We are back to double headers at the T20 World Cup 2021 on Tuesday with the opening match seeing two sides who lost their first Super 12s game battling it out when South Africa take on West Indies in Dubai.
South Africa were edged out by Australia in their first game on Saturday while West Indies were absolutely ripped apart by England. Technically this isn’t must win for either of them but whoever loses it will lose control of their own destiny.
South Africa
I think it is fair to say that South Africa just couldn’t get going in that opening match with the bat. They lost a few early wickets, some with poor play and others with a bit of misfortune. They didn’t really put a score on the board but they defended what they did have with all they had and they very nearly got over the line despite not even setting Australia a run a ball. That would have given them some confidence even in defeat as they set about levelling up their ledger.
I don’t think South Africa will need anyone to tell them that they need to bat better than they did in that opening match, but that should happen naturally with a better start to their innings. It isn’t like they need huge scores because their bowling attack is more than capable of delivering the goods, especially now they have all played a match and will have a better feel for conditions heading into this one.
West Indies
It couldn’t really have gone any worse for West Indies in their opening match. Admittedly they played an England side who did everything right but to be rolled for 55 in this format of the game is little short of embarrassing and it goes without saying that they are going to need to bat a lot better here to come out on top. There was a fear going into the event that their style wouldn’t be suited to these conditions and now they have to come out and prove that isn’t the case else their title defence will be done before it has got started.
To their credit, West Indies didn’t just roll over and have their tummies tickled with the ball in hand. They had absolutely no chance of defending their score but they took four scalps with them in defeat and that offers up something. That character of keeping on going when all looked dead is very much to their credit and suggests that if they can bat smarter and put up some more runs then they could still work their way back into the tournament.
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Key Men
West saw in that first game that West Indies were clueless against mystery spin so Tabraiz Shamsi might well be licking his lips at the prospect of going up against this batting unit. He has already had a good time against them in the Caribbean earlier in the year.
Akeal Hosein was probably the only player to emerge from the wreckage of the opening game with any credit for West Indies. South Africa aren’t a great deal better when it comes to facing spin so the left armer could be useful here.
Betting
I thought South Africa were in better shape of these two sides heading into the tournament and I’m pretty comfortable that remains the case. West Indies can’t be as bad as they were against England but whether they can be good enough to win here I’m not so sure. I just think there is a much better balance to South Africa and that West Indies are only really going to be effective when they can stay in the crease and smack the ball miles. I’m not so sure this is that occasion.
South Africa shouldn’t bat as badly again as they did in that opening match. They will probably make sure they get off to a better start and then if they can score runs their bowling attack should be all over West Indies like a rash. I wouldn’t be surprised if South Africa bring another spinner into their side here but they already have two very good ones and then their two seamers are full of pace and can meet fire with fire. South Africa look the more reliable to me here.
Tips
Back South Africa to beat West Indies for a 3/10 stake at 1.91 with Coral
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