CWC 2019: SA vs WI Preview – Desperate times call for desperate measures from Proteas
South Africa find themselves in a precarious situation, fighting for their lives. Struggling after three consecutive losses, the Proteas need to find a combination which brings them some luck along with some success soon. Another defeat and it could already spell the end of their campaign at the 2019 World Cup.
For the West Indies, they will be aiming to find a bit more consistency along with sharpening their temperament. After a dominant win against Pakistan, they were in the driver’s seat against Australia for most parts of the game, before activating the self-destructive button which led to a tight defeat.
With both the teams having some great quality along with some obvious flaws, it promises to be a fascinating encounter at Southampton.
Match Info:
South Africa vs West Indies, 15th Match
Ageas Bowl, Southampton (3:00 pm, IST)
Head-to-Head
Played – 61
South Africa wins – 44
West Indies wins -15
Tied – 1
No result – 1
Team Tactics
South Africa
While the bowling department has been decent, the Africans have really struggled with the bat so far. The form of Hashim Amla especially remains a big concern. They have also failed to fire collectively as a batting unit, something which they will need to address. The hope will be that some of the batters find their feet after spending some time in the middle and can either set or chase a big target down.
West Indies
The Windies won’t defer much from their aggressive approach, both with the bat and the ball. With the bat, they will go all guns blazing from the very first delivery, while the big pacers will target the opposition with some bouncers. This has worked well for them in recent times and some fine-tuning in all the three departments should serve them well during the match.
Key Players
Imran Tahir (South Africa): The West Indian batters sometimes have a tendency to struggle against quality spinners who can turn the ball both ways. The veteran Tahir is a master of his craft and has a good record against the Windies. He has picked up 9 wickets in 3 innings against the Caribbean outfit with an excellent economy rate of 4.26.
Jason Holder (West Indies): The captain is a vital figure in the team, being a crucial contributor with both the bat and the ball. Holder looked in decent form against Australia and has a good record with both the bat and the ball against the Proteas. He has scored 69 runs in 3 innings at an average of 34.50, while also picking up 2 wickets at a decent economy of 4.65 against the Proteas.
Probable XI
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Hashim Amla, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis (c), Rassie van der Dussen, JP Duminy, Andile Phehlukwayo, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Beuran Hendricks, Imran Tahir.
West Indies: Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Shai Hope (wk), Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder (c), Andre Russell, Carlos Brathwaite, Ashley Nurse, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas.
