Victoria vs South Australia match prediction
After suffering mixed fortunes on Sunday, Victoria and South Australia, on Tuesday, will lock horns in what will be the penultimate group match of the 2019 Marsh Cup.
With both Victoria and South Australia enjoying a subpar season, the clash between the two should ideally have been nothing more than a mere formality, but thanks to the controversy that stirred in their Shield clash last month, we now have a proper game in our hands. Like you, I’m more excited than ever and really looking forward to this contest, so much so that I did a thorough statistical examination of both teams to see where I can potentially strike gold. To be honest, it was really tough, the two teams were literally inseparable, but after toiling hard for hours and hours, I finally managed to pick three sureshot odds that will ensure that you walk away from the match as a happy person.
South Australia to win the match @ 2.10
Jhye Richardson, on Sunday, broke the Redbacks’ hearts to hand them a six-run defeat, and delivered a killer blow to their chances of reaching the Final. But if there’s one thing that the Reds have shown this season, it’s their ability to bring out their best when they’ve had their backs to the wall. Tuesday’s match-up should definitely interest them, as they will be coming up against Victoria, an opposition they usually love to play. The Redbacks have won a staggering 5 of the last 6 H2H clashes between the two teams, including their only fixture last year at the Junction Oval. You’ve got to go all the way back to October 2016 for Victoria’s last win in the competition against South Australia, that’s how dominant the Reds have been. On top of that, home side Victoria have been horrendous at the MCG of late, and have won just 2 of their last 6 ODD matches at the G. In fact, South Australia also won the two teams’ last H2H meeting at this venue, albeit it coming way back in 2012. Remember, the Reds, unlike Victoria, are still alive in the competition and this should definitely give them the added incentive to go for the kill. I’m confident of a Redbacks victory on Tuesday.
South Australia to have the highest opening partnership @ 2.00
“With great power, comes great inconsistency” is a saying that I made up ten seconds ago but it actually fits perfectly for this Victorian team. Despite having a flurry of big hitters at the top - epitomized by none other than Aaron Finch - the Bushrangers have struggled to get the team to a good start. In 4 of the 6 matches this season, they’ve added less than 10 runs for the first wicket and instability, one can say, has probably played a part in it with them using 4 different opening combinations. The Redbacks have not been great either and have averaged an appalling 22.83 for the first wicket, but there’s one thing that gives them the edge over Victoria in this bet - their new-ball bowlers. The new-ball pairing of Richardson and Worrall have conceded a 50-run opening stand just once all season, and have conceded just 38.6 runs on average before striking the first blow. The Victorian bowlers, on the other hand, have had a shocker, averaging 80.5 whilst conceding four fifty-plus opening stands, that includes two hundred-run partnerships. Thus even if the visitors’ batsmen let them down, trust the bowlers to get the job done.
Callum Ferguson to be South Australia’s top batsman @ 4.00
On Sunday, Australia’s forgotten man Callum Ferguson played one of the greatest Marsh Cup knocks of all time, almost single-handedly pulling off a win for the Reds. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t enough, but knowing the kind of player he is and the form he is in, don’t be surprised if he does even better on Tuesday. His last two scores in the competition read 127 & 91 and it happens to be that he loves playing against Victoria, having averaged an astounding 70.33 in the last three H2H clashes. In fact, in the last H2H clash, which incidentally was also played in Victoria’s home, Ferguson struck a masterful 133 which propelled his team to victory. With 281 runs to his name, Ferguson is the Redback’s highest run-getter and the only batsman to have registered a ton for them this season. In fact, he was also the Redbacks’ highest run-getter last season and since the start of the 2018/19, he has scored more tons in this competition (3) than all the other batsmen put together (2). It would be fitting for him to end the season on a high and potentially even thrust them into the Final, and I’m extremely confident of him doing so.
