Auckland Aces vs Canterbury Kings match prediction

Auckland will host Canterbury in match number 17 of the ongoing 2019-20 Ford Trophy at the Colin Maiden Park, in Auckland this Sunday.

Finally, after a gap of almost two months, the Ford Trophy is back once again with its thrills and chills. The blockbuster, Auckland vs Canterbury is the most anticipated of the three fixtures this coming Sunday. The top two teams will lock horns to stay on top of the points table. Even though big stars like Martin Guptill and Colin Munro will be missing the game due to national duties, the match still promises to be a cliff-hanger. With lucrative odds put up in the betting market, this is a great opportunity to make some easy cash this Sunday. I have already accumulated the best three odds from the market, have a look.

Glenn Phillips averages 72 this season

If the odds are as high as 3.75 for a player who has been in scintillating form off late, it is an offer which should be grasped with wide arms. Now, let me tell you why.

In the four matches he has played this season, the right handed batsman scored - 66, 156, 40, and 26 respectively piling up 288 runs at an astounding average of 72.0 which is remarkable. He was the top scorer in the match he notched up 156 runs against Otago which was an inning for the ages. The last match he played against Canterbury, he scored a brisk 66-run innings.

He is the second highest run scorer in the Ford Trophy so far and is only behind his compatriot Colin Munro. With the latter engaged in International duties, there’s no one else who can put on a better show than Glenn. Also his List A records speaks a lot about his consistency, having scored almost 2000 runs in 35 matches at an average of 35.11 which includes four centuries and 10 half centuries. There’s no reason why he is not going to be the top batsman in the upcoming match.

Ed Nuttall has been the top bowler for his team in the last two matches

While the previous bet was like honey, this is even sweeter with odds of 4.50. And I am sure this is a winning one too, how? Just read along.

In the last four matches, Nuttall’s figures are – 3/67, 3/69, 1/29, 1/61, which is more than acceptable is form which favours the batsman to a great extent. But the fact that he was the bowler in the last two matches makes him the outright contender for the bet. Having taken eight wickets in four matches so far in the ongoing Ford Trophy, he is Canterbury’s third best bowler. So why have I picked him?

His recent form has been far better than the others, especially in the last two matches, in which he bowled a couple of magical spells. On the other hand, this is not the first time that the southpaw is making a mark in the competition, having played in the previous season and taken eight wickets. To sum it up, let me remind you that in the last match he played against Canterbury, Nuttall was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 67. This is a no-nonsense bet with guaranteed returns.

Canterbury have had the better opening stand in each of their matches this season

This might surprise many of you reading now, but please give me a few minutes and I am going to change your mind for sure.

Auckland undoubtedly has the best top order in the Ford Trophy with the likes of Martin Guptill and Colin Munro opening, followed by Glenn Phillips at number three. But the truth is that the top two have not been able to put up good starts for the opening stand as compared to others. Only twice in the last five matches that they had the better opening stand, having scored a total of 237 runs (47.4 runs per innings) and conceded 285 runs (57 runs per innings). In the last H2H match, Auckland scored four runs before the fall of the first wicket compared to Canterbury’s 42.

On the other hand, Canterbury have always had the better opening partnership in the four matches they have played so far in the Ford Trophy this season. They have scored 232 runs (46.4 runs on an average) and also, importantly, conceded just 21 runs (4.2 runs per innings) in the same time frame. With Colin Munro and Martin Guptill not featuring in the upcoming match, it is likely that Canterbury will have the better start, making this a winning bet.