🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: S8 - Match 45: SA vs England @8:00 PM IST🏏 - Page 3

Thanks for the tag and thread, Raji❤️

All the best to both teams 🥳

Either de Kock or Hendricks need to get going, for Markram to calmly do his thing. So playing alongside his U19 World Cup winning teammate QdK, the captain put on 110 for the second wicket against USA. Miller’s golden duck was no sweat, as Markram and Klaasen (who tonked 3 sixes), cruised to take the total to 194.

But going forward, England will know Markram, Klaasen and Miller can be put under the pump, if they take early wickets up front. Suffocating the trio for runs like Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer strangled Nicolas Pooran and Andre Russell, can get the Proteas crabby thereafter. It’s a perfect recipe for a South African chase-melt on a griddle.

Familiar conditions give England an edge

England's familiarity with conditions, having played against the West Indies already, may provide them an edge. England's bowlers also demonstrated commendable skill by delivering 52 dot balls against the West Indies, preventing them from reaching a second consecutive 200-plus total. Adil Rashid's exceptional economy rate of 5.25 and Jofra Archer's 12 dot balls were instrumental in restricting the Windies. This effective containment strategy reduced the Windies' potential total by at least 20 runs.

South Africa bank on Rabada and Maharaj

The South African bowlers, especially Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj, face the challenge of containing England's powerful batting lineup. Rabada and Maharaj previously demonstrated exceptional control and discipline to secure a win over the USA, who failed to chase 28 runs in the final two overs. Quinton de Kock's resurgence is a key uplifting factor for South Africa. After several mediocre performances with the bat, De Kock scored an aggressive 74 off 40 balls against the USA.

England look another strong start

English opener Phil Salt, ranked No. 2 T20I batter in the world, showcased his skill with an unbeaten 87 as he navigated a challenging 181-run chase with a blend of caution and aggression. Salt, along with skipper Jos Buttler, will aim to provide another strong start for England. Buttler, despite a 42-run effort in their loss to Australia in the group stage, has accumulated only 91 runs from four innings. Jonny Bairstow's return to form, reflected in his crucial 48 not out against the West Indies, is another positive sign for England. Bairstow had struggled earlier in the tournament, scoring just 46 runs with two single-digit dismissals.

England, SA eye semis spot

Both teams now prepare for what promises to be a high-stakes encounter, with the winner likely setting one foot into the semifinals. Against the West Indies, England's dominating performance placed them at the top of the group due to an impressive Net Run Rate of +1.34, compared to South Africa's +0.90. A victory in the upcoming match would significantly boost their chances of reaching the semifinals of this ICC event. Conversely, South Africa had a tougher time against the USA, managing an 18-run win in their Super Eight opener.

England batters on a roll

England's batters are displaying their form just in time for the T20 World Cup Super 8s, setting the stage for a crucial Group-2 match against South Africa in St Lucia on Friday. Having secured a dominant win over the West Indies with an eight-wicket victory, England aim to continue their momentum against South Africa, who themselves are coming off a win over the USA despite a close call.

Today's match mostly depends on the batsmans

Big question for SA- play two spinners again or restore Baartman (IMO their form bowler in this tournament so far) to the starting lineup.

9am: Hello and welcome back to St Lucia (or at least a webpage concerned with events there) for the tippiest-tappiest live coverage around! We're already full steam ahead with the Super Eight, as the second round of matches in Group 2 takes place - starting this afternoon with what should be a tub-thumping face-off between England and South Africa. Jos Buttler's defending champions looked worthy of the name in brushing past in-form co-hosts West Indies two nights ago but they will need to be on it against a South Africa side who have won five from five (albeit with a few scares along the way).

9.30am local: Hello and welcome to our coverage of what could potentially be a real cracker in St Lucia. It's England taking on South Africa - two teams with enough batting firepower to light up the stage at a venue that has favoured run-scoring in this tournament.