Hosts South Africa will take on a confident England side on Friday in the 2nd semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2023.
Team England
Heather Knight has led the English team superbly. They began with a comprehensive 7-wicket win against the West Indies. Nat Sciver-Brunt scored a well-composed 30-ball 40 to take England home after Sophia Dunkley got out for an enterprising 18-ball 34. Ecclestone was the star with the ball as she picked up 3 wickets. Against Ireland, Alice Capsey played a blistering knock of 51 off 22 balls before being dismissed. England lost 6 wickets but won the match with 34 balls to spare.
In a crucial tie against India, England recovered from 29/3 thanks to a fine partnership between Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight. Wicket-keeper Amy Jones also enjoyed herself out in the middle as she struck 40 off 27 balls. England posted 151 and choked the Indian batters with spinners Sarah Glenn and Sophie Ecclestone. A blitzkrieg from Richa Ghosh, in the end, wasn’t enough as England won by 11 runs.
Having booked their ticket to the semis, England demolished Pakistan in their last group game, winning by a whopping 114 runs after posting 213/5 in 20 overs. Nat Sciver-Brunt played a swashbuckling 40-ball 81 to take England to the mammoth score. Danielle Wyatt and Amy Jones also contributed with stroke-filled knocks.
Team South Africa
The home team suffered a shock 3-run defeat in their opening encounter against Sri Lanka. The Proteas failed to chase down 130 runs as Sri Lanka’s disciplined bowling proved to be too much to handle on the night. With their backs against the wall in a tough group, South Africa bounced back with a thumping 65-run win against New Zealand.
Chloe Tyron starred with the bat as she scored a 34-ball 40 to take South Africa to a competitive 132/6 in 20 overs. Nonkululeko Mlaba was given the new ball and she didn’t disappoint, picking up wickets of the two New Zealand openers before they could open their scores.
South Africa faced defending champions Australia in their third group game. The Sune Luus-led side could manage only 124 runs with the bat. Australia chased the total without any real discomfort as Tahlia McGrath played a sensational 33-ball knock of 57 runs. The Aussies chased the score down in 16.3 overs with 6 wickets to spare. South Africa had no option but to win their last group game against Bangladesh.
The bowlers restricted the Asian side to a paltry 113 in the 20 overs. The South African openers, Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits played according to the target and helped the team cruise to a 10-wicket win with 13 balls to spare. Both openers scored half-centuries and will go into the semis beaming with confidence.
ICC T20 World Cup 2023: England vs South Africa, Semi-Final 2 – Match Details, Live Streaming, When and Where To Watch
Date: February 24, 2023, 6:30 pm IST
Venue: Newlands, Cape Town
Live Streaming: The ICC T20 World Cup 2023 will be streamed live on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar.
ICC T20 World Cup 2023: England vs South Africa, Semi-Final 2 – Key Players
England:
Nat Sciver-Brunt – The 30-year-old has been in impeccable form in the tournament. In the four matches that England won in the group stage, Nat Sciver Brunt was the Player of the Match in three of them. She has amassed 176 runs in 4 matches so far and is also the highest run-scorer in this year’s edition of the T20 World Cup.
Sophie Ecclestone – The left-arm orthodox bowler has given sleepless nights to the batters with her skills. She has spun a web around many batters in the tournament. The 23-year-old is the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 8 scalps from 4 matches. How the South African batters negotiate their bowling will be an intriguing affair to watch.
South Africa:
Marizanne Kapp – The Port Elizabeth-born all-rounder has been superb with the ball. She has picked up 7 wickets from 4 matches. She has an average of 9.43 with the ball which is the second-best in the tournament after Ecclestone. The experienced campaigner is yet to deliver with the bat but you can expect her to rise up to the big occasion.
Laura Wolvaardt – The right-handed opening batter will be key for South Africa as a good start is always crucial in a big game. Wolvaardt has the ability. She is the top run-scorer for South Africa so far in the tournament. In 4 matches, she has accumulated 113 runs at an average of 38.67. Her partnership with Tazmin Brits will be critical for South Africa’s chances.
ICC T20 World Cup 2023: England vs South Africa, Semi-Final 2 – Head to Head
The head-to-head scoreline currently stands at 19-3 in favour of England. Their most recent encounter was at the Commonwealth Games in 2022 when England won by 26 runs after posting a total of 167 in the first innings.
ICC T20 World Cup 2023: England vs South Africa, Semi-Final 2 – Pitch Report and Weather Forecast
We have seen balanced playing conditions in Cape Town. The Pacers have found a little bit of help when they have pitched the balls in the right areas. Batters who were willing to apply themselves got big runs. The spinners also come into play as the match goes on.
There might be some cloud covering when the match begins but rain is not expected which is good news for cricket fans. The temperatures will be around the early 20s during the match hours.
ICC T20 World Cup 2023: England vs South Africa, Semi-Final 2 – Probable Playing XIs
England Playing XI: Danielle Wyatt, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight(c), Amy Jones(w), Sophie Ecclestone, Charlotte Dean, Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Bell.
South Africa Playing XI: Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus (c), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba.
ICC T20 World Cup 2023: England vs South Africa, Semi-Final 2 – Squads
England: Danielle Wyatt, Sophia Dunkley, Alice Capsey, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Heather Knight(c), Amy Jones(w), Sophie Ecclestone, Charlotte Dean, Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Sarah Glenn, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Freya Davies, Kate Cross, Lauren Winfield-Hill.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt, Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus (c), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Marizanne Kapp, Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Lara Goodall, Delmi Tucker, Masabata Klaas, Annerie Dercksen
ICC T20 World Cup 2023: England vs South Africa, Semi-Final 2 – Dream11 Prediction
Wicketkeeper – Amy Jones
Batters – Tazmin Brits, Laura Wolvaardt, Danielle Wyatt
All-rounders – Nat Sciver-Brunt (C), Katherine Sciver-Brunt, Marizanne Kapp (VC)
Bowlers – Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Shabnim Ismail
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