England and South Africa will play their second warm-up match ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup on March 2 at Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln. While South Africa suffered a defeat at the hands of India in their first warm-up game on February 27, England, on the other hand registered a comprehensive win against Bangladesh on February 28.
Match preview
Head to Head
England and South Africa have played 38 matches against each other, out of which, England have won 29, South Africa have won eight, and one match did not produce a result.
Squads
England: Heather Knight (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Katherine Brunt, Freya Davies, Charlotte Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Kate Cross, Sophie Ecclestone, Natasha Farrant, Amy Jones, Emma Lamb, Natalie Sciver, Anya Shrubsole, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danielle Wyatt
South Africa: Sune Luus (c), Chloe Tryon (vc), Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Maria Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Tazmin Brits, Trisha Chetty, Tumi Sekhukhune.
Players to watch out for
Natalie Sciver:
The star England all-rounder hit a delectable century against Bangladesh in a warm-up match to help her side go past the 300-run mark. With the ball, she struck with 2-12 in her four overs, bowling right arm medium pace. England will want their all-rounder to fire on all cylinders in the World Cup.
Lauren Winfield-Hill:
The English opening batter registered a solid half century against Bangladesh in a warm-up match. She stitched an 81-run partnership with Tammy Beaumont to give a perfect start to England.
Laura Wolvaardt:
The right handed opening batter looked in good touch in her last appearance against India during a warm-up match. She scored 83 runs off 95 balls to lay a solid foundation for her team in the run chase. South Africa will want their opening batter to give them a good start going into the World Cup.
Sune Luus:
The captain of South Africa is a genuine all-rounder, who can contribute with both bat and ball. In her last outing, which was a warm-up match against India, she mustered 86 runs off 98 balls. With the ball, the leg spinner chipped in with 1-34 in her five overs. She will be the key player in the South African line-up.
Pitch
More than 600 runs were scored in the last warm-up match that was played here. It seems to be a great batting wicket, where the batters get the value for their shots. On this batting paradise, there could be some assistance for the bowlers, especially the seamers, if they can make good use of the conditions effectively. In the last game, eight wickets were taken by the quick bowlers, while the spinners accounted for just the three wickets.
Weather
The weather does not look too good as there is a more than 50 percent chance of rain at the start of play. It is expected to be cloudy for the majority duration of the match. The average temperature will be around 15 degrees Celsius and a humidity of 69 percent.
Fantasy playing XI
Trisha Chetty, Laura Wolvaardt, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight, Natalie Sciver, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Charlotte Dean, Freya Davies
Match Details
Date: March 2, 2022
Time: 3.30am IST
Venue: Bert Sutcliffe Oval, Lincoln
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I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.