T20 Champions League Betting: Hampshire v Auckland & T&T v Yorkshire

Big-hitting opener Lendl Simmons
The qualifying stage of the T20 Champions League continues with the action moving to Centurion as the English and West Indian champions, Hampshire and Trinidad & Tobago enter proceedings. Andy Tongue previews today's matches...
Venue: Centurion
Teams in last season's domestic T20 competition found it hard going with the bat at Centurion. Scores of just 124 and 127 were enough to win games batting second and 170 was the highest total any side managed in the five matches played there.
Hampshire v Auckland - 12:30
Auckland Aces
The Aces could be forgiven for thinking that tournament organisers have laid them to win and have arranged the schedule accordingly. Lining up as something of Golden Oldies XI with the likes of Andre Adams, Chris Martin, Kyle Mills, Lou Vincent, skipper Gareth Hopkins and Azhar Mahmood all the wrong side of 30, and several closer to 40, they have been put on first tomorrow having played in the evening game today at Johannesburg.
Hampshire
Hampshire will miss spinner Danny Briggs, one of the stars of the Friends Life Provident T20, who misses out to get married, having put his original wedding date back when he was called into the England squad for the T20 World Cup. Captain Dimitri Mascarenhas boasts IPL experience and Sean Ervine is a dangerous customer with the bat as well as a useful bowler, while Shahid Afridi brings vast experience and the ability to win the game with either bat or ball.
Match Odds
Hampshire will need to improve on a poor showing when outplayed by UVA Next in a warm-up game earlier in the week but should be able to bounce back against what could be a slightly tired Kiwi outfit and can be backed at around 1.84/5.
Top Auckland batsman
Martin Guptill hit 58 in Auckland's warm-up victory over Trinidad & Tobago and it makes sense to think he can lead the way again.
Top Hampshire batsman
Big hitting Ervine is Hampshire's best batsman in this format of the game and the obvious selection.
Trinidad & Tobago v Yorkshire - 16:30
Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago are without three of their star players (Narine, Pollard and Dwayne Bravo) who will be putting their feet up for a few days before turning out for IPL sides in the group stages of the tournament but they still have experienced T20 bowlers in Ravi Rampul and Samuel Badree and match-winning batsmen in Darren Bravo and big-hitting opener Lendl Simmons. With West Indian cricket on a high after their surprise triumph in the T20 World Cup the 'feel good' factor could well seep through to the men from T&T.
Yorkshire
Yorkshire's batting was impressive in the win over UVA Next with David Miller, the South African batsman bravely coming back in after being struck in the face by Umar Gul to see them home. Phil Jaques and Adil Rashid also impressed at the crease and they will fancy their chances of a second win and progression to the tournament proper. However, their opening seam bowlers Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Patterson looked pretty ordinary, which could prove fatal, if they allow Trinidad's top order to get off to a flier.
Match Odds
Yorkshire are slight favourites which makes Trinidad & Tobago the more attractive betting proposition even without their aforementioned marquee players, especially if it's a relatively low-scoring game.
Top Trinidad & Tobago Batsman
Simmons loves to get after the opposition bowlers during the power-play and if he is in the groove then look no further.
Top Yorkshire Batsman
Aussie opener Jaques looked in good nick against UVA before giving his wicket away cheaply and will want to make amends.
Recommended Bets
Back Hampshire to win @ 1.84/5
Back Trinidad & Tobago to win at 2.0621/20