The world cricket seems to be in a middle-order mess right now. It doesn’t matter if it is a top-seeded team or a team on the lower side of the food chain; everyone is going through this unwanted phase. It was quite clear in the first game played between South Africa and Zimbabwe. Both the teams struggled to get runs on the board. The pitch also helped the bowlers which forced the batsmen to earn every single run. The second match might end on a different note as it will be playing on a batting friendly ground. Let’s check out the probable playing 11 for the game.
Head-to-Head:
Overall Matches – 39
South Africa- 36
Zimbabwe- 2
Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein
The ground has been favorable to the teams batting second with 15 out of 20 games on resulting in their favor. The pitch has always been flat and good for batting. The weather is also going to be dry which might result into a run-fest.
Total matches | 29 |
Matches won batting first | 12 |
Matches won bowling first | 15 |
Average 1st Inns scores | 239 |
Average 2nd Inns scores | 197 |
Highest total recorded | 399/9 (50 Ov) by Eng vs RSA |
Lowest total recorded | 90/10 (37.1 Ov) by Ken vs IND |
Highest score chased | 265/5 (48.2 Ov) by Eng vs RSA |
Lowest score defended | 203/6 (50 Ov) by AUS vs RSA |
South Africa vs Zimbabwe 2nd ODI Ballebaazi Fantasy Cricket Preview
South Africa
The team once again proved that their strength lies in the bowling attack they have. The team’s batting is still in question. They struggled to score even against Zimbabwe in the last match. They cannot keep relying on the fact that their top-ranked batsmen have been rested. They need to create a cushion for the team to rely on if it comes to that, which has still not happened. There is a lot of potential in a few young players that have yet not been tapped on. Apart from Klassen, everyone seemed to be struggling. They will have to figure out the best within as the race to the 2019 world cup has started. Every match they play is an opportunity they need to exploit. Bowling is impeccable as always with Ngidi, Rabada, Styen and Tahir they can give a hard time to any team.
Zimbabwe
The team was not up to the mark in the previous match. It seemed like they have surrendered even before the game started. No doubt the bowling was fierce from the opposition, but they were missing the hunger to fight. This is something they need to learn from teams like Afghanistan who have not only shown their metal but their will to fight as well. This match is on a batting friendly ground which means that the bowling would not be unplayable. They will have to give South Africa a hard time to gain some confidence. They might have a fighting chance against the opposition in this game.
South Africa | Zimbabwe |
Dean Elgar | Hamilton Masakadza(c) |
Aiden Markram | Solomon Mire |
Heinrich Klaasen(w) | Craig Ervine |
Jean-Paul Duminy(c) | Brendan Taylor |
Reeza Hendricks | Ryan Murray(w) |
Willem Mulder | Elton Chigumbura |
Christiaan Jonker | Sean Williams |
Andile Phehlukwayo | Wellington Masakadza |
Imran Tahir | Kyle Jarvis |
Lungi Ngidi | Tendai Chatara |
Dale Steyn | Richard Ngarava |