The 50th match of the ongoing T20 World Cup will be played between West Indies and South Africa at North Sound.
Match Preview:
The upcoming match between the West Indies and South Africa can be counted as the quarter-final.
If West Indies win, they will be through to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 but if they lose, the net run-rate will come into play if England lose to USA but if England won against USA, the co-hosts will be out.
Now about South Africa, if they win, they will book their place in the semi-finals but if they lose by a close margin, they still may find some hope. Nevertheless, by the time these teams square off the qualification scenarios will be cleared.
South Africa have won all the games so far. Their last 5 encounters were nail-bitters and yet they held their nerves to win the games under the pump. Against England they won by 7 runs and against USA they clinched the game by 18 runs.
They are aided by the luck factor this time around as this factor was missing in the past tournaments. South Africa will also admit that they are yet to play a great game of cricket as their batting woes are unsorted and bowlers bowled poorly against England.
Nevertheless, moving into this encounter against the co-hosts, South Africa will look to put forward a great show with bat, striking show with the ball, and keep up the good work in the field.
All eyes will be on young all-rounder Marco Jansen. While playing in a star-studded lineup, his contributions didn’t get the deserved limelight but he has been a vital cog for his side.
His powerplay economy is just 5.90 and against England he was handed the penultimate over and he just conceded 7 runs, leaving 13 for Nortje to defend. Although he has taken only one wicket, he has adapted the conditions aptly. And he is yet to show what he can do with the bat.
Besides Jansen, the skipper Aiden Markram and the struggling opener Reeza Hendricks should take the opponent’s bowlers to the cleaners.
Talking about West Indies, the co-host suffered a defeat against the defending champions England but fired on all cylinders against USA, achieving the target of 128 in just 19.5 overs, boosting their net run rate and collecting two important points.
For West Indies, it’s a quarter final they will have to get the better of South Africa to claim a spot in the semi-final.
All the hopes will be on Alzarri Joseph and Shai Hope. Joseph has taken a wicket once after 11 balls. Joseph has only played two T20is against South Africa and dismissed David Miller, Quinton de Kock, Reeza, and Heinrich Klaasen. So, at his home ground, Antigua, he will look to replicate the heroics. And for Shai hope, the message will be clear, replicate what you did against USA.
Pitch and weather report:
It will be the evening game and thus far two night matches have been played at this venue. In one, Australia gunned down 73 against Namibia within the six overs and scored 100 runs in 12 overs against Bangladesh in a rain-affected match. Rain, in fact, will be the biggest factor as during the day, the forecast is not good. However, in the evening the chances of rain decreases to 17%.
Head-to-head record:
The head-to-head record between the two sides is equally poised. Both of the teams have played 22 T20is thus far and both of the teams have won 11, respectively. So, the upcoming encounter will be an exciting contest.
Predictions:
It’s tough to predict, right? A fire-packed batting order will be clashing with the potent bowling attack, so a thriller is expected. However, South Africa is favourite to win this match.
Where to watch:
Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming), Tamasha app (Live streaming), Tapmad (live streaming)
India – Star Sports
England – SkySport Network
USA and Canada (Willow TV)
Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
UK & Northern Ireland – Sky Sports
Sri Lanka – Maharaja TV
Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
