Australia v England: Second ODI predictions and free cricket betting tips

Free cricket tips, best bets and analysis for the second one-day international between Australia and England in Sydney.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 3.20am Saturday

Best bets

Australia to have higher opening partnership
1pt 4-5 bet365

Adam Zampa to take two or more wickets
1pt 4-6 Coral, Ladbrokes

Second ODI preview

Less than a week after England's Twenty20 side won the World Cup, questions are being asked of the one-day international team, who slipped to a six-wicket defeat in the opening match of their three-game series with Australia.

Only three members of England's World Cup-winning side – Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Chris Jordan – featured in the series opener at the Adelaide Oval, where Dawid Malan was the star of the show for the tourists with a knock of 134.

But England's batsmen were otherwise unimpressive – David Willey was their next-highest runscorer on 34 not out – and there are still concerns about the strength of the top order in the 50-over format.

In the T20 World Cup, skipper Buttler and Alex Hales combined brilliantly but settling on a consistent opening pair has been a problem in ODIs.

Jason Roy returned to the fold in Adelaide but made only six, while his partner Salt scored just 14.

Australia seemed the more likely to have top-order troubles coming into this series with Aaron Finch's retirement from ODIs in September meaning Travis Head and David Warner were reunited at the top of the order.

But the pair looked comfortable, posting an opening stand of 147, and Australia look a great bet to have the highest first-wicket partnership in the second match of the series at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In the bowling department, it was leg-spinner Adam Zampa who did the bulk of the damage for Australia in the first ODI, dismissing Malan, Buttler and Jordan to finish with figures of 3-55.

And although it was a T20 World Cup to forget for the Aussies, who failed to make the semi-finals on home turf, Zampa performed well in the tournament, finishing with five wickets in the Super 12 phase.

No Australia bowler took more wickets in the World Cup – Josh Hazlewood equalled the tally – and Zampa also claimed seven victims during his side's 3-0 September series triumph against New Zealand. He looks a good bet at a shade of odds-on to take two or more wickets at the SCG.

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