20 cricket in the past couple of months. The batting unit will need to put on a decent show in this series opener.

Therefore, the prediction is for England to win the first match and go 1-0 up in the three-match series. 

Tip 1- Jonny Bairstow to continue his decent form in the series opener.

Opener Jonny Bairstow has been the most bankable performer for England in the 20-over format. Since July 2019, the swashbuckling opener has accumulated 537 runs in 20 innings at a strike rate of 149.16 with three half-centuries to his name.

He continued his rich vein of form for England in the upcoming three-match T20I series. So we are backing Jonny Bairstow to score 30 or more [email protected]

Tip 2- Adil Rashid to lead the spin-charge for England

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid has been a premier spinner for England in the shortest format of the game. Since Jun 2019, Rashid is second on the list of leading wicket-takers for England in the T20 format. In 20 matches played, Rashid has claimed 19 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 7.90.

Given his ability to take wickets and dry up the runs in the middle-overs, we expect Adil Rashid to take one wicket or more in this series [email protected].

Conclusion

Expect England to register a comprehensive win over Sri Lanka in this opening game at Cardiff.

1. Jonny Bairstow to score 30 or more [email protected]
2. Adil Rashid to take one wicket or more in this series opener- [email protected].

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