[7HEGR1MR3AP3R]

Worcestershire to have highest opening partnership vs Surrey @ 11/10 (stan james)

There`s a few reasons that this looks a good bet to me. Despite the match odds of 1/3 Surrey 9/4 Worc, this game is a lot closer than that, and its mainly down to the fact that Pietersen makes his Surrey debut tonight,especially given current form of the 2 teams. Surrey have lost their last 2 and Worc have won their last 3 after getting a new captain installed. Only last Sunday they destroyed possibly the best team in the competition Somerset, by around 50 runs. What was striking in that game was the ferocity of the worcs bowlers early doors - they had Trescothick pinned down like a rabbit in the headlights, and had Somerset 44-4 after the powerplay overs. This was the same Somerset team who battered Surrey by 64 runs a few days earlier. Surrey have a few chancers who open ,who like to try and get fliers, in Hamilton-Brown and ex Worc opened Steve Davies, and with Pietersen as back up at number 3 ,they wont be afraid of hitting out early on. They need a win here to have any chance and if they bat first mistakes could be made.

Worcester on the other hand are slow but steady starters and are renowned form getting big scores before the fall of the 1st wicket. Only last week they played Glamorgan and were 11-0 off about 36 balls (shocking stats) but ended up 80-0 after about 60 balls once they got their eye in. Worc have been a good team for a long time, but this season theyve suffered from losing Steve Davies, the long time opener, and now theyre over that and playing really well. The opening pair of Moeen Ali and Vikram Solanki play well together and as underdogs here, they wont be going gung ho early, just as they did against Glamorgan.

Also these 2 teams played a county game last week and Worcestershire won very easily - albeit in a diff format of the game and slightly different line ups !

All that puts me off the 9/4 away win is the fact that Surrey have a deeper batting line up , thats were Worc are weaker and the reason why they have struggled in this format - and thats another reason why the openers Ali and Solanki wont take take any daft risks ! This bet should clearly be 5/6 each of two and maybe even worc slight favs @ 4/5 with Surrey at 10/11, so im happy to take the 11/10

Grim