Delhi Bulls vs Northern Warriors match prediction
The Northern Warriors will be taking on Delhi Bulls in what will be the second Super League match of the 2019 edition of the Abu Dhabi T10 League.
The term “Super League” initially confused me, as I was expecting teams to get eliminated heading into the next stage of the tournament, but then I quickly figured out that it was nothing but inter-group matches. Do I have a problem with the format? Nah. Am I looking forward to them? Hell yeah! More matches = more fun and more opportunities to earn some money. The match I’m going to be focusing on now is the clash between Northern Warriors and Delhi Bulls or in other words, Andre Russell vs Eoin Morgan. Still trying to get in terms with the teams and the format? Don’t worry, I’ve got you sorted. Let’s dive into this match without further due.
Value in backing the Warriors
Northern Warriors to win the match @ 2.15
Okay, I’ve got to tell you I was seriously contemplating a tie considering Morgan is Delhi Bulls’ captain. But I eventually figured sanity should prevail, and hence I took a detour and opted to back the Northern Warriors instead. This might sound crazy because of them finishing ‘bottom’ of their group, but in retrospect, they actually did win the same number of games as the Bulls. The margin for error in T10 cricket is almost non-existent and the Warriors have paid the price for taking one too many wrong steps. But thanks to the format, they now have a second bite at the cherry and I fully expect them to capitalize on it. They are just too good a side to not eventually fire. In Andre Russell, Sam Billings, Darren Sammy and Chris Green, they have four of the best T20 merchants going around, and on top of it, also keep in mind that Russell has averaged a staggering 96.00 so far in the group stages; they just haven’t used him well enough. Whilst the Bulls finished at a ‘respectable’ third place, they, too, remember, have not won a single match post the inaugural matchday and thus both teams will basically start from square one heading into this clash. And oh, the Northern Warriors can proudly say that they’ve “Been there, done that” because hey, they are the defending champions, after all. Experience triumphs excitement thus my money is on the big men from Northern Warriors to fire and take them over the line.
More efficient bowlers
Warriors to have the higher opening partnership @ 1.90
After Scotland’s George Munsey failed to make the opening slot his own after two chances, skipper Darren Sammy decided to take the matter into his own hands and whilst he didn’t quite set the world on fire, he did strike an instant connection with partner Billings. The duo put on 29 for the first wicket, which eventually set the platform for Russell to launch. They’ve averaged 23.3 for the first-wicket partnership in this tournament thus far, which is not great, but still considerably higher than their Delhi counterparts, who have averaged an embarrassing 13 for the first-wicket. To add to Delhi’s woes, one of their openers, Muhammad Usman, has been in forgetable form of late, having registered scores of 1,8 and 7 in his last 3 innings. Usman’s form basically means that Bulls almost walk into the game with a one-wicket handicap.
The bowlers of both teams have been extremely efficient, often knocking out opposition openers cheaply, but here, too, the Warriors have the edge over the Bulls, with their new-ball bowlers conceding 16.3 runs on avg for the first wicket compared to the Bulls’ 17.3. All in all, the Warriors have been clinical on this front, so expect them to continue the same on Tuesday.
The Bulls ahead in six hitting
Delhi Bulls to hit more sixes @ 1.95
Now, we all know that Northern Warriors have a certain Andre Russell up their sleeves, but that’s about it. He has, in fact, hit a staggering 63% of the team’s total sixes (7/11 sixes). The Warriors have only two other batsmen apart from Russell who have hit sixes and they are just way too reliant on the big West Indian to deliver the goods. In stark contrast, however, it is almost as if the Delhi Bulls were set up for six hitting. They’ve hit a breathtaking 17 sixes so far in the tournament with skipper Eoin Morgan the man with the most number of sixes (6). But that is not the catch. We all know Morgan can go big, but astonishingly, six other batsmen, other than Morgan, have combined to hit a total of 11 sixes, clearly vindicating the fact that they are an absolute powerhouse when it comes to big-hitting. In their last respective matches, both teams hit 4 sixes each, but over-reliance on a single player might prove fatal for the Warriors. So thanks to the plethora of six hitters they have in their XI, I’m backing the Bulls to smash their way to glory in this particular bet.
Betting is as fun, interesting and strategic as the T10 format itself, so just like a team captain, you have your hands full too. Parleying the aforementioned events will leave you with odds of 7.96, meaning a $1000 investment will give you returns of $7965, instead of the $1999 that you will win by betting on them individually.
