The Ashes isn’t the only international cricket going at the minute. After a brief tour of Zimbabwe, New Zealand head to South Africa for a couple of T20s which are followed by a mini ODI series.
The first of the two T20 matches comes along on Friday in Durban with both sides going into the match looking to secure a share of the series with a match to spare.
South Africa look to be treating this series pretty seriously and why wouldn’t they given that there is a World T20 in a few months time in India. The only main bowler they have left out is Dale Steyn. Morne Morkel is in the squad and Kyle Abbott looks set to partner him with the new ball. With the bat the Proteas have left out Quinton de Kock but their three big guns of Amla, du Plessis and de Villiers all play.
New Zealand aren’t taking this series as seriously even though that World T20 is closing in quite rapidly. They have left Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, Tim Southee and Trent Boult out of their squad for this series and are giving some of their fringe players a heavier run out. Long term that is a good strategy but it might fail in the shorter term.
This is quite an early time of the year for South Africa to be hosting cricket so we can expect some spicy wickets over the next couple of weeks and some tough conditions so I expect the special players to thrive over the next fortnight. South Africa are warm favourites for this match and that is about right.
They’re not so warm favourites to hit the most sixes though and I’m not sure that is right. AB de Villiers is rumoured to be opening in this match and if he gets going he can take any sixes total away from New Zealand but when you think McCullum and Taylor aren’t around for New Zealand and they are missing their first choice bowlers I’m expecting to see more of the big hits come from South Africa who bat a long way down. Hitting the likes of Morkel and Abbott for six won’t be easy so that 4/5 on South Africa hitting the most sixes in this opening game looks a shade big to me.
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