West Indies Vs South Africa, Match Preview
A grand finale awaits us as both teams look determined for a trophy. After losing the Test series, West Indies would like a win in the format they are famous for, as they send a shockwave to opponents ahead of the T20 World Cup. After trailing in the series, the West Indies drew level in the fourth game and will hope to create pressure on the South African.
South Africa have lost eight out of ten of their last deciders, and are known to crumble under pressure. The upcoming game will be the closest to a high-pressure fixture, considering both side’s recent performances across formats. A win for South Africa will ease the pressure on Mark Boucher, who has struggled as a coach so far.
Irrespective of the result, the series has given both sides a tremendous insight into their World Cup squads. The West Indies look robust, but the form of their players will be a concern. They have a good bowling attack, bat deep, and have a rare chance to win a series with their full-strength squad. South Africa has fought well, but they will have some concerns post the series.
The team composition and batting depth, along with the sixth bowler, will be a discussion point. The bowling is impressive, but the lack of a sixth bowler affects the balance of the side. They have a set of all-rounders, and Markram has helped strengthen the middle-order. With two more series to go, they will hope to take the confidence here and build a strong side.
West Indies Vs South Africa, Team News
Jason Holder took a break in the fourth T20, allowing West Indies to play Shimron Hetmyer. With Hetmyer, and Gayle in the eleven, the batting line-up is more profound, and the move may be repeated. An injury to Fabien Allen leaves him out, allowing Akeal Hosein.
The South African line-up has been very specialist-dependent, with very few all-rounders. The inclusion of Aiden Markram provided some balance, as the middle-order looked stable, and the side had a sixth bowler. Anrich Nortje is an uncertain starter after an injury to his left knee. In case he doesn’t recover, Lizaad Williams could get a go in the eleven.
West Indies Vs South Africa, Predicted XIs
West Indies (probable): 1 Lendl Simmons, 2 Evin Lewis 3 Chris Gayle, 4 Shimron Hetmyer, 5 Kieron Pollard (capt), 6 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Akeal Hosein 10 Fidel Edwards 11 Obed McCoy
South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Aiden Markram, 6 David Miller, 7 George Linde, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Anrich Nortje/Lizaad Williams, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi
West Indies Vs South Africa, Players to Watch out For
David Miller
David Miller has made 34 runs in four games this series. He is a vital member of the middle-order, and his form is essential if South Africa is to score big. Miller has been batting earlier in the innings, but his shot selection has been off, hurting him. He has the backing of Temba Bavuma and is only an innings away from getting back to form. With a big game ahead of him, David Miller could take on the bowling and play how he is known.
Fidel Edwards
The West Indies have a full-strength side for the series and have also obtained a 39-year-old fast bowler who has returned after six years. He took a Kolpak deal and played County Cricket but has now returned and is providing the aggression West Indies needed early in the innings. His pace is still pretty good. He has been expensive in the series, but his attitude and experience can add value to the West Indies team.
West Indies Vs South Africa, Pitch Report
For a change, West Indies batted first in the fourth game but couldn’t get past the 160s mark. The scoreline looked similar to the previous games, and the surface slowed down as the game progressed. There is some rain forecasted, but a full game is very likely.
