T20 Cricket World Cup – Sri Lanka have all the ingredients to score at home

Sri Lanka will host this autumn’s World t20 and their locker is well-stocked with everything required to win the competition.

9/2 says they will utilise home advantage and claim the spoils, with Ladbrokes recognising the threat they pose, placing them behind only big-hitting India in the ranks of favouritism.

The 2007 runners-up recorded a nine-wicket victory over the West Indies in their first warm-up match and, ominously for the rest, their two star batsmen looked in great knick.

If Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene come to the party, Sri Lanka can expect to reach the semi-finals in the least, and both notched unbeaten half tons in the demolition of the Windies.

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With 1,045 runs on the World t20 stage, Jayawardene tops the all-time scoring charts in this tournament. His 57 from 35 balls in the warm-up was his third half century in six t20 internationals and, at 16/1, he could make punters a bit of money who fancy him to be the tournament’s top scorer.

Dilshan charged to his 50 in 38 balls and his flamboyant batting style – a pioneer of scoring runs by scooping the ball back over the keeper’s head – makes him a threat to any team. At 9/2, he’s a great price to be Sri Lanka’s top scorer should Jayawardene fail to meet his own high standards.

They’ve also got Kumar Sangakarra completing a trio of top order run machines. It is, arguably, the most formidable top three in the competition and is hard to envisage all three failing to make meaningful contributions in a single game, giving them a chance against any opponent.

With the ball they’ve got Lasith Malinga – regarded as the world’s best death-bowler in limited overs cricket – and they have Ajantha Mendis to take the pace off the ball.

The former has dismissed 40 batsmen in 33 t20 matches and strikes at an average of 20 runs per wicket. He’s priced up at 9/1 to be top tournament wicket taker and there will not be a bowler feared more in Sri Lanka.

All odds and markets correct as of publication