T20 World Cup tips and suggested bets: South Africa ripe for the upset against Sri Lanka

The T20 World Cup gets underway on Sunday with both of the co-host nations in action.

In the first meeting of the tournament, USA will fittingly face Canada at the place that has become central to the American T20 boom, Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas.

The West Indies take on Papua New Guinea allowing the hosts to ease into the tournament.

South Africa will have to hit the ground running when they start their campaign against Sri Lanka on Monday while Namibia face Oman in the day's first match.

 

Planet Sport Bet Offer: Bet £10 pre-match, get £5 free bet if either team scores over 180+ runs

 

USA vs Canada - Sunday 2 June at Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium, Dallas

Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium has become the de facto home of Major League Cricket and a new power base for United States Cricket to launch itself.

USA won't be expected to win the tournament but they should be able to get one over on their neighbours Canada to start having beaten them comfortably in a five-match series not too long ago.

The United States have benefitted from strong efforts by Nitish Kumar and Andries Gous to get their innings off to a good start and they look good to have a better opening stand.

Canada's Harsh Thaker is probably better suited to ODI cricket but he might be called on to pull his team out of the fire as their middle-order stalwart.

 

Predictions

The United States to have the highest opening partnership

Harsh Thaker to top-score for Canada

 

West Indies vs Papua New Guinea - Sunday 2 June at Guyana National Stadium, Guyana

Rovman Powell is back to resume the captaincy of the West Indies team even as questions swirl around his role in the team.

Papua New Guinea shouldn't be able to live with the West Indies' batting power but cannot afford to miss chances to put them under pressure.

Powell was in great touch in the West Indies warm-up match but Nicholas Pooran looked even better. Pooran looks like to lead the charge for the West Indies when it comes to run-scoring.

Gudakesh Motie was excellent against South Africa in Kingston and in the warmup against Australia and if the West Indies pacemen don't already decimate PNG, Motie will likely clean them up.

 

Predictions

Nicholas Pooran to top score for the West Indies

Gudakesh Motie to take the most wickets for the West Indies

 

Namibia vs Oman - Monday 3 June at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados

Namibia need to win this match to give themselves a base to be able to turn the heat up on the more fancied sides in their group.

Oman have several seasoned performers that could give Namibia a hard time and it is worth noting that they have won four of their last five T20Is.

Aqib Ilyas has been Oman's banker when it comes to T20 runs in the last year and he has now been handed the captaincy of the team, leaving so much of their performance up to him.

Namibian spinner Gerhard Erasmus has collected more scalps in the last year than any of his compatriots in T20Is and he might find conditions in Barbados to his liking.

 

Predictions

Aqib Ilyas to topscore for Oman

Gerhard Erasmus to lead Namibia wicker-takers

 

South Africa vs Sri Lanka - Monday 3 June at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York

South Africa comes into the T20 World Cup with a strong batting lineup despite a few questions about Quinton de Kock's form.

There will be far more concerns about the South African bowling especially when it comes to taking on a Sri Lanka team who are rapidly improving in the T20 format.

Gerald Coetzee has shown that even if he ships runs from time to time, he pretty much guarantees wickets and he is a solid punt to do the most damage to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka have some great young talents but they have been aided by the consistent performances of veterans like Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews. Mendis leads the runs scored in T20Is for Sri Lanka in the last year and is someone who is very familiar with facing South Africa.

 

Predictions

Gerald Coetzee to take the most wickets for South Africa

Kusal Mendis to top score for Sri Lanka