Ireland will hope to surprise the visiting Australian side when they play the one-off One-Day International (ODI) at Belfast on 27th August (Thursday).
The Irish are one of the most consistent associate nations having sprung many a surprise. With the ICC schedule not kind on them, the hosts see every single opportunity as a chance to prove themselves.
William Porterfield was unhappy that they couldn’t get a chance to play Australia when the fixture was washed out three years ago. Having qualified for next year’s Twenty20 World Cup, Ireland will be gunning for an ODI scalp.
Australia, on the other hand, will be trying to bury the scars of their Ashes loss. The Aussies would love to kick-start the limited over leg of the tour with a win. Steve Smith will start his new journey as the captain of Australia in all three formats and should be raring to prove himself.
Ireland will look towards their captain Porterfield to provide stability at the top of the order along with the experienced Ed Joyce. Kevin O’Brien is known for his hard hitting and will be a tough proposition if he gets going. The retirement of Alex Cusack will be difficult but most of the Irish squad ply their trade in English counties and would be eager to prove their mettle.
The arrival of limited over specialists will boost the visitors. Glenn Maxwell will try to continue his adaption having turned up for Yorkshire in the counties. Mitchell Starc may be rested in view of the upcoming matches in England. That would leave a very young Aussie attack including Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile.
Underestimating the Ireland team has its own perils – something which Pakistan and West Indies have understood the hard way in recent times. The Irish take their cricket seriously and the Aussies should be wary of any sluggishness.
Smith had a mixed Ashes campaign but finished the series on a high with a match-winning ton in the final Test. He would like to celebrate his full-time captaincy with runs and of course, a win.
Summary
There isn’t much value on an Australian win at $1.08 at Sportsbet with Ireland considered an $8.00 chance.
There may be better betting options in the leading run scorer markets. Backing Steve Smith at $4.00 at Sportsbet to be top Australian batsman looks enticing, while for the hosts, it’s hard to go past Ed Joyce to be Ireland’s best at odds of $5.00 at Sportsbet.
