For South Africa, it was a comprehensive win in the ODI series, where they had thrashed the host to win the series 0-3. But T-20 is a different ball game, and Kiwis have proved again why they need to be taken seriously in that particular format in the last game.
South Africa had rested three of their top players in the previous game, which they have lost by 9 wickets. They will consider to include Kapp, Luss or Neikerk to boost their playing eleven. Without Marizanne Kapp, the seam bowling looked leaderless, while Sune Luss and Dane Van Niekerk were missed in the spin-bowling department.
But at the same time, they should keep in mind that the T-20 World Cup is knocking at the door, and South Africa don’t have the luxury to lose any of their main players in that coveted championship. Though Lee and Wolvaardt started well, they failed to convert those starts, and that created pressure on the inexperienced middle order.
They lost Chloe Tyron in the crucial moment of the game, which halted the South African run-race. Absence of any hard-hitting batter apart from Chloe Tyron, down the order, can turn out to be the Achilles heel for South Africa.
As far is as New Zealand is concerned, they will be boosted up after their first victory this year. They looked clueless in the ODI series, while their batting suffered most in the longer format of the game. But in T-20 they seem like a different team.
Sophie Devine, who failed miserably in the ODI series, won the Kiwis a game, single-handedly. Kiwis will again depend on her divine innings to increase the deficit. At the same time, hard hitters like Suzie Bates and Katey Parkins will be on the radar to clinch victory.
While bowling is concerned, Amelia Kerr and her allrounder sister Jess Kerr will take charge of that, which will ease the pressure upon Kasparek. They need to carry on the momentum of the last match in the bowling department as well.
T-20 World Cup is knocking at the door, and both the teams will unleash all of their cards to pick a suitable playing eleven for the team. While Kiwis are looking good in the shorter format of the game, South Africa will try their level best to make a comeback in the series.
