It's taken a few days for teams to acclimatise themselves to the prevailing weather and playing conditions in the UAE in the ongoing T20 World Cup, but it would be a surprise if they still find themselves without adequate answers on how to work their way around the natural challenges. It's hot and boundaries aren't coming easy on the slow and low pitches of Sharjah and Dubai. A lot of running would be expected from the batters and the fielders.
To the comfort of England and South Africa, they've both registered a win each before coming face to face with each other. As the early trends stand, both teams would favour themselves to make it to the semifinals. A win on Monday would most certainly leave them in a comfortable position to believe they can finish as table-toppers from the group.
Unlike South Africa, who outplayed West Indies in all departments to secure a thumping win in their opening encounter, England were pushed slightly by Bangladesh before they could get off to a winning start. Despite boasting of a superior team on paper, they would hope for a better showing, especially from their experienced middle order.
South Africa don't provide as stiff a challenge with their slower bowlers through the middle overs, but their pace attack offers ample strength even on the slow pitches to compensate for that weakness. Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits' stellar start to the campaign bodes well, but they too would hope for their middle order to be able to stand up to the challenges of the conditions when the opportunity presents itself.
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