T20 Series: Game 3
Stadium: Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban
3rd September 2023.
South Africa will be facing off against Australia in the third and final game of the T20 Series being played at Kingsmead Cricket Ground. Australia has won the series and will be playing to whitewash South Africa at their turf. Who will win this game?
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!South Africa form
South Africa seems to be at a loss against this formidable Australian squad. Despite having the opportunity to both bowl and bat first in the two matches played so far, South Africa has struggled to gain an advantage.
In the first game, there was a glimmer of hope from Hendricks, who scored 56 runs. However, his form took a hit in the second match when he managed only three runs. Captain Markram put up a better effort in the recent match with 49 runs, but overall, the team is finding it challenging to match Australia's exceptional bowling attack.
South Africa had placed significant expectations on Ngidi, one of the team's most skilled and experienced bowlers. Unfortunately, Ngidi's bowling has been predictable and lacking threat. Furthermore, he has been surprisingly expensive and has failed to secure a wicket, resulting in a series total of 0/90. While Williams has been decent with figures of 4/61, the bowling lineup overall lacks the necessary aggression.
South Africa Lineup
Temba Bavuma, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (c), Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs (wk), Bjorn Fortuin , Gerald Coetzee, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi
Australia form
While some initially believed that Australia had fielded a weakened roster, it has become evident that this is not the case. Captain Marsh has been in sensational batting form, amassing a total of 171 runs and yet to be dismissed. Short has also performed admirably with 86 runs, although many other batsmen haven't been required to contribute significantly due to Marsh's brilliance. In fact, David, who scored 64 runs in the first match, didn't even have an opportunity to bat in the second.
There was a minor alteration in the bowling lineup, with Zampa and Behrendorff stepping in for Sangha and Johnson, respectively. Sangha's exclusion was somewhat surprising, considering his impressive performance of 4/31 in the first match. Zampa's second-game performance was less impressive, as he finished with figures of 0/42. However, it was the pace bowling that ultimately sealed the victory in the second match, with Behrendorff (2 wickets), Ellis (3 wickets), and Abbott (3 wickets) excelling by consistently maintaining the right line and length.
Australia Predicted Lineup
Tim David, TM Head, MP Stoinis, MW Short, MR Marsh (C), Sean Abbott, JP Inglis (wk), MS Wade, Spencer Johnson, Tanveer Sangha, Nathan Ellis
Expert betting tips
The Kingsmead pitch has displayed versatility, favouring Australia in both batting and bowling aspects across both games. Interestingly, South Africa hasn't fully exploited the potential of pace bowling on this pitch. It's worth noting that the pitch offers substantial bounce and turn, benefiting both batsmen and bowlers in the series thus far. We expect Aussies to win the game and whitewash South Africa in their own home.