England v Sri Lanka predictions and cricket betting tips: Openers pose a threat

Free cricket tips, best bets and analysis for England v Sri Lanka in the first Twenty20 international on Wednesday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Cricket & Main Event, 6.30pm Wednesday

Best bets

England to have opening partnership of over 26.5
3pts 5-6 BoyleSports

Wanindu Hasaranga top Sri Lanka wicket-taker
1pt 10-3 bet365

Weather

A clear, sunny evening is forecast in Cardiff, 18C.

Match preview

England's Test team made a disappointing start to the summer with a series defeat to New Zealand but Eoin Morgan's Twenty20 side are hot favourites to see off Sri Lanka in Cardiff.

The three-match series is England's next step towards the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in India in October and November, and the reigning 50-over world champions are among the favourites for the 20-over crown.

With that in mind, England have named their strongest available squad for the clash with the Lankans although fast bowler Jofra Archer is injured and star all-rounder Ben Stokes is absent having returned to action for Durham in the T20 Blast only last week.

The old adage of 'beware the injured batsman' rang true for Jonny Bairstow, who cracked 112 off 51 balls for Yorkshire against Worcestershire despite damaging his ankle during the innings.

Bairstow and his county colleague Dawid Malan, who reached 1,000 T20 international runs in fewer innings than any other batsman earlier this year, will be assessed for the first game but Jos Buttler and Jason Roy should reprise their partnership at the top of the order.

The pair can get England off to a flying start in Cardiff, where they have posted a higher opening partnership than their opponents in their last five T20 internationals.

The hosts are short-priced favourites to have the higher opening stand and outscore Sri Lanka in the first six overs but a first-wicket runs line of 26.5 looks low enough given the form of the likely openers.

Buttler finished his Indian Premier League stint with 124 off 64 balls for Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad and has warmed up for this series with 127 runs in five T20 Blast knocks in the Lancashire middle-order.

Roy struck 45, 30 and 64 in his first three Blast outings for Surrey and has reached 40 in seven of his last 13 T20 innings for England.

Sri Lanka have a formidable T20 record in England, winning nine of their 11 games, although six of those came in their run to the final of the 2009 World Twenty20.

The current crop are less impressive and they lack England's batting power in the middle-order. They have lost nine of their last ten completed matches, against Australia, India and the West Indies, and are as big as 50-1 to win the World Cup in the autumn.

One promising player in their ranks is 23-year-old leg-spinning all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who claimed figures of 3-12, 3-17 and 2-13 against the West Indies in Coolidge in March.

That was on a ground where Kieron Pollard hit Hasaranga's fellow spinner Akila Dananjaya for six sixes in an over in the first game and, with longer boundaries to defend at Sophia Gardens, the youngster could cause England problems.

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