New Zealand v Sri Lanka: World Cup betting preview, TV channel, team news & tip

TV: Sky Sports Cricket & Main Event, 10.30am Saturday

Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

New Zealand's first two 2019 World Cup fixtures are against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and bookmakers expect the Kiwis to make a fast start to the campaign.

The Lankans, runners-up in 2011, have been in freefall since the 2015 tournament and arrive in Cardiff having lost 26 of 32 away ODIs since the start of 2017.

Three of those losses came in New Zealand in January and the Black Caps are 1-4 to frank that form in their tournament opener.

Best bet
Sri Lanka have produced some of the best ODI batsmen of the last 30 years, from Aravinda de Silva and Sanath Jayasuriya to Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Tillakaratne Dilshan, but the 2019 unit looks short of power and quality.

They were bowled out for 251 in their first warm-up game against South Africa before crawling to 239-8 from 50 overs against Australia, whose pacemen Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Kane Richardson caused them plenty of problems with the new ball.

Things may not be any easier for the Sri Lankan batsmen when they take on ace New Zealand left-armer Trent Boult, who was the joint-leading wicket-taker at the 2015 World Cup and comes into this tournament in fine fettle.

Boult has caused havoc in his two warm-up appearances, dismissing India’s Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Lokesh Rahul in his first three overs at The Oval and picking up 4-50 against the West Indies in Bristol.

Those figures were remarkable given the context of the game – Boult’s fellow quicks Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson took 2-193 off their 19 overs as the Windies smashed a total of 421.

The left-armer is a tempting bet at 11-4 to eclipse his teammates once again but the top New Zealand runscorer market is tougher to call.

Captain Kane Williamson is the favourite at 3-1 with 2015’s leading runscorer Martin Guptill 7-2 and Ross Taylor, who averages 71 in one-day cricket since an eye operation in 2016, is a 9-2 chance.

Recommendation
T Boult top New Zealand wicket-taker
2pts 11-4 general

Team news
New Zealand
Wicketkeeper Tom Latham may return after a finger injury although his deputy Tom Blundell scored a century in the warm-up defeat to the West Indies.

Sri Lanka
The Lankans have a fully-fit squad with veteran Lasith Malinga set to lead the bowling attack.

Venue
Neither team have fond memories of their 2017 Champions Trophy visits to Cardiff, where Sri Lanka lost to Pakistan and New Zealand were beaten by England and Bangladesh.

Fourteen of the 20 ODIs to produce a positive result have been won by the team batting second, although England bucked the trend when making 342-8 in last year’s victory over Australia.

Weather
Light cloud in the morning before a sunny afternoon, 22C.

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