Cricket betting tips: Zimbabwe vs New Zealand and a double from The Hundred

After 25 days of action, the five-match series between England and India finally came to a conclusion on Monday and there were few complaints from supporters of either side to see the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy shared at 2-2.

It has been an enthralling series between the two teams and the climax at The Oval was befitting of what had gone before!

Love cricket? Find the best cricket betting sites and bet with the best welcome bonuses today.

For Test cricket fans in the UK, the month of August can be a tough one to get through as the glamour, glitz and colour of The Hundred takes over. 

So, for those of you who need more international red-ball coverage, we are heading to Bulawayo as Zimbabwe and New Zealand face off in the second game of their two-match series.

But The Hundred cannot be ignored and particularly this season as six of the teams have seen major stakes sold to private investors in multi-million pound deals since the turn of the year.

On the pitch, the men’s product has big names such as David Warner (London Spirit) and Steve Smith (Welsh Fire), not to mention a certain Jimmy Anderson with Manchester Originals!

And The Hundred Women also attracts the best from across the globe with Ellyse Perry at Birmingham Phoenix and Hayley Matthews at Welsh Fire. Strap yourselves in, The Hundred will dominate cricket in this country for the rest of this month!

Zimbabwe vs New Zealand preview

For those who have got used to tight Test matches, this contest in Bulawayo may not quite have the same tension as we have seen over the last six weeks in the UK.

New Zealand won the opening game of the series by nine wickets, have won 12 of the 18 Tests between the sides and are still waiting to be defeated by the Chevrons in Test cricket!

EXPLAINED: How to bet on cricket - tips, strategies and what to avoid

There is a glimmer of hope for the hosts though as the Black Caps will be without fast bowling all-rounder Nathan Smith who is out with an abdominal strain. 

While there are also doubts over the fitness of both captain Tom Latham and pacer Will O’Rourke.

FIRST’s top tip for Zimbabwe vs New Zealand

Pick: Matt Henry to be player of the match - 6/1 with Highbet

The 33 year old was unstoppable in the first game as he took nine wickets in a Test for the third time in his career.

All three of those have come from February 2022 onwards and he has also picked up an eight-wicket match haul twice since February 2024.

None of the above should be a surprise though as Henry has been regarded as the most in-form bowler across all formats over the last 18 months. 

He has taken 57 Test wickets at an average of 17.22 from his last 20 appearances and will be relishing the chance to bowl at the Zimbabwe batters once again!

Northern Superchargers Women vs Welsh Fire Women preview

Both of these teams have reached the final of the Hundred in the last two seasons but neither have been able to lift the trophy!

Southern Brave were too strong for Northern Superchargers in 2023 before London Spirit got the better of Welsh Fire 12 months ago.

REVEALED: 11 biggest betting events around the world

Welsh Fire are among the favourites to win the tournament this year and they have plenty of experience in Hayley Matthews, Jess Jonassen and Shabnim Ismail as their overseas trio.

As for the Superchargers, they will be heavily reliant on the Australian pair of Annabel Sutherland and Phoebe Litchfield, both match-winners on their day.

FIRST’s top tip for Northern Superchargers Women vs Welsh Fire Women

Pick: Hayley Matthews to be top batter - 4/1 with Highbet

The consistent 27 year old was last in action in late June when she hit back to back half-centuries against South Africa in Barbados.

No stranger to The Hundred, she has hit a half-century in each of her four previous seasons and made her highest score in the competition of 78* last year. 

Northern Superchargers vs Welsh Fire preview

Will this be the first year that either Northern Superchargers or Welsh Fire make it into the knockout stage of The Hundred Men?

It is fair to say that neither team has really set any of the previous tournaments alight but with Andrew Flintoff coaching the hosts and Mike Hussey in charge of the visitors, that could soon change.

The Superchargers are likely to rely on their non-Test players for this opener with Dan Lawrence leading with the bat and Adil Rashid with the ball.

As for Welsh Fire, Steve Smith will be the batting dangerman with spinner Chris Green in excellent recent form.

FIRST’s top tip for Northern Superchargers vs Welsh Fire 

Pick: Dan Lawrence to be top batter - 11/1 with Highbet

International cricket is still yet to be cracked by the 28 year old right-hander, but he has played in multiple franchise leagues and has been in excellent form for Surrey of late with scores of 88 & 78.

Naturally aggressive and with a top score of 120* in T20s, Lawrence has made only one previous half-century in The Hundred. So after swapping London Spirit for Northern Superchargers this winter, he will be keen to deliver a big score on his first appearance in front of his new supporters.

Extra tips

Pick: Sean Williams to be Zimbabwe’s first innings top batter (Zimbabwe vs New Zealand) - 3/1 with Highbet

For a man with a Test average of 46.97, and having hit scores of 137 & 83 against South Africa in June and July, Williams disappointed with a combined 51 runs in the first game.

He stands head and shoulders above his team-mates in terms of batting ability and experience, something he will be keen to show in this Test.

Pick: Jess Jonassen to be top bowler (Northern Superchargers Women vs Welsh Fire Women) - 5/1 with Highbet

The former Australian international is a white-ball specialist with her spin picking up wickets at every tournament she enters! She took 12 wickets in The Hundred last year with only two other players taking more.

Responsible gambling with FIRST

You must be 18+ to gamble. Gambling is a form of entertainment, not a way to make money. Our tips and advice help you enjoy gambling, but there is always a chance a bet or casino game can lose.

Never bet more than you can afford to lose. Stop betting if you are angry, emotional or under the influence of alcohol.

Warning signs of problem gambling: chasing losses, betting money needed for bills, or feeling unable to stop.

Need help? Visit our responsible sports betting page or our responsible casino gambling page, or contact the support organisations listed below if you're struggling to control your gambling:

Gamblers Anonymous UK

BeGambleAware

GAMSTOP

National Gambling Support Network

Gamcare

NHS National Gambling Clinic

Odds correct at the time of writing.

Previous matches

31/07/2025

Shubman Gill to be top batter - 9/2 with Highbet
Shai Hope to be West Indies’ top batter - 9/4 with Ladbrokes 

Joe Root to be player of the match (England vs India) - 13/2 with Highbet

Akeal Hosein to be top bowler (West Indies vs Pakistan) 

England vs India preview

The fourth Test at Old Trafford was yet another classic and went a long way to proving that a drawn game in this format can still be hugely entertaining.

Among other highlights, Joe Root became the second highest Test run scorer of all time, Shubman Gill notched up his fourth century of the series, Ben Stokes took the Player of the Match award with a five-wicket haul alongside a century and Rishabh Pant hit a half-century with a broken foot!

Sharing the spoils in Manchester means the series is still alive ahead of the fifth Test at The Oval, a venue which has not seen a draw since 2013 and where India triumphed by 157 runs in 2021.

That result was one of two defeats experienced by England across their last four in South London and if they repeat their eight wicket loss against Sri Lanka from ten months ago then the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy will be shared.

Nothing other than a victory is sufficient for India but they will have to do so without their vice-captain and keeper-batter Rishabh Pant as well as their chief bowling threat in Jasprit  Bumrah.

After missing the fourth Test with a groin injury, Akash Deep is set to come back in place of Bumrah and the pacer will be looking for a repeat of his efforts in Birmingham where he took ten wickets across the Test as India won by 336 runs.

As for England, they have injury problems of their own with skipper Stokes ruled out and he is one of four changes from the team in Manchester!

FIRST’s top tip for England vs India

Shubman Gill to be top batter - 9/2 with Highbet

Although England lead the series 2-1, the top four run-scorers are all Indian batters and at the top of the tree is India skipper Shubman Gill with 722 runs at an average of 90.25.

He sits 211 runs ahead of any other player in this series and the 25 year old has hit a century in half of his eight innings so far!

Many cricket followers thought that India may struggle without the experience of legends like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli on this tour but Gill has not only delivered with the bat but also led his team into battles in the field.

With his right-hand man Pant out, and Bumrah unavailable with the ball, do not be surprised if the captain steps up once again to keep his side in the hunt for this series.

West Indies vs Pakistan preview

It is certainly hard to take positives out of a 5-0 series defeat but West Indies should do so after losing three of the games against Australia, including the last two, by just two wickets!

That said, losing can become a habit and it definitely has become so for the ‘Men in Maroon’ who have lost eight of their last nine completed T20I fixtures.

Their recent form against Pakistan is equally poor, losing all three of their T20I head to heads in Karachi in 2021, and although the tourists are without Babar Azam or Mohammad Rizwan for this series, they do have the dangerous Shaheen Shah Afridi back.

FIRST’s top tip for West Indies vs Pakistan

Shai Hope to be West Indies’ top batter - 9/4 with Ladbrokes 

Only Australia’s Cameron Green scored more runs across the five match series earlier this month and the 31 year old skipper delivered a fifty and a century despite the 5-0 defeat.

Written off as a T20 player earlier in his career and still averaging only 29.50 from 46 T20I innings, the right-hander is a different player this year with 333 runs at 41.62 and a strike-rate just below 150.00.

Extra tips

Joe Root to be player of the match (England vs India) - 13/2 with Highbet

The former England captain has had another incredible home summer, averaging 133.50 across three ODIs against West Indies and making back to back centuries against India at Lord’s and Old Trafford.

He could make it three tons in a row when he comes to the crease at The Oval this week and considering he averages 82.75 across five Test innings versus India here, he is a prime candidate to take the Player of the Match award.

Akeal Hosein to be top bowler (West Indies vs Pakistan) - no odds as yet

The left-arm spinner took 3/17 in the final T20I against Australia, the best and most economical figures on both sides on Monday.

Hosein is a veteran of 75 T20Is and he will fancy his chances at this venue where the top two T20I bowling figures have both been delivered by spinners!

22/07/2025

Cameron Green to be Australia’s top runscorer - 7/2 with Ladbrokes

Alzarri Joseph to be West Indies’ top bowler (West Indies vs Australia) - 3/1 with Ladbrokes

Ravindra Jadeja to be India’s 1st Innings top batter (England vs India) - 10/1 with Highbet

Joe Root to be top batter - 5/1 with Highbet

England vs India preview

A victory for England at Old Trafford will see them secure the series ahead of the final game at the Oval, but as ever in Test cricket there are other statistical landmarks on the horizon for this week’s match.

When the fixture begins on Wednesday, Joe Root will sit in fifth place on the list of all-time Test run-scorers with 13,259 in total but come the end of the game he will be hoping to be in third spot.

That’s because former Indian right-hander Rahul Dravid, nicknamed ‘The Wall’ due to his impenetrable nature at the crease, sits on 13,288 with one of the greatest all-rounders of all-time, South African Jacques Kallis, one run further ahead!

FIRST’s top tip for England vs India

Following only one half-century from his four previous innings in the series, the former England skipper stood up to be counted at Lord’s and played a large part in his side’s narrow victory with the highest score of the match (104).

He top scored in both innings for England and arrives in Manchester at a venue where he averages 65.20 in this format.

No player in the history of Test cricket has scored more runs than Root at Old Trafford and he has scored 42+ in five of his last seven Test innings.

He may need only 31 runs to become the third highest run scorer of all time in Tests, but it would appear that the 34-year-old has a hunger for plenty more than just that!

West Indies vs Australia preview

This is by no means the strongest group of Australian players that the world has seen but up to now on their tour of the Caribbean, they have been way too strong for the hosts.

A 3-0 Test series victory has given way to an early 1-0 lead in the T20Is and Australia certainly have the belief to win from any position. As seen on Sunday when West Indies were flying along on 159/2 halfway through the 16th over before collapsing to post only 189/8.

Mitchell Marsh’s side chased down 190 with three wickets and seven balls remaining and they will be very confident of keeping their winning streak alive in the second T20I.

FIRST’s top tip for West Indies vs Australia

Cameron Green to be Australia’s top runscorer - 7/2 with Ladbrokes

This has been a tough tour for batters on both sides and the 26 year old right-hander would probably have wanted some different pitches while he auditioned for the Test number three spot!

However, Green has put a poor start to this tour behind him and turned a return of 48 runs from his first five innings into 191 from his next five which includes 51 from 26 balls on Sunday as Australia’s highest run scorer.

Extra tips

Ravindra Jadeja to be India’s 1st Innings top batter (England vs India) - 10/1 with Highbet

India have plenty of exceptional quality in the top half of their batting order but Ravindra Jadeja, who batted at six in the first innings at Lord’s and seven in the second, is in excellent form.

The left-hander nearly won the Test for the tourists with 61 not out on the final day to make it four successive half-centuries, two unbeaten, in this series. He will come out to bat in Manchester averaging 42.38 in Tests in the UK.

Alzarri Joseph to be West Indies’ top bowler (West Indies vs Australia) - 3/1 with Ladbrokes

Against an Australian batting line-up which has shown plenty of weakness, the right-arm quick has had a great deal of success over recent weeks.

Joseph now has over 300 international wickets and often saves his best for this opposition with a strike-rate of 14.3 in T20I head to heads.

16/07/2025
Tom Helm to be top bowler - 10/1 Highbet
Chris Green to be Middlesex top bowler - 9/2 Highbet
Will Jacks to be Surrey top batter - 11/4 Highbet
Joss Butler to be top batter - 3/1 Highbet

Middlesex vs Surrey preview

Surrey made it five wins in a row when they last took on Middlesex on June 20th and they made easy work of their rivals from north of the Thames by posting 194/8 and then dismissing the visitors for 119.

Will Jacks had an evening to remember, hitting 97 runs from 56 balls at the top of the order before taking 1/1 from 0.4 overs and taking two catches during the second innings chase. 

As for Middlesex, despite losing by 75 runs, Tom Helm took three wickets but it was their batting which was the real problem with no one going past 27 and only three players making it to 20!

Since that defeat, Middlesex have fallen to three more losses in four games with only a 23 run win over fellow strugglers Gloucestershire to cheer about and can not finish in the top four.

As for Surrey, their place in the quarter-finals with a home tie is already guaranteed and victories in this and their last match in Hove on Friday, could see them end the stage at the summit of the South Group.

FIRST’s top tip for Middlesex vs Surrey

Tom Helm to be top bowler - 10/1 with Highbet

The 31 year old pacer has already taken 19 wickets in this campaign which is level with his previous best T20 Blast season, back in 2017.

Helm has been particularly consistent since mid-June, picking up at least one dismissal in each of his last six Blast fixtures and was the pick of the Middlesex attack at the Oval last month.

That day he was the man who finally got Will Jacks out and he picked up the wicket of Tom Curran with his next ball as well before dismissing the experienced Laurie Evans in the penultimate over.

Surrey have an excellent and deep batting line-up, but Helm was the dangerman last time taking three of the top six wickets and he’ll be targeting a repeat at Lord’s.

Yorkshire Vikings vs Lancashire Lightning preview

It would take a remarkable last week of results for Lancashire Lightning to fail to progress from the North Group but despite the fact that Yorkshire Vikings sit bottom of the table, it was the white rose county who won by 19 runs when they met on Friday evening at Old Trafford.

Jonny Bairstow was the star with 116 from 54 balls although Yorkshire’s number three William Luxton also caught the eye with 90 not out from 46 deliveries.

FIRST’s top tip for Yorkshire Vikings vs Lancashire Lightning

Chris Green to be Lancashire’s top bowler - 9/2 with Highbet

The South African born Australian bowling all-rounder accounted for four of Yorkshire’s batters in last Friday’s contest and followed up that display with brilliant figures of 3/15 from four overs on Sunday.

He has 18 wickets in this year’s Blast and will have watched the last game in Leeds with interest as spinners Dan Moriarty and AM Ghazanfar both picked up a brace of dismissals.

Extra tips

Will Jacks to be Surrey’s top batter (Middlesex vs Surrey) - 11/4 with Highbet

It has been quite the last month for the batting all-rounder who, apart from a duck in Worcester, has been flying in white and red-ball cricket.

Across the last four weeks, he has hit a County Championship century against Durham and five scores of 41+ in the Blast, three of them 57+.

Jacks hit 15x boundaries in his 56-ball 97 in the last head to head with Middlesex in June and will be looking to boost his 2025 T20 Blast average of 44.00 when the action begins on Wednesday evening.

Jos Buttler to be top batter (Yorkshire Vikings vs Lancashire Lightning) - 3/1 with Highbet

9/07/2025

Harry Brook to be England’s 1st Innings Top Batter - 10/3 with Highbet
Jasprit Bumrah to be India’s 1st Innings Top Bowler (England vs India) - 27/20
Shamarh Joseph to be Player Of The Match (West Indies vs Australia) - 16/1 with Ladbrokes

England vs India preview

After England chased down 371 on day five at Headingley, and India opted to rest Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test at Edgbaston, it looked as though this eagerly awaited five-match series could be one-sided and over quite swiftly.

However, no one had told India skipper Shubman Gill, who produced one of the great Test match performances, making 269 in the first innings and 161 in the second to finish with a combined 430 runs. That’s the second highest total ever, behind only Graham Gooch, who produced 456 runs at Lord’s in 1990.

So ahead of the 2025 Test at Lord’s, it is England who suddenly have the odds stacked against them, and are expected to unleash pacer Jofra Archer for his first Test appearance since 2021.

Zak Crawley’s place at the top of the order is once again under scrutiny and young spinner Shoaib Bashir, who conceded 167 runs in the first innings and 119 runs in the second, is struggling with England’s approach of wanting to chase in the final innings of the match.

As for India, they will welcome back Bumrah who is expected to spearhead an exciting three-pronged pace-attack alongside Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj who took 17 of England’s 20 wickets in Birmingham.

FIRST’s top tip for England vs India

Harry Brook to be England’s 1st Innings Top Batter - 10/3 with Highbet

After withdrawing from the Indian Premier League for the second successive season earlier this year, Brook is already something of a pantomime villain for India fans.

But he keeps racking up the runs, and after making 158 in the first innings at Edgbaston, is averaging 104.44 across his last nine first innings for his country.

Read: How to place your first cricket bet and common mistakes

West Indies vs Australia preview

The Australian home summer of 1992/93 was the last time that the West Indies beat Australia over a Test series, and we have to go back another 18 months to find the last time the ‘Men in Maroon’ secured a Test series win over the Aussies at home.

Victories for the tourists in Barbados by 159 runs and Grenada by 133 runs mean that it is now 14 Test series in a row where Australia have held the Frank Worrell Trophy, and the final assignment on this tour for Pat Cummins’ men is to win the day-night Test in Jamaica for a clean sweep.

Although they have an unassailable lead, this is by no means the strongest of Australian sides to have taken on West Indies over the last 30+ years. The hosts had a first innings lead in Barbados and were only 33 runs behind at the halfway stage last week, but ultimately the West Indian batting has been too weak.

FIRST’s top tip for West Indies vs Australia

Travis Head to be Australia’s 1st Innings Top Batter - 7/2 with Ladbrokes

With only one team total of 300+ across the series so far, this has been a low-scoring affair in the Caribbean.

However, Travis Head has shown ability and consistency, averaging 47.00 from his four innings and the unorthodox left-hander begins this final Test as the leading run scorer in the series.

Extra tips

Jasprit Bumrah to be India’s 1st Innings Top Bowler (England vs India) - 27/20

The 31 year old is considered to be one of the greatest all-format bowlers of all time and he will be raring to go after being given a week off at Edgbaston.

Best when fresh, the right-arm quick has been particularly strong in the first innings of recent Tests, picking up three five-wicket hauls while averaging 14.69 with a strike-rate of 30.5 across his last six games.

Shamarh Joseph to be Player Of The Match (West Indies vs Australia) - 16/1 with Ladbrokes

The 25-year-old right-arm quick is the leading wicket-taker in the series, and has now taken four-plus wickets in five of his eight Test innings against Australia.

Famed for getting the ball to move in all conditions, it will be fascinating to see if he can find yet another level with the pink ball in Jamaica.

Read: Tips for an effective sports betting strategy

Previous matches

England vs India. Pick: Rishabh Pant to be top batter in the match - 8/1 with Highbet 

West Indies vs Australia. Pick: Shamar Joseph to be top bowler in the match - 11/2 with Highbet 

Northants Steelbacks vs Lancashire Lightning. Pick: Ben Sanderson to be Northants Steelbacks’ top bowler - 3/1 with Highbet

England vs India preview

Headingley served up another brilliant Test to get this series underway and Ben Stokes’ side will be brimming with confidence ahead of Wednesday after they were able to chase down their target of 371 on day five.

The victory was all the sweeter for the captain after he had received widespread criticism after choosing to field first on a red-hot day one and seeing India rack up 359/3!

England will be unchanged for this game in Birmingham despite having pace-bowler Jofra Archer back in their ranks.

The right-arm quick bowler has not played a Test due to injuries since February 2021, but seeing him in the nets will certainly make the rest of the bowling attack realise that they have to perform if they are to stay in the side!

Edgbaston was once England’s ‘fortress’, a venue where they lost just one Test from 2002-2018, but they have stuttered a little of late here with three defeats from their last five Tests.

And although India are still searching for their first Test win in Birmingham, they have won two of their last three internationals at Edgbaston, including a 49 run T20I victory against England in 2022.

All eyes will be on the composition of the India XI with pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who has his workload carefully managed, available for selection and it could be that left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav comes in on a dry pitch.

FIRST’s top tip for England vs India

Rishabh Pant to be top batter in the match - 8/1 with Highbet 

At Headingley, the left-handed keeper-batter and India’s vice-captain became only the 12th player of all time to hit two centuries in the same men’s Test and end up on the losing side!

His scores of 134 and 118 should come as no surprise. He has now scored either a century or a fifty in each of his last five Test knocks in England - averaging 101 across those innings with the host’s bowlers looking increasingly toothless.

And what's more, in 2022, Pant hit 146 and 57 at Edgbaston so he has excellent Test memories of Birmingham!

West Indies vs Australia preview

After dismissing Australia for 180 and then posting 190 in their own first innings, West Indies looked on course to beat the Aussies for the second Test in a row before they saw the tourists recover from 65/4 to 310 all out in the third innings of the game.

West Indies then slumped to 86/8 in pursuit of 301 and although they did get to 141, the feeling is that they have missed their opportunity in this series as the experienced Steve Smith has arrived and will bolster an inexperienced Australian batting line-up.

But Smith can only occupy one slot in the order and after three of the tourist’s top four made a combined 43 from six innings in Barbados, perhaps the hosts can cause damage with the ball once again.

FIRST’s top tip for West Indies vs Australia

Pick: Shamar Joseph to be top bowler in the match - 11/2 with Highbet 

The 25-year-old took career best figures of 9/133 in Barbados and terrorised Australian batters throughout!

Across his six Test innings against Australia, the right-arm quick has taken 4+ wickets on four occasions and averages 16.27 with a strike-rate of 23.5.

Northants Steelbacks vs Lancashire Lightning

After a two-week break, the T20 Blast is back and Friday’s clash in Northampton is a mouthwatering one as top of the North Group, Northants Steelbacks take on their nearest challengers Lancashire Lightning.

Funnily enough, it is the second placed side who come into the fixture with momentum after winning their last two games whereas the Steelbacks, who had a 100% record after six matches, have lost their last two!

It was the Steelbacks who came out on top by 24 runs when the teams last met at Old Trafford in early June but momentum has clearly switched and there is everything to play for at the County Ground.

So where does the value play lie in this closely-fought encounter?

FIRST’s top tip for Northants Steelbacks vs Lancashire Lightning

Pick: Ben Sanderson to be Northants Steelbacks’ top bowler - 3/1 with Highbet

The 36-year-old right-arm medium fast has been one of the main reasons for Northants’ success in the tournament this season and is yet to go wicketless across his eight T20 Blast fixtures in 2025!

His strike rate in this year’s competition is a remarkable 9.1 which includes 11 wickets from four games in Northampton.

Extra tips

Josh Tongue to be England’s 1st innings top bowler - 3/1 with Highbet

The quick bowler specialises in clearing out the tail and 12 of his last 17 wickets have come in the first innings of games.

Josh Hazlewood to be Australia’s 1st innings top bowler - 11/4 with Highbet

In 17 Test innings against West Indies, Hazlewood has gone wicketless on just two occasions. Across his last three head to head Tests, the pacer has 21 wickets at an average of 10.66!

This could be worth a double, right? Find out all about a double bet and how it works before making your play.

Previous matches

FIRST’s predictions for Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh and West Indies vs Australia

Pick: Zak Crawley to score a fifty in the match - 5/4 with Highbet

Pick: Riley Meredith to be top bowler (Somerset vs Hampshire Hawks) - 9/2 with Highbet

Pick: Will Smeed to be top batter - 5/1 with Highbet

England vs India preview

With victories in each of their last five Tests at Headingley, and after winning their opening Test of the summer against Zimbabwe last month, England will arrive in Leeds full of confidence but not with a particularly experienced bowling attack.

Chris Woakes is expected to return to the side after taking 3/60 and 2/43 against India A last week. 

The 36 year old with 57 Test appearances and 181 wickets in this format will be particularly important in a pace bowling unit alongside Brydon Carse (five Tests), Sam Cook (one Test), Jamie Overton (one Test) and Josh Tongue (three Tests).

England’s batting line-up looks far more familiar although there is a big decision for the selectors to make regarding the number three position. Vice-captain Ollie Pope is coming under significant pressure from all-format wonderkid Jacob Bethell.

Read: Starting small: Why micro-stakes betting is perfect for beginners

Whoever is picked in Leeds is likely to face a stern examination against a bowling attack which includes Jasprit Bumrah with 205 Test wickets at an average of 19.40 and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav who took 21 wickets at 20.19 during the last India vs England Test series.

And this latest India side may not have some of the batting names which we have become accustomed to seeing across red-ball battles over the last decade. 

But in KL Rahul, captain Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, they have a fearless and talented group.

Somerset vs Hampshire Hawks preview

Two of the most consistently strong T20 outfits over recent seasons meet in Taunton on Thursday evening as Somerset, who lead the South Group, take on Hampshire Hawks who currently sit just outside the top four.

Somerset have reached the final in three of the last four Blasts, winning in 2023 and last failed to get to the final four in 2020!

Lewis Gregory’s side were narrowly beaten by Kent on Sunday, a result which saw their winning streak of five games come to an end. But they will fancy their chances of returning to form against Hampshire who they convincingly beat in both T20 Blast head to heads in 2024.

The Hawks got off to a fine start in this campaign when thrashing Essex by 106 runs and went on to make it three wins from three with victories over Surrey and Gloucestershire.

However, the wheels have come off since after an eight wicket defeat against Kent was followed by a tie (DLS) with Middlesex and a 69 run loss at home against Surrey on Tuesday evening.

FIRST’s predictions for South Africa vs Australia and Northants Steelbacks vs Birmingham Bears

Pick: Usman Khawaja to be Australia’s 1st Innings top batter - 7/2 with Highbet

Pick: Josh Hazlewood to be the player of the match (South Africa vs Australia) - 11/1 with Highbet

Pick: Ravi Bopara to be top batter - 11/1 with Highbet

South Africa vs Australia preview

It is fair to say that contests between South Africa and Australia have been eventful over the years. This meeting in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord’s comes seven years after the infamous ‘sandpapergate’ incident during a Test between the sides in Cape Town.

And head to heads in this country have also provided entertainment with the last ball scenes at Edgbaston during the 1999 Cricket World Cup semi-final replayed time and time again, much to the frustration of South Africa fans!

But this is 2025 and the ICC Test Champions Mace is up for grabs with the teams finishing in the top two positions during the group stage.

South Africa took first place but Australia were only deprived of the chance to finish top of the pile due to receiving a points deduction due to an over-rate issue during the 2023 Ashes.

It is the Proteas who come into the final with marginally stronger form, winning their last five Tests compared to Australia who have prevailed in their last four!

However, Australia have won three of their last six Tests in the UK whereas South Africa have been beaten in four of their last five.

Northants Steelbacks vs Birmingham Bears preview

There will be an expectant crowd at the County Ground, Northampton on Wednesday evening as the hosts look to continue their 100% winning start in this year’s T20 Blast and add to their five victories in the North Group.

The Steelbacks may not be the most fashionable of the county sides but they have been mightily effective in this campaign, recording victories over Yorkshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Worcestershire and Lancashire so far.

Birmingham Bears began this season with defeats against Notts Outlaws and Durham but have since bounced back with convincing wins over Yorkshire and Derbyshire. 

They will be looking to make it three in a row but face a Northants side who are 12 points ahead of them in the table and who came out on top by 11 runs when these teams last met 

in Northampton, just under 11 months ago.

FIRST's predictions for England vs West Indies and Surrey vs Hampshire Hawks

Top tip: Jacob Bethell to be England’s top batter - 11/1 (Highbet)
Top tip: Jason Roy to be top batter - 5/1 (Highbet)

Pick: Alzarri Joseph to be West Indies’ top bowler - 15/8 (Highbet) 

Pick: Dewald Brevis to be Hampshire Hawks’ top batter - 3/1 (Highbet)

England vs West Indies preview

Whisper it quietly, but England seem to have turned their wretched form around over the last couple of weeks.

After beginning 2025 with 10 defeats from 11 matches (4x T20Is, 6x ODIs) while touring India and Pakistan, England have found the going a lot more in their favour back at home where they have won all four of their opening fixtures (3x ODIs, 1x Test).

Tougher assignments are on the horizon, with Test series against India and Australia to come, but next on the agenda for Brendan McCullum’s side is a T20I series against West Indies.

Once again, this sees England return to a format in which they have recently struggled, winning just one of their last six, but their convincing ODI series win over West Indies will see them approach this opener in Durham with plenty of confidence.

As for the tourists, they found themselves stuck in traffic en route to The Oval on Tuesday, something which led to the delay of the start of the game. 

Eventually losing by seven wickets, the ‘men in maroon’ would maybe have preferred to stay snarled in the pile-up, but they can now turn their attention to the shorter format as they target a return to form after losing eight of their last nine T20Is.

FIRST’s top tip for England vs West Indies

Pick: Jacob Bethell to be England’s top batter - 11/1 (Highbet)

There have been plenty of words written and sentences spoken about Jacob Bethell so far across this English cricket season.

Funnily enough, the majority of it was when he wasn’t even in England after he opted to stay in India with RCB as opposed to return and fight for his Test place in the match against Zimbabwe.

But as soon as the 21 year old left-hander had the bat in hand back at home, he set about showing his talent with 82 runs from 53 balls in the opening ODI.

Earmarked to be England’s superstar over all three formats for the coming decade, Bethell will be targeting more runs against West Indies. 

A team who he has been dismissed against only once in four T20Is, while hitting two unbeaten half-centuries in Bridgetown and Gros Islet.

Surrey vs Hampshire Hawks preview

Whenever Surrey and Hampshire meet in the T20 Blast, we can always be assured of seeing plenty of big names on show and this clash between the two sides will be no different.

Surrey began this Blast season with a five wicket defeat against Somerset in Taunton, but they bounced back by beating Glamorgan in Cardiff on Tuesday evening by the same margin when they were able to successfully defend a total of 149/8.

England 2019 World Cup winner Jason Roy and fellow international Sam Curran have been their standout performers so far. But there are a good number of other top class players in their line-up in the shape of Ollie Pope, Dom Sibley, Laurie Evans, Dan Worrall and Chris Jordan.

As for the Hawks, they are only one-game into this campaign, but it was a very successful one as they brushed aside Essex by a remarkable 106 run margin!

Last year was the first in four seasons where Hampshire had not reached ‘final’s day’ and last Friday’s performance showed that they are determined to return in 2025.

FIRST’s top tip for Surrey vs Hampshire Hawks

Pick: Jason Roy to be top batter - 5/1 (Highbet)

After recording a pair (two ducks) in Surrey’s County Championship draw against Essex at the end of last month, Jason Roy has shown where his strengths lie with two brilliant white-ball batting performances in the T20 Blast, finishing as the top match batter both times.

He hit 92 runs from 54 balls, including six fours and seven sixes, against Somerset before making 69 runs from 47 balls against Glamorgan.

On their own, those two are impressive knocks, but the innings in Cardiff particularly stood out as Surrey’s team total was only 149/8 and the next highest score in the match was just 31!

Extra tips

Alzarri Joseph to be West Indies’ top bowler - 15/8 (Highbet)

It has been a miserable tour of Ireland and England for the West Indies so far, but pace-bowler Alzarri Joseph has maintained his high-standards throughout.

He took seven wickets across the ODI series, including dismissing Joe Root on Tuesday, and has a strike-rate of 15.5 in T20Is.

Dewald Brevis to be Hampshire Hawks’ top batter - 3/1 (Highbet)

The 22 year old South African is part of a fine Hampshire top three but is in exceptional form after making 68 runs from 32 balls in the win over Essex. This followed scores of 52, 42 and 57 in his last three IPL innings for Chennai Super Kings!

Odds correct at the time of writing.

Responsible gambling with FIRST

You must be 18+ to gamble. Gambling is a form of entertainment, not a way to make money. Our tips and advice help you enjoy gambling, but there is always a chance a bet or casino game can lose.

Never bet more than you can afford to lose. Stop betting if you are angry, emotional or under the influence of alcohol.

Warning signs of problem gambling: chasing losses, betting money needed for bills, or feeling unable to stop.

Need help? Visit our responsible sports betting page or our responsible casino gambling page, or contact the support organisations listed below if you're struggling to control your gambling:

Gamblers Anonymous UK

BeGambleAware

GAMSTOP

National Gambling Support Network

Gamcare

NHS National Gambling Clinic

Odds correct at the time of writing.