Now everybody loves the smell of freshly mown grass, the sound produced as leather hits willow and the thrill of being in a crowd as everyone screams HOWZAT! The 2009/10 Australian domestic cricket season is set to begin this Sunday as Western Australia and Queensland meet at the WACA in the opening game of the Ford Ranger Cup.
With spring time now well upon us, everyday people from all around Australia will be shifting their attention from the AFL over to the domestic cricket season.
As far as sports betting goes, the odds at Betfair are currently suggesting that Victoria is the team most likely to take home the Ford Ranger cup. New South Wales is currently being tipped as the team likely to be second while the odds for Western Australia suggest that are most likely going to be the third-placed team this season. South Australia and Queensland are not expected to put up much of a challenge for the Ford Ranger Cup.
Western Australia and Queensland will meet for a second time a couple of days later on Tuesday the 13th for their opening game of the 2009/10 Sheffield Shield season. This match will also be played at the WACA. On the same day the South Australia Redbacks will also play host to the Tasmania Tigers as they also make a start to their first class cricket season at Adelaide Oval.
Tasmania and Victoria are the strong favourites to win this season’s Sheffield Shield and you can find great odds for either side at Betfair. The New South Wales Blues are currently tipped to take third place in the Sheffield Shield, but I have my doubts on this as many of their players will be on the international tour. Once again South Australia and Queensland are considered unlikely to challenge for the title.
Players to Watch
This season there will be quite a few players to watch as some of state teams will be playing a few overseas international stars.
Ajantha Mendis, a 24 year old international for Sri Lanka will be playing for the Redbacks this season which will hopefully give them a bit of extra talent.
Dwayne Bravo and Muttiah Muralitharan will both be playing for the Bushrangers and I would expect that both of these international stars perform at their best to help the Bushrangers go one step better than last season.
West Indian powerhouse Chris Gayle will also be featuring in the Australian domestic cricket season when he takes to the crease for Western Australia.
Game two of the 2009 State of Origin series is nearly upon us with history set to be made. Queensland will become the first side to ever win four straight series if they can back up their terrific 28 – 18 victory in game one. The people at sportsbet have made them hot favourites and are paying out $1.62 for the Marroons to do just that and in my opinion rightly so.
The series was billed as the young Vs the old, as the NSW Blues picked a talented young squad while Queensland opted for a lot more experience.
The young Blues outfit looked like they had got off to the perfect start in game one when Jarryd Hayne side stepped Israel Folau to place the ball in the corner only to have the video ref say that his foot touched the line and ruled a no try. Blues Coach Craig Bellamy was furious with the decision saying “I think Harrigan (the video ref) had a look at that (replay) seven or eight times. I don’t know whether he’s seen the boot touch the sideline on the eighth go or the seventh go, when he couldn’t see it in the first, second, third or fourth. To me that’s benefit of the doubt. I don’t know how he could come up with that decision to be quite honest.”
Queensland took full advantage of their little bit of luck and scored three tries in 8 minutes to open up and 18-2 lead. After seeing the lead stretch to 24-6 the blues did stage something of a comeback, but in the end it was the experience of players such as Greg Inglis, with his two tries, and Captain Jonahon Thurston that made all the difference. Bellamy is now trying all sorts of tactics to unsettle the Queensland side ahead of game two and has even labeled his former Melbourne Storm player Israel Folau a diver, but the Marrons are far to experienced to fall for such games and it is this experience that I feel will carry them through to an historic victory. So go to sportsbet bet now and recieve your free bet on the game.
Betting on the outright winner is not the only way you can use up your free bet from sportsbet.
Why not have a punt on whether the first scoring play will be a try or a penalty goal. Sportsbet are paying out $7.00 that the first points will be from a penalty and I think that this is a fntastic bet.
You can also have go at the spread betting. Sportsbet are pay $6.00 that the Marroons winning margin will be between 7 and 12 points, which is a nother fantastic way to use up your free bet.
Game 2 is going to be a great game and expect lots of fireworks with a Queensland win so go get your money on them now.
