Weekly Articles "Road to Riches" by Rich 'Tighty' Prew
The Road to Riches Weekend of 9th-10th July
Coming up this weekend
- Horse Racing On the flat at Ascot, Chester, Hamilton, Newmarket, Salisbury and York.
- Formula One, the Austrian Grand Prix
- Cricket, England and India’s T20 Series and the T20 Blast Quarter-Finals
- Rugby Union, Summer tour test matches include Australia v England, New Zealand v Ireland and South Africa v Wales
- Golf next week sees The Open at St Andrews and the Barracuda Championship on the USPGA
- Tennis Wimbledon concludes and the ATP Hall of Fame Championships next week.
Free tip
T20 Blast Quarter finals
Lancashire v Essex 6.30pm Friday
The Quarter final line up is as follows:
Wednesday Surrey v Yorkshire
Thursday Birmingham v Hampshire
Friday Lancashire v Essex
Saturday Somerset v Derbyshire
Lancashire best Birmingham in the last over of their final group game last Sunday to get a home draw for the knockout stages, and finished their group with 8 wins a tie, a loss and one no result led by Croft and David with the bat and Gleeson with Ball.
Essex finished 3rd in the South Group with 9 wins, 4 losses and one no result including the notable achievement of scoring a massive 250 at Glamorgan in their last group game.
There is a crucial additional factor for this game in that the quarter-finals coincide with the England-India T20 series. This unfortunately means that after 14 group stage matches the best sides are shorn of their international white ball stars at the business end of this competition, undermining the whole tournament. A bi-product of an ever more crowded schedule and specifically The Hundred.
Surrey and Lancashire sides are the sides most affected and specifically here Lancashire are without Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone, Richard Gleeson and Jos Buttler, not that Buttler has been present bar one game in the group stages but the other three have been major contributors in the group stages. Gleeson has taken 23 wickets and Salt and Livingstone have over 500 runs combined.
This all means that Essex, a streaky team with plenty of big hitting firepower and the excellent Simon Harmer the major threat in the bowling attack, have a good chance of the upset here.
15 points Essex to beat Lancashire at Evens generally
Summer Slumbers
A couple of weeks ago I ventured down to the Oval and watched a County Championship match where over four days Surrey scored 673 and Kent replied with 330 and 360-4 whilst a mainly older crowd in gaggles of one or two spectators per row, slumbered in soporific torpor. It was a typical county game this year, where over half of the first division games have ended in a draw.
There are a number of reasons for this. Pitches all year have been dry, in part because groundsmen have been under instructions to replicate Test conditions but other factors have combined with this to produce a dearth of entertainment.
Firstly improvements in drainage technology means that very little moisture is retained in surfaces and too many pitches are not wearing. Pitches are tired as ground staff juggle the competing demands of providing tracks not only for the county game but the existing one day competitions and now the hundred and the expanding women’s game. On top of using these pitches on multiple occasions through a season sides in the county championship are allowed to apply the heavy roller at the end of each innings if they choose. They do tend to choose this as it neuters the impact of the new ball.
The County Championship las seen seven rounds of fixtures in eight weeks. In the first division average first innings scored approach 400 and 32 batsmen average more than 60.
Then there is the Dukes ball which this season has a much smaller seam and gets soft very quickly. The manufacturer has blamed COVID disrupted manufacturing lines and Stuart Broad has described it as like “bowling with plasticine”. They just haven’t swung.
Finally there is the Championship scoring system, with 16 points for a win and 8 for a draw. The 50% ratio for draw points means teams can stay up without winning a single game.
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Betting Emporium results
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A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £63,082.60 a 1477% increase
The Road to Riches Weekend of 2nd-3rd July
Coming up this weekend
- Horse Racing On the flat at Beverley, Carlisle, Haydock, Chester, Leicester, Nottingham and Sandown.
- Formula One, the British Grand Prix
- Cricket, the Re-arranged fourth test match between England and India at Edgbaston
- Rugby Union, Summer tour test matches include Australia v England, New Zealand v Ireland and South Africa v Wales
- Golf The Barbasol Championship on the USPGA and the Scottish Open on the DP World Tour
- Tennis Wimbledon continues
Free tip
T20 Lancashire v Birmingham 6.30pm Sunday
This weekend sees the final round of Vitality Blast T20 Group matches. In the North group at the time of writing Birmingham top, Lancashire second and the two teams meet Old Trafford on Saturday.
On Friday Lancashire lost at Worcestershire, Birmingham beat Yorkshire to go top
Birmingham have won 9 of their 13 games whilst Lancs, probably the strongest and most powerful team in the group have been slightly more unfortunate with the weather and have won 7 and tied one of their 13 games with a no result too
Derbyshire are currently level on points with Lancashire and if they win at this weekend this is a crucial game where the winners will ensure a home quarter final given to the top two finishers in each of the two groups
For Lancashire the star performers with the bat have been Stephen Croft with 421 runs at an average of 42 and overseas player Tim David with 364 runs at 36. With the ball Richard Gleeson, once of Northants when they had their very good T20 side a few years ago, has taken 20 wickets.
These are two good sides, both with match winners, but the betting value has to be with the home side
15 points Lancashire to beat Birmingham at 4/5 with Coral/Ladbrokes 4/6 elsewhere
A point to prove
Eddie Jones has turned to some of the old guard for a pivotal tour Down Under this summer as Danny Care is handed a first call-up in nearly four years, while Billy and Mako Vunipola return after being dropped in 2021
England will play three Tests against the Wallabies, with the first taking place in Perth on 2 July.
Eight uncapped players feature in the travelling group: Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, Guy Porter, Patrick Schickerling, Jack van Poortvliet and Jack Walker, while Henry Arundell and Will Joseph are included as apprentice players.
England are without a total of 10 players due to injury, with Nic Dolly, Alex Dombrandt, George Ford, Joe Launchbury, Louis Lynagh, Sam Simmonds, Kyle Sinckler, Henry Slade, Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Watson left out. Ben Youngs has not been picked due to family reasons, while Joe Marler, Elliot Daly and Max Malins also miss out.
After a disappointing six nations, in which England lacked attacking flair and pace and only just over a year out from the next World Cup England are behind the curve in their preparations and will be firm underdogs in this test series against an improved Australian side on hard, fast pitches at the end of a long season with so many absences.
For the Perth test first up Australia are 8/15 and five point handicap favourites.
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Betting Emporium results
The detailed results page has been updated on 1st April 2022. They can be found by clicking RESULTS
If you bet £10 per point on every recommended bet since launch you would be winning + £59,082.60 All bets have an ROI +2.90%
A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £63,082.60 a 1477% increase
The Road to Riches Weekend of 25th-26th June
Coming up this weekend
- Horse Racing On the flat at Chester, Doncaster, Lingfield, Newcastle, Newmarket and Windsor.
- Cricket the Test Match series between England and New Zealand continues at Headingley.
- Golf The John Deere Classic on the USPGA and the Irish Open on the DP World Tour
- Tennis Wimbledon starts on Monday
Free tip
T20 Essex v Surrey Friday 7pm
Surrey have been the best team in this season’s Group stages of the T20 Vitality blast, having won 9 of their 11 games and only losing the first last night in Hove with a weakened side. They have already qualified for the knockout stages.
Recent sides have been missing Roy, Sam Curran and Topley on England duty in the Netherlands and Pollard, ruled out through injury. The first three may be in contention to return to the squad for tonight’s game
Through the season their star performer with the bat has been opener Will Jacks with 396 runs at an average of 40 including five fifties in his 10 innings. Only a young player, he already has plenty of experience in the franchise leagues around the world including the Big bash and before long is going to be in England’s set up as a clean striking hitter.
Essex sit in third place in the South Group with six wins and four losses so far. Interesting to see them odds against underdogs at home here where they are very strong and being in a tight battle for one of the four qualification places near the end of the group stages, highly motivated.
Chelmsford is one of the smaller county grounds and the likes of the returning Roy and Curran could certainly fire for Surrey but for consistency, and also opening the batting, the best bet in the top batsman market is Jacks with an opportunity here because the return of Roy as favourite lengthens Jacks’ price. I was going to tip him up at, I hoped, 3/1+ in this market but time is pressing on and no markets are available
Instead I will settle for Essex outright
15 points Essex to beat Surrey at 2.3 on Betfair, 2.28 Matchbook and 6/5 Bet365, Betfred, BetVictor
Bazball
12 months ago England played New Zealand at Lords and turned down a last day run chase at just over 3 runs an over on the last day, and the game petered out to a draw. A year later, the contrast in approach at Trent Bridge last week could not have been more stark.
Having made 553 in the first innings, the sixth highest first innings total in a Test that has ended in defeat, New Zealand lost by five wickets as England chased down their target with nearly 20 overs in hand.
In that chase Jonny Bairstow playing the innings of his life, 136 from 92 balls. Much has been written about the effect of a lot of one day and franchise cricket on Test match techniques but this innings was an example of the upside of that influence for the Test game, where run chases are more attainable due to fast scoring and the experience of pressure in chasing totals.
England’s victory really came down to their first innings, they got themselves up to New Zealand’s total but did so pushing a rate of a little over four-an-over that still left more than five sessions left in the game. So far this series they have attacked 35% of their balls faced, the highest rate since the stat has been monitored by cricviz and others.
Overall under McCullum and Stokes, a change of leadership and a bit of optimism, energy and vibrancy in the team can change things pretty quickly, it seems! This after all is the same team that went to the Caribbean, with the exception of Anderson and Broad and many of the same players that were in Australia.
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Betting Emporium results
The detailed results page has been updated on 1st April 2022. They can be found by clicking RESULTS
If you bet £10 per point on every recommended bet since launch you would be winning + £59,082.60 All bets have an ROI +2.90%
A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £63,082.60 a 1477% increase
The Road to Riches: Weekend of 17-18th June
Coming up this weekend
- Horse Racing On the flat at Ascot, Ayr, Goodwood, Newmarket and Redcar. Over the jumps at Market Rasen.
- Cricket the Test Match series between England and New Zealand continues at Headingley next week
- Formula One, the Canadian Grand Prix
- Rugby Union, the Gallagher Premiership Play-Off Final
- Golf The Travelers Championship on the USPGA and the BMW International on the DP World Tour
Free tip
Gallagher Premiership Final Saracens v Leicester Saturday 3pm
Two seasons ago Leicester Tigers and Saracens were the bottom two sides in the Gallagher Premiership. The only reason that years of decline at Leicester did not ultimately end in relegation was because Saracens were forcibly demoted ahead of them.
Now, First and second in the regular season league table play in this weekend’s Play-off final. Saracens were hugely physical in their 17 point victory over Harlequins last weekend and were ruthless in taking their chances in the 22 and exceptional in defence. They won despite three yellow cards. Leicester’s performance was more prosaic for long periods of their victory over Northampton, often struggling to impose their game and eventually relying on forward strength and a talismanic performance from George Ford who scored 22 points to get them over the line in his penultimate match before leaving for Sale Sharks.
Here Saracens are five point favourites and Leicester will have to show more than they did in their semi-final to get past a side who can match them up front and are very difficult to break down.
I will take Saracens with the points
11 points Saracens -5 points at 10/11 generally
Liv long and Prosper?
As the first Saudi backed LIV Tour event began outside London last week, The PGA Tour announced it was suspending 17 rebel members who have chosen to play in the Invitational event. In response LIV called the PGA Tour "vindictive".
Six-time major champion Phil Mickelson and former world number one Dustin Johnson are among the biggest names in the sport to have been persuaded by the Saudi millions with suggestions that Bryson DeChambeau is to play in the second event in Portland, Oregon at the end of June.
Mickelson has not denied speculation he is picking up $200m (£160m), with Johnson getting a reported $150m in appearance fees for joining the series which is being bankrolled to the tune of £1.6bn by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Ticket sales have undeniably been slow though. The tournament had a cap of 8,000 fans per day but players such as Lee Westwood have been advertising promo codes for free tickets on their social media channels.
As well as an individual competition, there are 12 teams of four players, with names like Majesticks, Fireballs and Iron Heads. LIV Golf want fans to pick teams that they can root for throughout the entire series of eight events although that may prove tricky in this first year with players likely to change from event to event.
No broadcasters have signed up. Instead, LIV were streaming coverage via their own website and on YouTube, which attracted a concurrent audience of around 100,000 towards the end of the day's play.
StattoBets Dave Monthly Subscription - Soccer - Tennis - Darts
Stattobets write ups, analysis and bets are available to monthly subscribers.
Results = points bet 26860 profit +1132.47 ROI +4.22% Full details here
Monthly subs are £50 a month and can be cancelled at any time. You can sign up here.
Betting Emporium results
The detailed results page has been updated on 1st April 2022. They can be found by clicking RESULTS
If you bet £10 per point on every recommended bet since launch you would be winning + £59,082.60 All bets have an ROI +2.90%
A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £63,082.60 a 1477% increase
The Road to Riches Weekend of 11th-12th June
The Road to Riches Weekend of 11th-12th June
Coming up this weekend
- Horse Racing On the flat at Bath, Chester, Leicester, Sandown and York. Over the jumps at Hexham and Worcester.
- Football, UEFA Nations League Matches including England v Italy
- Cricket the Test Match series between England and New Zealand continues at Trent Bridge
- Formula One, the Azerbaijan Grand Prix
- Rugby Union, the Gallagher Premiership Play-Off Semi-Finals
- Golf The US Open next Thursday
- Tennis ATP Queens and Halle Opens in the run up to Wimbledon.
Royal Ascot (Full Package) 14th - 18th June 2022
Get all Neil's write ups and details of all our bets for the five days of Royal Ascot for £199 here
Free tip
Gallagher Premiership Semi-finals Saracens v Harlequins 1.30pm Saturday
Second plays third from the regular season table in the first of the play off semi-finals this weekend.
This is Saracens’ first season back in the top flight after their salary cap misdemeanours. They are not quite the team they used to be, minus Barritt, Skelton amongst experienced players but still a formidable team packed with internationals and with lots of young talent that was blooded out on loan during Saracens exile into the Championship.
Harlequins won last year’s play-offs and also have lots of firepower, playing off the Danny Care/Marcus Smith axis. The battle between Smith and Owen Farrell, recently returned from the injury that caused him to miss the Six Nations will obviously be key.
This should be a very close game and Saracens at home are favoured by a score in the handicap markets. I like Quins to keep it closer than the 7 point spread here given their attacking and scoring potential.
11 points Harlequins + 7 points at 10/11 generally
Rooted
Joe Root has scored 2,192 runs across his last 21 Tests, stretching back to January 2021, with nine centuries at an average of 56.20. In the recent first Test against New Zealand at Lords Root became the 14th man, and second from England, after Sir Alastair Cook, to the milestone of 10,000 Test runs.
Root achieved the landmark at exactly the same age as Cook (31) during his match-clinching 115 not out in the final innings of the game.
Root is now 5,906 short of Sachin Tendulkar's tally of 15,921 Test runs. Fitness permitting you would think Root has a minimum of five years Test cricket left in him and has a fair shot at ending up about Tendulkar’s record given the amount of Test cricket England play.
His feats so far are more remarkable because his form has coincided with a difficult period as captain in a poor team and the general lack of run scoring from the rest of the England line up.
StattoBets Dave Monthly Subscription - Soccer - Tennis - Darts
Stattobets write ups, analysis and bets are available to monthly subscribers.
Results = points bet 26860 profit +1132.47 ROI +4.22% Full details here
Monthly subs are £50 a month and can be cancelled at any time. You can sign up here.
Betting Emporium results
The detailed results page has been updated on 1st April 2022. They can be found by clicking RESULTS
If you bet £10 per point on every recommended bet since launch you would be winning + £59,082.60 All bets have an ROI +2.90%
A £4000 bank betting £10 a point on all selections would now be worth £63,082.60 a 1477% increase
