South Africa will tour Australia in the summer for a 2016 Test Series which we offer cricket betting tips for! The first of three tests starts on Thursday, November 3rd at the WACA.
The series shapes up as a competitive one, with the South Africans coming off a successful series at home against the Kiwis in August. The series is set to be the first time Australia have faced the Proteas under their new captain, Faf du Plessis, and while star batsmen A.B de Villiers will miss the tour due to an elbow injury, the South Africans will still boast a formidable line up with bat and ball. It will also be the first time the South Africans have toured since the major overhaul of the Australian test team, with additions such as Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja and Peter Nevill all likely to make their first appearance against the visiting side.
Australia go into the series with a fairly cemented side, the only selection questions appear to be at the top of the order, with Burns, Khawaja and Shaun Marsh all fighting for two spots, the second opening position alongside David Warner and at number three in the batting line up. All three players had strong performances in the opening round of the Sheffield Shield competition through the week in an aim to impress selectors, who are likely to name the first test side at the conclusion of the shield matches on Friday. Burns ground out an impressive century for Queensland in their game against New South Wales while teammate Khawaja made 79. Marsh, who seemed to be under an injury cloud in the selectors eyes proved his fitness with a hard fought 73 in Western Australia’s game against SA.
The other spot up for grabs looks to be the third fast bowler selection. While Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are both fit and ready to go, usual contenders for the third spot including James Pattinson and Pat Cummins are both injured leaving the door open for most likely either veteran Peter Siddle or Jackson Bird. Both Siddle and Bird have been in tremendous form in the domestic one-day competition, and their performance in the first round of shield matches will probably be the deciding factor.
South Africa possess a frightening pace attack, with the star trio of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel all expecting to play in the first test in what will likely be a bouncy WACA pitch. The combination has taken over 700 test wickets, and between them, present arguably the best bowling attack in the world. The touring teams batting line up is also not to be taken lightly. Led by superstar test batsmen Hashim Amla, the South Africans are capable of putting up big scores, as proven in their series against New Zealand, scoring 480 in the first innings of their most recent test match.
The three test series will be held throughout November at the WACA, Blundstone Arena in Hobart, and at the Adelaide Oval, the latter of which will be a day night test featuring a pink ball. The Australian test squad will get some experience with the pink ball in the lead up, with the opening round of shield matches starting at 2.30pm.
While the first test doesn’t start until next week, we’ve got you covered with some future tips, including series results, leading run scorers and wicket takers below.
Series Betting Tips
South Africa’s test ranking of number six in the world in no way defines how dangerous they are as a team, and I see them stealing one match due to the quality and depth of their bowling attack. Look for the Australians to be aggressive with the bat on some lively wickets that should play to the Aussies advantage after coming off a poor series with the bat on some more spin friendly pitches in Sri Lanka.
TIP: Australia to win series 2-1 - $4.25 at CrownBet
Leading Run Scorer
Hashim Amla and Steve Smith are the class bats of their respective sides, I expect them to shine in the series, especially in the third test in Adelaide, a renowned batsman’s paradise. However, on form, Adam Voges could very well be the best batsman in the world at the moment, and if the Australian top order happens to fail like it did in Sri Lanka, Voges could consistently top score as he steadies the ship.
TIP: Hashim Amla to lead Batting - $5.50 at CrownBet
Value Bet: Adam Voges to lead Batting - $15 at CrowBet
Leading Wicket Taker
Mitchell Starc is without a doubt Australia’s strike force. With Hazlewood and most likely Siddle doing what they do best in tying down one end for long periods, Starc should capitalise at the other end. Starc has only played one test against South Africa, and took 8 wickets in that match.
TIP: Mitchell Starc Most Wickets - $2.75 at Crownbet
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
