You Can Bet On The 2nd ODI Being As Good As The First

If there are any cricket purists left in the UK gambling laws of test Cricket are immutable and who still tut disapprovingly at the one-day game, the first One Day International between England and Sri Lanka should have forever proved that their opinion is invalid. A corking classic of a match the game at Trent Bridge was a fabulous example of the fast paced form of the game and it makes placing a bet on the 2nd ODI all the more attractive, but with the first of the five match series a draw, who do you back?

2nd ODI Betting

• England 1/3
• Sri Lanka 9/4

England went into the first One Day International against Sri Lanka on the back of a three game losing streak, and whilst the test series might have fallen their way 2-0 the five match ODI series was set to prove a slightly trickier task and so it proved despite England winning the toss and putting the tourists into bat first and watching Gunathilaka going cheaply for 9 off just ten balls, as Sri Lanka built a tidy 286 around two very different innings and any bet on the 2nd ODI will have to take that into account.

On one hand Mathews played a captain's innings, building a steady and secure 73 off 109 deliveries, finally falling to Plunkett and the hands of Woakes, and kept the team focused on the task at hand throughout the day from the crease. On the other Prasanna rocked up ready to blast at anything that came anywhere near him and those that like to bet on sports in the UK would revel in his performance, despite facing only 28 balls he scored a glorious 59 including 8 fours and 4 sixes.

England Collapse, Fight Back And Snatch A Draw At The End

ODI Series Betting

• England 1/7
• Sri Lanka 9/2
• Draw 14/5

Naturally Chandimal, Maharoof and to some degree Perera all put up a decent show to add to the total but England were at the break quite confident of chasing down 286 by the end of the day, and then they got to the wicket, and seemingly forgot how to play Cricket. Roy, Hales and Root all went for single figures, as did Bairstow, Ali and Willey. It was only the sterling efforts of Buttler, 93 till Shanaka spectacularly caught him off Prasanna, and Woakes, 95 not out, that prevented it being a rout.


However having made a pig's ear of it England strove desperately to salvage something out of the day, and with Woakes shepherding them along it rather dramatically came down to the last over. From 30-4 they'd fought their way back to needing 14 runs off the last over, at 273-8. Woakes wasn't getting many options from Pradeep so it was left to Plunkett to shift onto the front foot and hit the last ball of the day for six giving England a draw in the face of all odds, something to remember if you bet on the 2nd ODI.

A Good Bet On The 2nd ODI Could Be Sri Lanka At 9/4

This crescendo of excitement ending a superb match that leaves everyone looking forward to the second One Day International between England and Sri Lanka. Will England's upper order be able to get their act together? Will Sri Lanka be able to close down Woakes faster next time? If you're in the UK gambling news of England's collapse won't be repeated I laud your optimism, their single-figure showing a wholesale disaster. So who should you back if you bet on the 2nd ODI?

Well bookies like Bet365 will have you believe that England are going to take the series, getting 1/7 to do so on the back of their test series win, but after that initial draw they'll have to get a move on, and Sri Lanka are close by on 9/2 for a series win themselves, meaning they too have to go for it next match, so whilst the sensible bet on the 2nd ODI is probably England, the Sri Lanka bowling line up ripped the higher order of England's batsmen to pieces, so could be worth a punt.