The 21st match of the 12th edition of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup will be played between Australia and South Africa on March 22 at Basin Reserve in Wellington. Both the teams have been unbeaten in this World Cup so far, with Australia winning all five matches and South Africa winning all four matches.
Match preview
Head to Head
Australia and South Africa have played 14 ODIs against each other, out of which Australia have won 13 and one match ended in a tie.
Squads
Australia: Meg Lanning (captain), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington
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
Meg Lanning:
The captain of Australia won the player of the match in her last outing against India when she scored a delectable 97 off 107 balls to lead the run chase. Australia will want their captain to shoulder the batting responsibility going into the next match.
Darcie Brown:
The 19-year old pace sensation was the pick of the bowlers for Australia in her last match against India. She picked up 3-30 in her eight overs and bowled well with the new ball. She opened the bowling alongside Megan Schutt.
Laura Wolvaardt:
This right handed opening batter of South Africa has registered three consecutive half-centuries in this World Cup. She has looked in great touch and has laid solid foundation in all the four matches that South Africa have played so far in the tournament.
Marizanne Kapp:
The star South African all-rounder made match winning contributions with both bat and ball against New Zealand. The right arm quick picked up 2-44 in her 10 overs and with the bat steered her side to a two-wicket win scoring an unbeaten 34 off 35 balls.
Pitch
This will be the third match of the 2022 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup that will be played here. Team batting first and team batting second have won one match each. The wicket is good for batting as the batters get full value for their shots. On the other hand, the seam bowlers can make use of conditions to be effective.
Weather
The weather is expected to be warmer with clouds and sunshine. A thundershower in spots in the afternoon is expected. The average temperature will be around 22 degrees Celsius, with 40 percent chance of precipitation and 71 percent cloud cover. The wind will blow from the southeast.
Fantasy playing XI
Alyssa Healy, Rachael Haynes, Laura Wolvaardt, Meg Lanning, Ashleigh Gardner, Marizanne Kapp, Ellyse Perry, Ayabonga Khaka, Shabnim Ismail, Alana King, Darcie Brown
Match Details
Date: March 22, 2022
Time: 3.30am IST
Venue: Basin Reserve, Wellington
Live streaming: Star Sports, Disney + Hotstar
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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.