England vs South Africa – 3rd T20I- Match Preview
After a mauling in the opening game, and a stalemate in the other, England will look to make amends when they play South Africa for the final time at home, in the third T20I of the NatWest Series, at Edgbaston, Birmingham, today, September 12, 2012.
Indeed, being engaged in a battle of supremacy since the start of July has been taxing for both camps but their remains no respite considering the challenge ahead – the World T20, where England will look to defend their crown without Kevin Pietersen, while the Proteas will be aiming to make history.
For that, the final game holds greater significance as striving for the right momentum could prove crucial for any side. Australia humbled Pakistan in the final T20I to get much-needed confidence, while New Zealand defeated a strong Indian contingent to book their claims as tough opponents.
While the current conditions and scenario may be irrelevant, compared with the pitches in Sri Lanka, both sides will look to end the tour on a high. England, more often than not, have been forced to play catch up cricket, and will need another come from behind victory at Birmingham to ensure that they leapfrog their opponents as the no.1 ranked T20 side.
For that, their batting will need to improve drastically following a couple uninspiring displays at Chester-le-Street and Old Trafford. The first game was dominated by the Proteas spinners, and left Stuart Broad to defend his side’s ability to cope with spin, especially in the coming weeks. The second match was dominated by rain, but the batting showed hardly any signs of improvement, with Craig Kieswetter, Alex Hales and Luke Wright, who replaced the out of sorts Ravi Bopara, falling to poor shots.
The bowling has fared better as the series has progressed and England will be confident that they have enough resources to tackle the South African batters (minus Hashim Amla) and other opponents in the World T20.
Other than looking to level the series, England might be inclined to tinker with their formation to see how the likes of Michael Lumb, Danny Briggs and Tim Bresnan fare ahead of their trip to Sri Lanka. All have so far warmed the bench and while the latter’s qualities are pretty much noticeable, the other two players are yet to prove their credentials despite good county form.
South Africa nevertheless, will hold edge knowing that they will end the tour undefeated in all formats. A 2-0 Test series win was followed by drawn ODI fixtures before another solid start to the T20 series allowed them to remain ahead. Their performances however, did come under scrutiny in the 50-over arena, owing to the lack of fire power in the middle-order.
All changed following the return of Jacques Kallis, and the team looks set to fight for major titles in days to come. Their bowling attack is intimidating as ever, with Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn in excellent rhythm, while the spin department, containing Johan Botha and Robin Peterson, offers depth and competiveness.
Skipper, AB de Villiers, hinted at rotating players which could mean bringing in Wayne Parnell and Farhaan Behardien, the unused subs. Ideally, de Villiers himself needs a rest following a hectic English summer where he has performed all sorts of role.
Rain has been ever present at this venue and one could expect another interrupted evening. However, the pitch has always been good for batting and one expects the winner of the toss to bat.
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