The Googly

England vs Sri Lanka - The Best of the Bets

What to make of England's ODI form? Rubbish - that's what to make of England's ODI form. Or is it? This year has seen two global tournaments, the World Cup won by Australia and the World T20 won by India. And 2007 has seen England win two ODI series: one against Australia, the other against India. That cricket is a funny old game is no less true for its cliche status.

The Lankans are never easy to beat on their own patch (and, after a 5-0 ODI shellacking handed out to England last time they toured, they're not bad away from home either) but lynchpin Murali is out for at least three of the five games. I'm pretty sure he won't risk his 709th Test wicket by turning out half-fit in ODI cricket, so The Trumpet has a sneaky feeling for England in this series. Over the jump, I identify a bit of value for the bold (or the stupid). 

With the fixed odds bookies, I like Totesport's 5/2 about an England series win and Blue Square's 10/3 about Ian Bell as England's top bat.

As ever, there's more fun in the spread markets with my top four investments quoted by Sporting Index.

Top Tip is a buy in the Total Series Innings 300-Ups market at 25 - 30. With T20 the flavour of the month and the Aussies treating 300 as a par score in ODI cricket, I'm expecting more than 300 as a target in at least two matches, which should see over 30 runs scored in excess of the run-a-ball mark and a decent profit in this market.

Neither side run well, so I'm keen to buy the Total Series Run-Outs market at 7 - 8.5. I'm also expecting to see the run to the keeper taken more often in ODI cricket's last over.

I like the look of a buy in KP's Series 50s-Ups market at 45 - 50. He's not in the best of nick, but he's at least a couple of good knocks in him and that'll see this market in profit.

Finally, the Colonel is an unknown quantity but, with Prior injured, his reward for a good series could be the gloves in all forms of cricket. He has improved enormously this season and has Durham pal Ottis Gibson along for the trip, so he's worth a punt. The England Series Wicketkeeper Performance market allocates one point to a run, ten to a catch and 25 to a stumping. It's quoted at 200 - 215 and, with the Colonel opening in the warm-up match, that's a buy for me.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

Performance of the Day - Michael Clarke

Whilst The Trumpet has had cause to highlight Andrew Symonds' somewhat supercilious view of Twenty20, perhaps the Aussie with most to carp about is Michael Clarke, who faced just four balls in the tournament and spent most of his fielding time in the shooting gallery at backward point. But, as befits a man being groomed for captaincy, he kept his own counsel waiting his chance to declare his hand by seizing the moment.

At 18-2, less than a week after all India had celebrated T20 cricket success, another wicket could have made India's momentum in the match (and maybe the series) unstoppable. Clarke ran his singles, found a partner in the equally T20 anonymous Haddin and rebuilt the Australian innings to yet another 300+ score, with his own innings curtailed by a last ball run out at a PotD winning 130.

This time last year, Michael Clarke's career was stalled after a golden start. Like so many Aussies, he used a cricketing crisis to improve as a player. He already reminds The Trumpet of Mark Waugh at the crease and in the field: it remains to be seen if he will remind me of Steve Waugh once Punter retires to the Track.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

Performance of the Day: Ian Bell

There are many who think that Ian Bell can only turn it on when it doesn't really matter. I have never been one of those who doubt the Boy. A rough trot earlier this summer saw him not only not selected for England's ICC Twenty20 Tournament campaign (a triumph,not) but also left out of his own Warwickshire side.

Picked to join England's tour of Sri Lanka, Ian answered his critics with his bat. 131 not out in the first match with 12 fours and four sixes, he was in commanding form. He will never be the imposing physical presence at the crease of such as the muscular Australian Matthew Hayden and as long as he peppers his post-match interviews with "I'm sorry", I doubt the world's best bowlers will fear him.

However, for all his meekness, I do think his performances tell a different story. Ian is coming of age, and stuff the lot of you, Ian is a force to be reckoned with.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig}

Phil is keen as Mustard

I know, I know. That's the cheesiest headline I've written since "Snape's on a plane" but at least I didn't fall for the cutting it joke (it has been done elsewhere, believe me). But there are some serious points to be made about Phil Mustard's selection for the current England One-day side touring Sri Lanka. It's a well-known fact that England have struggled to find a wicket-keeper over the past few years, let alone a keeper/batsman and while Mustard's first showing for his country today did not set the world alight (17 with the bat and two catches), it was by no means a disaster. Until the tour is played out, we won't know whether a certain Australian has called it correctly in naming Phil as "a class act, the best wicket-keeper/batsman in England".

Mustard is a north-easterner - born in Sunderland, cut from the same cloth as his captain Paul Collingwood. Nearly 25 years-old, this is the first time he has had the opportunity of representing his country at senior international level although he did play for England Under-19s. His first-class career has been with Durham and this season he scored nearly 1000 runs. Why he zoomed so quickly into the picture was a lot to do with his performances in the Pro40 (409 runs at an average of 58.42) and the Friends Provident Trophy where he averaged 43.50. And this is where my favourite Australian comes into the picture. Durham went to Lord's to play Hampshire. Warne had earlier said that Phil was a pretty good player and compared him to Adam Gilchrist, and his exact words were:

"He has the same high grip, hits the ball from backward point to widish mid-off, plays the short ball pretty well and has that effective shot to cow corner."

Phil said: " I've got my own style and if people want to call me the next Adam Gilchrist then that's fine. But me, personally, I just go out there and do my own thing."

I don't think Mustard will be overwhelmed by this first call-up to the England side. I think he knows what he's getting into, and England could be the huge winners here, finding a skilled and non-gobby man with the gloves.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Ian Bell leads the way in Sri Lanka

In the early hours of this morning (a 4.30am GMT start), England began their tour of Sri Lanka with a warm-up match agains the Sri Lanka Board XI. They won the match comfortably by 80 runs, and the man who, according to some, is not very good at One-day cricket, ended his innings on 131 not out. Ian Bell, batting at 3 and coming in when new boy Phil Mustard was caught by Ganegama off the bowling of de Silva, combined well with Ali Cook (who made the second highest score of the England innings with 66). Bell is obviously comfortable at that position and after Ali holed out after facing 88 balls, kept the momentum going with Kevin Pietersen who knocked up his half-century in just 29 balls.

KP was caught by Viraj Perera immediately after reaching his 50, but Ian played on well with first Ravi Bopara and then Owais Shah to ensure England went safely over 300.

This was always going to be a tough target for the Sri Lankans, and they found it hard to get going. Ryan Sidebottom was given the new ball and struck in the second over. Perera's dismissal brought the exciting young Test batsman Chamara Kapugedera to the crease and he settled in well and did his best while wickets fell all around. He ended with an attractively struck 75 but the England bowlers had the edge, and the fielding was also sharp. Stuart Broad (bless him) took two wickets, as did Sidebottom and captain Paul Collingwood. Jimmy Anderson was the pick of the bowlers with three for 43, and Monty tidied up at the end taking the final wicket of Fernando.

This match really gives very little indication of how England will perform against the full Sri Lanka side but as a confidence builder after the shocking performances we saw in the recent Twenty20 tournament, they couldn't have made a better start.

Makes you wonder if Bell's presence in South Africa might have made a difference.

[Image: Getty] [mimitig]

Why I don't like... Andrew Symonds' attitude

Andrew Symonds is a very fine cricketer who chose the much tougher route of breaking into the Australian squad over the easier route to English qualification. He is also a man who speaks his mind, an increasingly rare beast in the sporting jungle. On both counts he is to be commended.

But here he is talking about the Indian reaction to their extraordinary World T20 win over bitter rivals Pakistan last Monday. "And personally, I think they have got far too carried away with their celebrations." These celebrations were for a country of one billion people winning a global competition in their Number One Sport for the first time in 24 years. See the 3.30 mark in the clip below for how Symonds celebrates a personal milestone in a dead rubber.

[The Tooting Trumpet]

Allan Donald tells the ECB to get lost

Allan Donald has today informed the England and Wales Cricket Board that he does not wish to tour for family reasons and therefore will not be able to accept the role as England bowling coach.

With arm firmly twisted behind his back, he said: "I am grateful to the ECB for the chance to work with the England team and a back room staff that is one of the best in world cricket. It has been an immensely enjoyable time but after 11 years on the road I feel that the commitment I would have to make to touring would be too great.

"I wish Peter Moores, the England team and management every success in the future and I am grateful for the experience of the last five months."

David Collier, the ECB chief executive, said: "We are grateful to Allan for his contribution this summer and we fully understand the reasons for his decision not to take up the offer of a full time contract which we offered before the Trent Bridge Test in July."  I'm particularly taken with the way that Collier has shoehorned in the fact that Donald was offered a contract, unlike other, previous bowling coaches we could mention.  [Carrie Dunn] [Image: Getty]

Equipment abuse?

In tennis, equipment abuse is a code violation and points can be lost. In this minor funk classic, exactly how many runs should Larry Blackmon be docked for his abuse of the humble cricket box? Bidding starts at a Laraesque 501.

[The Tooting Trumpet]

Twenty20 World Cup - The Best of the Bets: The Outcomes

Now that the dust has settled on a fabulous tournament, how fared The Trumpet's tips from that distant time when we weren't sure whether T20 had a future at international level? I'll see you over the jump with the damage.

"With the fixed odds bookmakers, VC Bet offers 12/1 about Pakistan, which I like as an each-way bet at 1/3 odds". Nice money!

"AB de Villiers has played some extraordinary innings in recent years, and I suggest Stan James is offering a generous price of 28/1 about him being the Top Tournament Scorer. I'd go each way with Dwayne Bravo as Top Tournament Bowler at 20/1 with the same company - he'll bowl at the death where there will be plenty of cheap wickets for the disciplined bowler." Not so good!

"I'm recommending a buy on Total First 6 Overs Runs at 2725 - 2800" Ouch! Settled at 2426 for a loss of 374 points! The stop-loss would have been in play.

"I also like a buy of Total Batsman Ton-Ups at 29 - 33" Settled at 18, but I would have closed the position after Chris Gayle's knock in Match One at a healthy profit.

"Total Run Outs are quoted at 35 - 39 and that's another buy for me with plenty of singles being taken to the keeper to get the right man on strike at the death." Settled at 42 for a small profit.

I'd suggest that's not a bad return when looking for value. I'll be back over the weekend with the value in the Sri Lanka - England series.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image: Getty]

Performance of the Day - Mohammad Yousuf

The Trumpet has an agnostic view about the ICL (Indian Cricket League) with its plans for non-ICC sanctioned matches: after all, it's hardly the case that cricket's ruling authorities are immaculate in their administration of the game. The Trumpet is old enough to remember the doom-mongers foretelling of the end of cricket when Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket lumbered into sight - but, from the vantage point of 2007, WSC appears one of the best things to have happened to the game.

But if there are to be reprisals against the ICL, The Trumpet doesn't mind a few ageing or fringe players being lost to Test Matches whilst compromises are hammered out, but he does quail at the prospect of the world's best players suspended from the highest form of the game. So the PotD goes to Mohammad Yousuf, who appears to have severed ties with the ICL sufficiently for him to represent Pakistan. Lest we forget, Yousuf is one of the world's greatest batsmen breaking King Viv's long-standing Test runs in a calendar year record with 1788 in 2006 and Test cricket cannot lose talents like that.

[The Tooting Trumpet] [Image:Getty]