🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: S8 - Match 45: SA vs England @8:00 PM IST🏏 - Page 2

Their success against the Windies, by eight wickets with 15 balls to spare, was a statement of intent powered by a 44-ball unbroken stand of 97 shared by Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow. The South Africans' win over the Americans, by 18 runs, in North Sound on Wednesday wasn't as impressive. But it did mark Quinton de Kock's return to form by way of his 74 off 40, which inspired a partnership off 110 off 60 with Aiden Markram - South Africa's first century stand in 19 T20Is.

Throw in the fact that England have a better and far fresher idea of conditions at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, and it isn't difficult to see why they might be the more bullish side on Friday. But not by much: South Africa have broken the shackles put on them by the pitches in their first four games in the tournament, in Nassau County and Arnos Vale, and will be difficult to becalm now that that has happened.

Both teams have quality attacks, but this match is shaping up as a buffet of barrelling, burgeoning, just plain big batting. That's as much a comment on the likely conditions as it is on the players involved. Put those two factors together at the same time in the same place, and take cover.

Team Watch:

England

Jos Buttler's team are in the throes of an unemphatic but also an efficient defence of the title they won in Australia in 2022.

Tactics & Matchups: Phil Salt and Jonny Bairstow are key to the firing of a potent batting line-up.

Probable XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (c&wk), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley

South Africa

Now that they've shown what they can do on what Quinton de Kock called a "decent pitch finally" in Antigua on Wednesday, the batting unit needs to kick on.

Tactics & Matchups: Ottneil Baartman should return, which would mean only one specialist spinner.

Probable XI: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman

Did you know?

- Phil Salt is the only batter in either squad who is among the tournament's top 10 runscorers.

- Similarly, Anrich Nortje is the sole representative in the top 10 wicket-takers.

- England have won all four T20Is they have played in St Lucia and South Africa have lost both of theirs.

Thanks for the tag

May the best team wins

Today's Match Prediction: Team bowling first to win the match

Scenario 1

England win the toss and opt to bowl first.

PP Score: 50-60

SA: 170-180

England win the match

Scenario 2

South Africa win the toss and opt to bowl first.

PP Score: 55-65

ENG: 175-185

South Africa win the match

Disclaimer: The prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.

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Toss Prediction by 7:30 PM IST on 21/06/2024

Rest of the predictions by 8:00 PM IST 21/06/2024

Whenever you make a change, press the Submit Prediction tab again.

Thank you, Raji, for the thread and for tagging me.

It will be an interesting match.

Jos Buttler’s side will be riding high on confidence after stopping the West Indies juggernaut with a comfortable win. West Indies were cruising at one point before the English bowlers rallied around to constrict the batters with a whopping 51 dot deliveries – the most ever in a T20I score of 180 or more. The batters then made the most of a fine batting deck at the venue, chasing down the target with more than two overs to spare. Meanwhile, South Africa have managed five wins on the trot albeit with nervy margins. The Proteas for once clicked together against the United States, posting 194. However, the bowlers took the game down to the wire before a Kagiso Rabada over eked out the win

England regain form

After a patchy start, England regained steam after trouncing West Indies in the first Super 8 game. Even as the batters cantered in an 181-run chase, it was the English bowlers that made a difference, bowling 51 dot balls off which 36 (six overs) were delivered by the seamers.

The seam quartet of Reece Topley, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Sam Curran enforce a stern test for South Africa, whose batters have struggled to counter the fast bowlers in the tournament. Their counterparts, led by Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen, have been mercurial, illustrated best by their slender win over the United States.

Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller come loaded with a marauders’ reputation for the South African middle order. But the hype doesn’t always translate to hope.

They severely depend on one of the openers to click in tall chases. Else, the mounting strike-rate pressure triggers indecisiveness and impatience in the middle order of Markram, Klaasen and Miller. After trying to straddle anchor/attack duties for a brief while, they then tend to pre-meditate their big shots a touch frantically in trying to accelerate, which further upsets the apple cart. England who neatly strangled the West Indian torso of Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell, are bound to exploit this brittleness, even if Saffers don’t get drawn into one of their chase-botching ways and bat first.