England v http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757: ICC World Cup 2011- batsmen analysis
In a clash of continents, a depleted England side take one of the best sides in the ongoing ICC World Cup, South Africa, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
It is a must win game for the English side, as a loss in this match against the Proteas, will put their chances of qualifying for the quarter-final in jeopardy.
Their confidence is shattered after a shock defeat against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ireland-c751, where they conceded a world record chase in the history of mega events. Somehow they have to gather their thoughts and bring all their experience and skills to the table if they have to
beat an in-form South African side.
Win the toss and bat first is the call on a beautiful batting wicket in Chennai, as later in the innings, it might swing in the air and turn off the pitch.
Kevin Pietersen
Kevin Pietersen has contributed in all three games for his team, but he hasn’t been able to concert those starts into a massive score. The swashbuckling right-hander has collected scores of 39, 31 and 59.
Kevin plays himself in and scores his runs at a decent pace, but has the tendency to play a loose shot and bring about his own downfall. This has been one of the reasons why he hasn’t been consistent with the bat.
He has all the shots in the book to pick from but struggles to make the correct selection.
Against the country of his birth, Pietersen has a formidable record, amassing 644 runs at 71 with three centuries. With the bat in hand, he is a genuine match winner and he needs to focus on timing and placement rather than playing reckless strokes to contribute
significantly.
Paul Collingwood
Paul Collingwood’s contribution for his team is very important, as they are missing their finisher Eoin Morgan. In his place, the responsibility of finishing a game for England lies on Collingwood’s shoulders.
However, he hasn’t been able to fill in the role of Morgan, as we saw in the previous two games against Ireland and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. He capitulated for dismal scores of 16 and 2 against them.
This could be his swansong and he would like to end this tournament with grace and should perform to his full potential.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AB-de-Villiers-c887
Every bowler in this global event should fear one name, AB de Villiers. With the willow in his hand, he has looked similar to an elephant with a trunk, and runs have been flowing for de Villiers.
The Flamboyant right-hander has amassed two centuries in this tournament and on slow wickets he has been able to time the ball perfectly. Everything is going right for him and his confidence is sky high. He might delight the spectators and shock the opposition
with another sparkling century.
Jacques Kallis
South Africa’s favourite son, Jacques Kallis, will be bit low on confidence, as he is yet make an impression in this tournament with the willow. It hardly matters for him, as he is just one good innings away from coming back into supreme form.
Kallis possesses a modest record against England, scoring 1039 runs at an average of 32, including a century. Nevertheless, Chennai’s flat deck will provide him the opportunity of coming back into form and improving on his record against old rivals.
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