Cricket World Cup Day 4: Scotland set for baptism of fire

Anyone who follows cricket with even the slightest bit of interest should have fancied New Zealand to fare will in the cricket World Cup.

Having bubbled along very impressively in all formats of the game in the lead up to the tournament that they are co-hosting with Australia, the Kiwi’s odds still sat out towards the 8/1 mark as the competition crept ever closer.

But, as they pawed at Sri Lanka like a cat toying with its prey before devouring it both in the preceding ODI series and the first game of the Pool B, that 8/1 has vanished along with Angelo Mathews side’s confidence.

Now as short as 7/2 to win their first 50-over title, New Zealand should be well and truly into their groove, something that can’t be said for their next opponents, Scotland.

Pool B’s outsiders have the difficult task of stopping the Black Caps’ train before it runs away, although odds of 1/50 on a New Zealand victory suggest that is about as likely as a Courtney Walsh hundred ever was.

Should they bat first, there is a chance that New Zealand could post an eye-watering total and the 4/6 on them having the highest score of the pair after one over is remarkably generous considering Brendon McCullum opens for the home side.

The Kiwi skipper hit his first two balls against Sri Lanka for four and motored to 65 before being dismissed. Another 50 is almost expected at 11/10 but the former wicketkeeper will eye far more than that as his side continue to stamp their mark on the tournament.

For Scotland, Kyle Coetzer and Matt Machan are the standout players and they find themselves at 5/6 each to pass 19.5 and 21.5 runs respectively, although in truth the two feats are likely to be of the more positive variety for Scotland’s World Cup opener.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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