Matador BBQs One-Day Cup Final
New South Wales vs South Australia, Sunday 10am, North Sydney Oval
The Matador BBQs One Day Series reaches a conclusion on Sunday afternoon with New South Wales tackling South Australia in the Final at North Sydney Oval.
In the past, this series has struggled to gain any sort of following, but thanks to the inclusion of the Australian squad members, most matches have produced very high standards with some excellent individual performances.
New South Wales earned the right to play in the Final after finishing on top of the leader board following the preliminary matches. The Blues only dropped one game, and that was to Victoria in a dead rubber. They have certainly benefitted largely from the inclusion of the likes of Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazelwood, Mitchell Starc and Australian captain Steve Smith. They also have Shane Watson during the preliminary games, but he will miss the final with a calf injury. Their squad has no weaknesses and plenty of options with the bat and ball.
Smith is obviously the key batsman but openers Nic Maddinson and former Test opener Ed Cowan have provided a solid platform all tournament.
However it’s the performance of Mitchell Starc with the ball that has been the real talking point as he is set to break the record for most wickets in a domestic one day season, and from far fewer matches than used to be played. He is clearly the best white ball bowler in the world right now and his confidence is overflowing.
They will take on South Australia who continue to surprise this series. We predicted them to once again struggle this season but their young batsmen are proving that they are right up to the challenge. Travis Head at the top of the order has been superb while Alex Ross was the hero in the Elimination Final with a mighty unbeaten knock of 97 that deserved a century. It was a match-winning performance while their under-rated bowling attack were able to restrict Victoria to earn their spot in the Final.
In a season where chasing runs has been difficult, a lot will come down to the toss of the coin. Both of these sides have had a lot of favours with the coin toss – they’ve only lost one each this entire series. However North Sydney Oval is well known for small boundaries, flat tracks, big scores and epic run chases so hopefully we see an exciting finale this Sunday.
Verdict
South Australia are getting in the habit of throwing up surprises but hard to go past New South Wales to win at $1.45 at Sportsbet. Also like NSW for most sixes at $1.80 at Sportsbet.
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!
