Northern Superchargers v Southern Brave: Prediction, Tips and Odds

Southern Brave got off to a winning start in this year's Men's Hundred and should be confident they can make it two out of two by beating Northern Superchargers at Headingley.

The Southampton-based franchise are 8/11 shots and have to be confident after an easy seven-wicket win over London Spirit with 11 balls to spare in their opener.

And they can't help but notice that Andrew Flintoff's Superchargers got off to a shocker in their first game of the tournament, crushed by 47 runs against Trent Rockets. The Superchargers are 11/10 to get it right against the Brave.

The men's match is preceded by the Women's Hundred fixture for which the Superchargers are 1/1, the Brave 4/5.

Northern Superchargers v Southern Brave betting tips and predictions

Southern Brave to win - 8/11

Northern Superchargers signed off the 2023 Men's Hundred by losing their last five games and they extended that losing streak to six by losing their first game of the 2024 campaign.

They will be desperate to stop the bleeding when Southern Brave head north to Leeds but the likelihood is their rotten run continues.

These are worrying times for the Superchargers, who have controversially fast-tracked former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff into the role of head coach, his first full-time job in that capacity.

Freddie hasn't been helped by key absences, notably skipper Harry Brook and current England Test captain Ben Stokes, who were ruled out of the Hundred for the first two and four games respectively. That, however, was before England had thumped West Indies in just three days in the third Test at Edgbaston.

Jason Roy and Mitch Santner have been away in Major League Cricket in the US from where Nicholas Pooran arrived at the weekend but without his bat which was lost in transit; Reece Topley is injured.

And, in all honesty, they looked horribly disjointed in their first game against the Rockets, crashing to 71-7 in pursuit of 185-5. It was only an entertaining 20-ball 40 from No.8 Ben Dwarshuis that gave the eventual scoreline a veneer of respectability.

The Brave look far more settled under James Vince, who led from the front with a classy 56 off 35 balls as they beat London Spirit by seven wickets in their first game.

It was their bowling that looked truly exceptional with four of their six-man attack going at under 1.5 runs a ball, Jofra Archer bowling with real bite on his debut and going for just five runs in his final batch of five.

Southern Brave First 5 Balls - Over 6.5 Runs - 10/11

Expect a high-scoring duel at Headingley where it should be a decent track.

There was some outstanding strokeplay in the first match of the season at Yorkshire's HQ - nearly all of it from Trent Rockets, who piled up 185-5 in their 100 balls.

Fast starts are gold-dust in this super-short format so don't be surprised to see at least seven runs coming from the first five-ball batch, possibly in each innings.

On Friday at Headingley, the Superchargers opted to open with left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson who went for seven in his first five balls.

Meanwhile, at the Rose Bowl, Southern Brave were 12-0 after their first allotted five, with Dan Hughes six not out en route to 45 and James Vince four not out. Vince would go on to top score with 56.

Have a look at the First 5 Balls - Total Runs market and back Southern Brave at 10/11 to clear 6.5 runs.

Player Performance - James Vince Over 26.5 - 5/6

Former England man Vince's player performance made up at 76 in the Brave's weekend opener against London Spirit, courtesy of 56 runs off the bat and a couple of catches.

The Brave skipper is integral to his side's chances, leads from the front and can clear 26.5 at Headingley.

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Northern Superchargers v Southern Brave odds

Northern Superchargers - 11/10
Southern Brave - 8/11

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.