Just 24 hours after they met in a truncated opening T20 match, South Africa and West Indies will battle it out in game two on Sunday when they meet once again at SuperSport Park in Centurion as we head towards the end of the tour of this part of the world for the Caribbean men.
After winning the opening game, there is every chance West Indies conclude their tour with a series win. That will be secured if they win this match but a South Africa win would ensure the series will go to a deciding match.
South Africa
It is a little harsh to be too hard on South Africa at the end of that opening game because the toss had a massive impact on the outcome of it, however the weaknesses that teams have exposed within them in the past came back to haunt them at times in that game. They couldn’t clear the ropes as often as they needed to in an 11 over game and in truth at times looked to be a little shackled rather than playing with some freedom with the chances of being bowled out pretty slim.
South Africa plugged away with the ball and even though they were defending a slightly above par score, the fact West Indies only had 11 overs to bat they were able to throw the bat at it and on a small ground defending anything was going to be a tough ask. If South Africa are going to level the series then they are going to need to clear the ropes more with the bat in hand. Batting second and knowing what they are chasing might help too.
West Indies
West Indies had a massive advantage in that opening game from the minute that they won the toss but it is all well and good being given the early initiative, you still have to play good cricket and make the most of it and that is exactly what the tourists did. There were one or two overs which went the distance but you are going to get that on this ground and even more so when the match is shortened to 11 overs. What they did do though was regularly take wickets and got enough tighter overs in to keep the score respectable.
An 11 over match was music to the ears of a West Indies team with the bat. They would have to do something pretty daft to be bowled out and the ropes here were never going to be big enough to contain them so we saw the West Indies batters in their element. There is no reason to expect any different here so if their bowlers can hold their nerve in the moments when they are under attack West Indies could very well head to Johannesburg for the final game with the series already wrapped up.
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Team News
You would imagine that with this match coming just 24 hours after the first one that key bowlers will be rested. Anrich Nortje would be one of those who might be managed but Kagiso Rabada is waiting in the wings should South Africa want to use him.
West Indies have no need to change a winning side but Roston Chase didn’t bowl and came in at number nine and faced two balls so it might be that the tourists choose to go with Jason Holder for him and give themselves another bowling option that is likely to be of more use.
Betting
Admittedly the opening match was cut in half but there were still 18 sixes in that match and while it doesn’t always ring true that the longer the innings the more sixes get hit, I do think on this ground and with West Indies involved that will be the case. Of course in a 20 over innings you can’t bat quite as free as in an 11 over one because there is a greater risk of being bowled out but I don’t think that sort of thinking is part of the West Indian thought process.
The one thing we do know is that the pitch is very good for batting and assuming it is the same one being used for this match, which I assume it will given that no other pitch looked to be being prepared and the Saturday wicket only had 22 overs on it, there is a short boundary to one side. South Africa are likely to rotate their bowlers because they have a more important ODI series with the Netherlands next week so there is no guarantees that the likes of Anrich Nortje will feature here. When you consider Quinton de Kock, Rilee Rossouw and Heinrich Klaasen faced 10 balls between them in the opening game there is a lot more six potential so I’m surprised the line has remained the same as in the first match. I’ll play over 14.5 sixes here.
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