With both South Africa and Sri Lanka registering a win each, the 3-match Twenty20 International (T20I) series hangs in the balance ahead of the series decider, the 3rd T20I, slated for the 3rd of April, 2024. The game will be played at Buffalo Park, East London, and live action commences at 9:30 PM Indian Standard Time (IST).
Squads:
South Africa – Laura Wolvaardt (C), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Karabo Meso, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune, Chloé Tryon
Sri Lanka – Chamari Athapaththu (C), Vishmi Gunaratne, Nilakshi de Silva, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Kavisha Dilhari, Hasini Perera, Anushka Sanjeewani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Udeshika Prabodhani, Inoka Ranaweera, Achini Kulasuriya, Hansima Karunaratne, Imesha Dulani, Kawya Kavindi, Inoshi Fernando, Sugandika Kumari, Prasadini Weerakkody
Players to watch out:
Tazmin Brits
The 33-year-old opening batter has amassed 1160 runs from 47 T20I innings, including the highest of 78, at an average of 30.52 and a strike rate of 105.16. Though Tazmin departed cheaply for scores of 15 and 7 in the first couple of T20Is, she’ll be backed to capitalize on these starts, leading the scoring.
Annerie Dercksen
The 22-year-old all-rounder has played only a handful of international games and looks to have found her footing in this series. Annette has been in impressive form and kicked off the ongoing series producing figures of 2/15 (3.3) and followed up with figures of 0/15 (2). She’ll be relied upon for the goods.
Harshitha Samarawickrama
The 25-year-old top-order batter accumulated 979 runs, at an average of 27.19, from 47 T20Is and recorded the highest of 81. Harshitha has been in notable form this series, registering consecutive scores of 38 and 12, and can be counted on to build on these starts, contributing significantly to the tally.
Achini Kulasuriya
The 33-year-old pacer, from 25 T20I innings, has scalped 14 wickets, with the best of 2/19, maintaining an economy rate of 7.05. Achini has displayed outstanding form in this series, returning figures of 2/39 and 2/26. It’ll be expected that she makes the most of this form, delivering another impactful spell.
Pitch:
The Buffalo Park offers a well-balanced center wicket that features a fair contest between bat and ball. It offers favorable conditions for spinners to excel, while batters also find delight in the pitch, with an average score in the 120s.
Weather:
It will be a pleasant day for cricket at Buffalo Park with no expected rain interruptions and partly cloudy skies. The temperature will be around 21°C, with light winds and a humidity level of 68%.
Fantasy playing XI:
Anushka Sanjeewani, Laura Wolvaardt, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Anneke Bosch, Vishmi Gunaratne, Chamari Athapaththu, Marizanne Kapp, Kavisha Dilhari, Nadine de Klerk, Chloé Tryon, Achini Kulasuriya
Match details:
Date – April 3, 2024
Time – 9:30 PM IST
Venue – Buffalo Park, East London
Broadcast – The game will be live-streamed on the FanCode app and website.
