Rain, upsets, and surprisingly low totals in areas have headlined Week 2 of the Cricket World Cup, and the third week promises to be entertaining from the get-go as the ladder starts to take shape. Here to guide you through the upcoming week of matches are The Roar’s Cricket World Cup expert tipping panel.

When Pakistan beat England on Monday night, it set the wheels in motion for a somewhat surprising week ahead, which included Sri Lanka beating Afghanistan as the rain fell, South Africa failing again and Australia being taken all the way to the finish line by the West Indies.

It was a quality week of cricket, and it’s Dan Liebke and David Schout who take the lead from our panel, after Dan correctly tipped Pakistan to beat England and David got the Sri Lankan win over Afghanistan.

They, along with The Crowd, sit on ten points, while Ronan O’Connell and Daniel Jeffrey sit on nine. The less said about my tipping the better, but, you know, maybe tipping South Africa to beat India wasn’t the greatest idea in the world.

Week 3 gets underway with the South Africans in the last chance saloon against the West Indies, and finishes with one of the biggest matches on the cricketing calendar as India take on Pakistan.

In between, Australia take on Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh will play Sri Lanka, India take on New Zealand in what has the potential to be a blockbuster between two red-hot sides, and England play a must-win danger game against the West Indies, while South Africa also take on Afghanistan, and if they can’t win on Monday, it’ll be the first of their consolation games.

The deadline to have your tips as part of The Crowd’s figures (by using the form below) is at 6pm (AEST) on Monday evening ahead of the first game of the week.

Ronan O’Connell

Tips: West Indies, Bangladesh, Australia, India, England, Australia, South Africa, India

If the Proteas lose this match, their fourth consecutive defeat to start the World Cup, they will effectively be knocked out of the tournament. That surely will give them huge motivation to knock off the Windies. But something is not right with South Africa at present, they seem very flat. The Windies, meanwhile, are playing with confidence and fell just short of knocking off Australia.

Sri Lanka are at a low ebb in their ODI history right now and Bangladesh, quite simply, are the better performed and better-balanced lineup. It should be close fought but it’s the Tigers for me.

While Australia recently flogged Pakistan 5-0 in the UAE, the hosts were without key players. Pakistan, at their best, can beat any team in this tournament, as we saw with their upset over England. But Australia have the momentum and the better attack so I’m tipping them.

India and New Zealand should be a cracker. I expect New Zealand to make the semi-finals now that the Proteas have all but bombed out. Meanwhile, India are my favourites to win the tournament. This match will hang on whether Kiwi swing bowler Trent Boult can make inroads into India’s dominant top four with the new ball. If he can’t, India will win comfortably. It’s a toss-up, but India just have more match winners, particularly with the ball.

A batting shoot out! The two most aggressive batting lineups in the competition will have a T20 style slogging competition. The WIndies recently drew 2-2 at home against England so they will have zero fear facing the world number one side. But given home advantage and the astonishing strength of their batting lineup, I’m tipping England.

This World Cup has already boasted a host of upsets, so it seems foolhardy to write off any side. Sri Lanka on their day could spring a surprise. But there is no doubt Australia are the much stronger team, with both bat and ball, so this is a pretty obvious choice.

Afghanistan’s bowling lineup is tidy but they have clearly the worst batting lineup. It’s hard to see how them can chase or post a sizeable total against the Proteas strong bowling attack.

And a blockbuster to finish. I love it when India and Pakistan face off. Pakistan thrashed India in the UK two years ago to win the Champions Trophy. They have the requisite talent to beat India again today. Yet I can’t tip against India, who have three gun ODI bowlers and a fantastic batting lineup.

David Schout

Tips: West Indies, Bangladesh, Australia, India, England, Australia, South Africa, India

The Windies could and should have put Australia away in Nottingham but bottled it late. If they can avoid the mindless dismissals with the bat, their firing quicks should undo the struggling Proteas.

Bangladesh’s bowling depth should be too much for a struggling Sri Lankan batting unit in Bristol.

What Pakistan will turn up against Australia? The one that were rolled by the WIndies, or the one that ludicrously upset the hosts last week? It’s a sizeable spectrum, and we love them for it. But I’m backing the Aussies.

India and New Zealand should be a belter. With luck, the Trent Bridge deck will offer a bit of spice like the Aussies and WIndies game last Thursday, and the in-form Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson can strike early. I’m sticking with India, however, in a close one.

The hosts were always going to bounce back hard against Bangladesh and were ruthless with the bat. The Windies quicks, however, pose a far tougher assignment for them. England will be tested, but should get their third win.

The Aussies will be too strong for Sri Lanka and while they won’t admit it, might target the clash as a chance to fatten their net run rate, which could be vital later on.

I really want Afghanistan to notch their first win of the tournament, and I genuinely think they will eventually win. But I’m picking the Proteas to get their first points in this bottom of the table clash.

I’m probably looking forward to India and Pakistan more than any other group stage game. The atmosphere at Old Trafford will be electric, and I expect India to be too strong.

Dan Liebke

Tips: South Africa, Bangladesh, Australia, India, England, Australia, South Africa, Pakistan

South Africa must win to realistically stay in the tournament. Therefore, I’m going to assume they will win. The West Indies have a number of players who barely seem able to move and while they might have been able to get through the first few matches, dud knees (Andre Russell) and general apathy towards doing anything other than clobbering sixes (Chris Gayle) might prove their undoing.

Sri Lanka got a point against Pakistan thanks to the rain. I’m going to work on the assumption that’s the last points they’ll be getting for the tournament. Bangladesh to win here.

The Pakistan coin toss that saw me correctly predict them to defeat England last week has come down tails this week. Therefore, Australia to win.

Sadly, I think New Zealand, the nicest team in world cricket, will succumb to India, the Kohliest team in world cricket. Prove me wrong, New Zealand, prove me wrong.

England will flex their muscles here against the West Indies, in a display of macho posturing that should leave them feeling ashamed of themselves. But they simply have too many good players (plus Liam Plunkett) to tip against.

I told you, I don’t think Sri Lanka will get another point. Therefore, Australia will beat them. Best performances: Let’s say Starc with the bat, Smith with the ball.

I’d love to tip the plucky underdogs to bounce back and cause a massive upset that gets people talking. And so I will. The disappointing South Africans to stun the cricketing world by knocking over Afghanistan.

This will be Pakistan’s favourite coin toss. Before the tournament, they’d have taken tails on every other toss, if they could come up heads against India. And they have. The biggest match of the World Cup (unless they meet again in the finals). And Pakistan are going to win it. Congratulations.

Daniel Jeffrey

Tips: South Africa, Bangladesh, Australia, India, England, Australia, South Africa, India

It was great for this World Cup to see some upsets last week. Not so great for my tipping, though.

South Africa have been the biggest disappointment thus far, but I can’t believe a side with this much talent will start 0-4. Their spinners might trouble the Windies, and their batsmen are pretty much all due.

Sri Lanka have already won more games than I thought they would pre-tournament, while Bangladesh have been putting together a solid campaign – there’s no shame in copping a big score against England. The Tigers will win this comfortably.

Pakistan remains impossible to get a handle on, but there’s no reason why Australia shouldn’t get a win against them.

Then we come to the two games of the week. New Zealand have been impressive, but they’re yet to face a contender. India are definitely one of those, and Virat Kohli’s side should bring the Black Caps back to the pack.

England versus the West Indies looms as the highest scoring match to date. Might we see 400 for the first time? Both sides are familiar with each other thanks to an ODI series earlier in the year. I’ll take the hosts and their slightly more balanced bowling attack, but this one should be a cracker.

Australia will have no trouble against Sri Lanka, while Afghanistan blew their best chance of a win this World Cup last week. They’ll succumb to South Africa as the Proteas garner some respectability to their win-loss rate.

India-Pakistan is an excellent way to close out the week. For all the rivalry between the two, one side looks far stronger than the other. India to get another win, one that’ll matter more than the two competition points suggest.

Scott Pryde

Tips: West Indies, Bangladesh, Australia, New Zealand, England, Australia, South Africa, India

I should really learn to stop tipping with so much risk involved. Then I might be, you know, competitive.

That being said, let’s take the West Indies to beat South Africa in the opening match of Week 3 and New Zealand to topple India a little bit later on.

The West Indies just play a positive brand of cricket, and while it may not always come off, the Proteas are way down on confidence and virtually already out of the running for the finals at zero and three. They are going to win at some point, but Chris Gayle is due for a big one and the West Indies attack have been bowling with real venom.

The Kiwis attack will be the reason I take them over India as well. Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson and Trent Boult have been really impressive, while Martin Guptill is due for some runs. India lost to them in a warm-up game too.

The rest of Week 3, for mine, should go pretty much as expected.

Bangladesh will beat Sri Lanka, because the Lankans, as much as they have some talented players, just aren’t going to cut it at this World Cup, despite their rain-hit win over Afghanistan.

Australia are going to knock Pakistan around. Of course, the Pakistan who beat England could turn up, but they are in the inconsistent category.

England need to win their next game as well and should get there against the WIndies, but if they get a typical Trent Bridge deck, it’ll be a run fest.

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The Aussies will then be back in action against Sri Lanka and I’d be pretty surprised if they don’t target that game as one they can win quickly to boost the net run rate, which could come in as crucial ahead of the finals. Expect David Warner to go big here.

South Africa should get their first win on the board against Afghanistan on Saturday in the day-night game. Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi will be way too much for an Afghanistan line-up who just keep finding ways to lose regular wickets, and frankly, aren’t being captained all that well at the moment by Gulbadin Naib.

India finish the week against Pakistan in the most highly-anticipated game of the group stage. Again, who knows which Pakistan are going to show up to Old Trafford, but regardless, it shouldn’t be one to beat the might of India, who will look to unleash their spin duo on their arch-rivals.

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