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Due to respective heavy victories over Sri Lanka, South Africa and Bangladesh are now both in excellent positions to qualify from Group D of this year’s ICC T20 World Cup with relative ease.
DATE & TIME: Monday 10th June, 2024 – USA – 10:30 / West Indies – 11:30 / UK – 15:30 / South Africa – 16:30 / Pakistan – 19:30 / India – 20:00 / Bangladesh – 20:30 & Tuesday 11th June, 2024 – Australia – 00:30
VENUE: Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, New York, United States
WEATHER: 20c or 68 F with clear, sunny skies
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: USA – Willow TV / West Indies – ESPN Caribbean / UK – Sky Sports / South Africa – SuperSport / Pakistan – PTV Sports & TEN Sports / India – Star Sports / Bangladesh – Disney Star
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: USA – Willow TV website / West Indies – ESPN Play Caribbean app / UK – Sky Go / South Africa – SuperSport app / Pakistan – Myco & Tamasha / India – Disney+Hotstar / Bangladesh – Disney+Hotstar / Australia – Amazon Prime Video
SOUTH AFRICA FORM: POLISHING THE PROTEAS
South Africa come into their third clash of the tournament on the back of seemingly two convincing victories against Sri Lanka and the Netherlands – and yet concerns ahead of the tournament do remain. After bowling the Sri Lankans for just 77 in 19.1 overs, they took 16.2 overs as they strolled to an eventual eight-wicket victory in the chase. Against the Dutch, they found themselves 3-3 and required 113 of their 120 balls to chase down a small target of 104.
LAST FIVE: WWLLL
BANGLADESH FORM: OFF TO A FLYER
Bangladesh, almost as ever, came into the tournament with a bit of uncertainty around the shape of the team and consistency of key men but they produced their own unconvincing run chase in Texas the other day. Restricting Sri Lanka to just 124-9 in their 20 overs, Bangladesh eventually got over the line in 19 overs with just two wickets remaining, thanks in large part to an excellent knock from Towhid Hridoy, hitting 40 off 20 balls in the middle order.
LAST FIVE: WLAWL
SOUTH AFRICA BETTING ANALYSIS
One of the biggest concerns for South Africa ahead of the tournament was the form of Anrich Nortje after he endured a really tough Indian Premier League campaign. However, his 4-7 against Sri Lanka was then backed up by taking 2-19 against the Dutch. Backing the pace and aggression of Nortje to be South Africa’s leading wicket taker in this match (16/5), against a Bangladeshi side susceptible to short-pitch pace, would seem a very solid bet.
Quinton de Kock’s form was also a concern, though, and after scoring 20 in their opener, he was then run out without facing a ball against the Netherlands. Throughout his international career, albeit especially in ODI cricket, de Kock’s strike rate drastically falls against spinners bowling wide to him and with Bangladesh stocked in that department then if the South Africans bat first, backing under 5.5 runs in the 1st over (1/1) appears a good shot.
BANGLADESH BETTING ANALYSIS
Following on from that de Kock topic, that would lead to the conclusion that Bangladesh should have the highest opening partnership in the match if the genuinely world class Protea continues his lean patch. Tanzid Hasan and the experienced Soumya Sarkar did struggle against Sri Lanka with the former falling to pace and the latter out to spin for three between them but with South Africa expected to offer a kinder trajectory with two of Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Ottniel Baartman and Nortje opening, backing the higher opening in favour of Bangladesh (11/8) represents good value.
As for the spin, Bangladesh’s excellent bowling performance in restricting Sri Lanka the other day was largely down to Player of the Match Rishad Hassan, who took 3-22 with his leg breaks. With right hander perhaps not coming on to bowl early as Bangladesh target the wide areas rather than bowl into de Kock, he perhaps isn’t expected to be as much of a threat but the evergreen Shakib Al Hasan, with odds benefitting from an ineffective performance the other day, should be more suited to that and should well open the bowling and him to be Bangladesh’s top bowler (7/2) also seems like good value.
SOUTH AFRICA VS BANGLADESH EXPERT
PREDICTION
There have already been quite a few upsets in this tournament but Bangladesh beating South Africa is perhaps not one of the most shocking, as they did so at the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup a few years ago. It is one that should still be backed, though, as the varied bowling attack looks to put an under pressure South African top order through the mill on yet another used pitch in New York, which has already produced some slow turners.
SOUTH AFRICA VS BANGLADESH TOP TIP: BANGLADESH TO WIN