Auckland vs Otago Match Prediction

Auckland and Otago are set to lock horns in Match No.18 of the Ford Trophy 2022-23 on Sunday, December 18. The John Davies Oval in Queenstown is scheduled to host the exciting contest. The match will get underway at 3:3AM IST and is expected to be an exciting one.

Bet on Ford Trophy

Auckland are placed right at the bottom of the points table with a net run rate of -1.290, the worst among the participants in the tournament.

Otago, on the other hand, are precariously placed in the middle of the points table with a net run rate of -0.670.

Canterbury vs Northern Knights Match Prediction

Canterbury and Northern Knights are set to lock horns in Match No.17 of the ongoing Ford Trophy on Sunday, December 18. The Hagley Oval in Christchurch will host the contest and the match can be watched from 3:30 AM in India.

Canterbury are currently placed on top of the points table with 15 points and a net run rate of +1.430. They have won three of their five games but are going into the game after a loss against Otago earlier in the week.

The Knights, on the other hand, are also on 15 points courtesy of three wins from five matches. But they are placed third in the points table due to inferior net run rate than Canterbury and Central Districts. They have a Net Run Rate of +0.509, while Central Districts have a NRR of +0.952.

Canterbury vs Northern Knights Chance of winning

Canterbury are the table toppers at the halfway stage of the tournament, but it doesn’t give them the luxury to sit back and relax. The points table is congested and a loss can push Canterbury down the points table.

The Knights, on the contrary, are in with a realistic chance of moving to the top of the points table by displacing Canterbury, with 17 points. However, a loss won’t make it any easier for them in the second half of the tournament, with Otago needing one more win to level with Canterbury’s 15 points.

Our Prediction

The bookmakers think that Canterbury have a better chance of winning. But Northern Knights can’t be undermined by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, the Knights have lost one less match than Canterbury, with one No Result to show for as well. It’s also pertinent to note that in the last four matches involving Canterbury, the team batting second came up trumps. If the Knights get a chance to bat second, they have every chance of easing past Canterbury.

• Canterbury to win @ 1.73 (Melbet)
• Northern District to win @ 2.104 (Melbet)

Canterbury vs Northern Knights Tournament Prediction & Betting Tips 2022

Canterbury started their campaign with a thumping 102-run victory over Wellington, who are struggling in the bottom half of the points table. From there on, Canterbury have blown a tad hot and cold.

Canterbury have won against Wellington and Auckland – teams that have struggled to find much of a rhythm and find themselves at No.5 and 6 respectively in the table. They have lost to the Knights earlier and then Otago, showing their struggles against stronger sides.

However, having already beaten Canterbury earlier, the Northern Knights will again fancy their chances.

Canterbury vs Northern Knights Match Toss Prediction

The Hagley Oval has hosted two matches thus far in the ongoing championship and both games went in favour of the teams, batting second. Hence it’s a no-brainer that teams should opt to field first after winning the toss. A fairly high-scoring game seems to be on the cards. Bowlers won’t have much room for error and need to be on their toes with their line and lengths.

Weather Report

There is a chance of rain throughout the duration of the match. It won’t be a surprise if the game gets called off or abandoned due to rain. Playing conditions will be cool and pleasant with temperatures around the 17-degree Celsius mark. The humidity will mostly be in the 70s. There will be a fair amount of cloud cover and the sun isn’t expected to be our during the game.

Canterbury Player List

Canterbury squad:

Henry Nicholls, Chad Bowes, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Cole McConchie (c), Cam Fletcher (wk), Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, William O’Rourke, Ed Nuttall, Sean Davey, Theo van Woerkom, Leo Carter, Angus McKenzie, Mitch Hay, ZG Foulkes, Matthew Boyle

Canterbury predicted XI:

Henry Nicholls	All-rounder
Chad Bowes	Batsman
Daryl Mitchell	All rounder
Tom Latham	Batsman
Cole McConchie	Batsman and captain
Cam Fletcher	Wicket-keeper batsman
Henry Shipley	All-rounder
Ish Sodhi	Bowler
Matt Henry	Bowler
William O’Rourke	Bowler
Ed Nuttall	Bowler

Canterbury Team Form

Canterbury will go into their next game after losing to Otago by five wickets at Hagley Oval. After Otago opted to field first, they bowled Canterbury out for 160 in 37.3 overs. A number of the Canterbury batters got starts, but failed to convert.

Tom Latham top-scored for them with a knock of 35 runs off 38 balls with five fours before fast bowler Jacob Duffy accounted for his wicket. Michael Rippon picked up four wickets for Otago.

Thereafter, Otago chased the target down in 35.2 overs. Otago skipper Hamish Rutherford scored 76 to make sure that Canterbury never found a foothold back in the contest.

Northern Knights Player List

Northern Knights squad:

Katene Clarke, Tim Seifert (wk), Jeet Raval (c), Bharat Popli, Henry Cooper, Brett Hampton, Scott Kuggeleijn, Peter Drysdale, Kristian Clarke, Tim Pringle, Scott Johnston, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Joe Carter, Zak Gibson, Frederick Walker

Northern Knights Predicted XI:

Katene Clarke	Batter
Tim Seifert	Wicket-keeper batter
Jeet Raval	Batter and captain
Bharat Popli	Batter
Henry Cooper	Batter
Brett Hampton	Batter
Scott Kuggelejin	All-rounder
Peter Drysdale	Bowler
Kristian Clarke	Bowler
Tim Pringle	Bowler
Scott Johnston	Bowler

Northern Knights Team Form

Northern Knights will be brimming with confidence after beating Wellington by 33 runs in their previous game at Basin Reserve.

After being put in to bat first, the Knights racked up a mammoth score of 381 for the loss of five wickets on the board. Tim Seifert threw his bat around to score 103 runs off 87 balls with the help of eight fours and six sixes.

Skipper Jeet Raval also made 81 to put pressure on the opposition bowlers. Wellington also did well, but finished with 348 in 48.1 overs. Finn Allen and Nick Kelly notched scores of 90 and 66 respectively but to no avail.

Scott Johnston and Tim Pringle picked up two wickets apiece for Northern Knights.

Canterbury vs Northern Knights Head to Head

Canterbury and Northern Knights have faced other 77 times thus far. Even as Northern Knights came up trumps 33 times, Canterbury won 41 matches. While three matches didn’t produce any result, three matches were abandoned.

In their last encounter, earlier in this year’s Ford Trophy, the Knights won by eight wickets in a rain-affected game.

Canterbury vs Northern Knights Betting Odds

Canterbury to have a higher opening partnership

The opening pair of Henry Nicholls and Chad Bowes for the Canterbury team is likely to perform better than their opponents, with markets odds of 1.725. Nicholls has scored 87 runs in the competition, while Bowed is the leading run-scorer for his team, with 195 runs in five games.

Canterbury vs Northern Knights Top Team Batsmen

Henry Nicholls to be Canterbury's top batter

Left-hander Henry Nicholls opens the batting for Canterbury, but haven’t quite been at his very best in the tournament. In four matches, the southpaw has scored 87 runs at an average of 21.75 and a strike rate of 82.07 with a top score of 40. Although he is yet to be at his very best, he is greatly experienced, having represented New Zealand in 58 ODIs. He has market odds of 3.0.

Jeet Raval to be Northern Knights’ top batter

Jeet Raval has arguably been among the standout batter for the Knights in the championship. In five matches, Raval has scored 173 runs at an average of 57.66 and a strike rate of 94.53 with a top score of 81, and has market odds of 4.0.

Canterbury vs Northern Knights Top Team Bowlers

Matt Henry to be Canterbury’s top bowler

Matt Henry has been a brute force for New Zealand, especially in white-ball cricket. He has also been impressive in the Ford Trophy for Canterbury. In four matches, Henry has picked up five wickets. But what’s most astonishing is his economy rate of 3.10.

Neil Wagner to be Northern Knights’ top bowler

Neil Wagner, the joint-highest wicket-taker for the Knights with nine scalps, could be the game-changer for his side. The quick has been highly effective and his economy rate of 3.83 suggests that he has been on the mark throughout the tournament.

Auckland vs Otago Chance of Winning

Auckland started their campaign with three defeats on the trot. However, they defeated the Central Districts by three wickets on December 15 to open their account in the championship.

Otago, on the contrary, fell flat on their faces in both matches against Central Districts, losing by nine wickets and 123 runs respectively.

However, courtesy of wins in their other two matches, they have every chance of climbing the ladder. They still have five matches remaining in the first round.

Our Prediction

Both teams have struggled thus far in the tournament, not being able to string together wins on a consistent basis. Both teams will also go into the next matches on the back of victories, but Otago seem to have a slightly stronger batting unit. Hence, Otago will be slightly favourites to win their next match, although one can’t afford to count out Auckland by any stretch of the imagination.

• Auckland to win @ 1.85 (Melbet)
• Otago to win @ 1.85 (Melbet)

Auckland vs Otago Tournament Prediction & Betting Tips 2022

Batting hasn’t been Otago’s strongest point in the tournament and that’s exactly where Auckland can cash in. However, Auckland need to be wary of Otago’s bowlers, especially Jacob Duffy, who is on top of his game without a shred of a doubt. The upcoming game is expected to be a contest between Otago’s bowling and Auckland’s batting.

Auckland vs Otago Match Toss Prediction

Otago have won both their matxhes while batting second and hence, batting second should the way forward for them. Auckland also won their previous match by chasing. It would be a surprise if either of the two teams opt to bat first after winning the toss going by results of both teams.

Weather Report

There is a 7 to 11 percent chance of rain, but the heavens are most likely to stay quiet. Temperatures will be around the 13-degree Celsius mark with the humidity in the 70s. There will be 90 percent of cloud cover throughout the duration of the match.

Auckland Players List

George Worker, Sean Solia, William O Donnell, Mark Chapman, Robert ODonnell (c), Ben Horne (wk), Simon Keene, Louis Delport, Danru Ferns, Ben Lister, Matt Gibson, Ryan Harrison, Adithya Ashoke

Predicted XI

George Worker	All-rounder
Sean Solia	Batsman
William ODonnell’	Batsman
Robert O’Donnell	Batsman and captain
Ben Horne	Wicketkeeper
Simon Keene	Al Rounder and captain
Louis Delport	Bowler
Danru Ferns	Bowler
Ben Lister	Al Rounder
Matt Gibson	Bowler
Mark Chapman	Batter

Auckland Team Form

Auckland will go into the next game after beating Central Districts by three wickets on December 15 at the Pukekura Park in New Plymouth. After opting to bowl first, Auckland bowled Central Districts our for 147 in 37 overs.

Ben Lister was the pick of the bowlers for Auckland as he picked up four wickets. Ferns and Matt Gibson picked up two wickets apiece.

Auckland were reduced to 89 for the loss of six wickets in the 29th over of their run-chase and looked in all sorts of trouble.

However, Robert O’Donnell stayed unbeaten on 54 off 90 with seven fours and guided his team past the finish line.

Otago Players List

Hamish Rutherford (c), Llew Johnson, Dean Foxcroft, Glenn Phillips, Dale Phillips, Josh Finnie, Michael Rippon, Max Chu (wk), Jacob Duffy, Matthew Bacon, Michael Rae, Ben Lockrose, Jake Gibson, Thorn Parkes

Otago Predicted XI

Hamish Rutherford	Batsman and Captain
Dean Foxcroft	Batsman
Dale Phillips	Batsman
Glenn Phillips	Batsman
Josh Finnie	All Rounder
Michael Rippon	Batsman and Wicketkeeper
Max Chu	All-rounder
Ben Lockrose	All-rounder
Jacob Duffy	Bowler
Matthew Bacon	Bowler
Michael Rae	Bowler

Otago Team Form

Otago will go into their next encounter after beating Canterbury by five wickets at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch. After opting to field first, they bowled Canterbury out for 160 in 37.3 overs. Michael Rippon was their standout bowler as he picked up four wickets for 32 runs in 8.3 overs.

Otago were once struggling with their score at 64 for the loss of four wickets. But opening batter Hamish Rutherford stayed unbeaten on 76 and guided his team past the finish line with 14.4 overs to spare.

Auckland vs Otago Head to Head

In their previous meeting, Otago beat Auckland by six wickets. William ODonnell’s unbeaten 74 helped Auckland score 187 runs in 45.2 overs.

Otago chased the target down with 14.5 overs to spare after Liew Johnson and Dale Phillips made hay. Johnson top-scored for his team with an 81-run knock.

Overall, Auckland have played 73 matches against Otago, winning 42 and losing 29 in List A cricket. Five matches have had no results.

Auckland vs Otago Betting Odds

Otago to have the highest opening partnership

Both Hamish Rutherford and Liew Johnson are in decent enough form and it won’t be a surprise if they build a healthy partnership. Auckland’s bowling hasn’t been at its best and here lies a golden chances for Rutherford and Johnson to cash in.

Their bowlers should be looking to remove at least one of the two batters to put Otago’s middle order under a bit of pressure.

Auckland vs Otago Top Team Batsman

Hamish Rutherford to be the top batsman for Otago

Hamish Rutherford has looked in excellent touch with the bat in hand for Otago. He has played four matches thus far in which he has racked up 109 runs at an average of 36.33, a strike-rate of 67.70 with one half-century, and a top score of an unbeaten 76. If he gets going, the Auckland bowlers may end up finding themselves in a lot of trouble.

Robert O’Donnell to be the top batsman for Auckland

Robert O’Donnell has been in exceptional form for Auckland in the tournament. He is one of the main reasons Auckland is still in contention to go through to the next round.

In five matches, O’Donnell has scored 199 runs at an average of 49.75 and a strike rate of 61.99 with as many as three half-centuries and a top score of 72. He is currently the leading run-scorer in the tournament, two runs clear of second-placed Dane Cleaver of Central Districts.

Auckland vs Otago Top Team Bowlers

Jacob Duffy to be the top bowler for Otago

Jacob Duffy has been a tough customer to deal with for the opponents in the ongoing tournament. In four matches, Duffy has picked up 11 wickets at an economy rate of 3.49 and a strike rate of 19.3. The fact that he has also picked up a five-wicket haul shows how effective he has been in the championship thus far.

If the Auckland batters relax, Duffy has every chance of running through their batting lineup, which hasn’t been in the best of form by any means.

Ben Lister to be the top bowler for Auckland

Ben Lister has to step up and deliver if Auckland are to beat Otago in their upcoming contest. In six matches, Lister has as many wickets to his name at an economy rate of 4.34.

Having also picked up a four-wicket haul, Lister has given a decent account of his skills and calibre. He is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker for Auckland along with Adithya Ashoke, who also has six wickets to his name.

However, Lister needs support from the other bowlers for Auckland to put Otago under pressure.