The Nassau County International Cricket Stadium is ready. It took just 3 months but $30 Million for the now World Class stadium to be T20 World Cup ready.
First match here, and it’s South Africa taking on Sri Lanka. In an international tournament, a team can expect 3 kinds of starters:
- an absolutely easy game that can feel like a warmup
- a rivalry game
- a confusing, tough game with probably nothing to gain but everything to lose.
One of these teams is a very successful side, having played 3 T20 WC finals and winning one, while the other has only made it to 2 Semifinals in 8 tournaments.
Despite being the later, going into this match, Proteas will find themselves in #3 scenario. But what about Lankans? A historic force in this tournament finds themselves nowhere in expectations. The game is expected to be heavily dominated by the Green & Golds, or maybe the big-mouth Protea fan should respect the highly talented Lankan pace attack and their newly appointed captain, all-rounder Wanidu Hasranga.
Sri Lanka defeated Bangladesh in Bangladesh in a close contest series in March, while South Africa’s full-strength team is yet to win a T20 series since the last World Cup.
Probable Playing XI
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada, Ottniel Baartman.
Sri Lanka: Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Charith Asalanka, Angelo Mathews, Dasun Shanaka, Wanidu Hasranga(c), Maheesh Theekshana, Dilshan Madushanka, Matheesha Pathirana, Nuwan Thushara.
Pitch Report
The Nassau County surface hosted India v/s Bangladesh warmup match proving to be an uneven bounce surface with good help for fast bowlers.
The surface being new and dropped in under the supervision of Adelaide Oval’s pitch curator, Damian Hough, tells a lot about what can be expected. With pace and bounce being obvious features, the ground’s shortest boundary lies at 60m and longest at 82, making it of a size similar to Wankhede, Mumbai.
The game can be an above-average scoring match, with 180 being a winning total and fast bowlers playing a crucial role.
Players To Watch Out For
Tristan Stubbs
The young, explosive rare commodity in the face of a finisher has now established himself in the international white-ball lineup. And it is not just about establishing Tristan Stubbs as the 2nd most anticipated player from South Africa for the World Cup, the first obviously being Klaasen, who is the best batsman in the world in this format.
After making his debut in July 2022, Stubbs had a breakout SA20 and then IPL within the first five months of 2024. Stubbs has had enough performances to make fans believe that he can lit up the stage in the USA and Caribbean this summer. If the obvious comes true, Stubbs’s journey for an all-timer campaign should start on Monday itself.
Ottniel Baartman
South Africa is expected to do well in this T20 World Cup, but they are not the clear favourites. The reason being their flawed bowling which has had problems in the death. The bridge between “doing well” & “coming out as champions” will require a 5’10 strongly built Baartman to do what he did with Eastern Capes.
The pacer has all the armour in his artillery to gun down even the best batters in the world. New York’s uneven bounce track and an opponent side from the subcontinent provide Ottniel with a chance to perfect his start to the tournament.
SL vs SA Dream11 Team for Match 4 of T20 WC 2024
Wicket Keepers: Kusal Mendis, Quinton de Kock (c)
Batters: Reeza Hendricks, Tristan Stubbs
All-Rounders: Wanindu Hasaranga (vc), Aiden Markram, Dhananjaya de Silva
Bowlers: Matheesha Pathirana, Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee, Ottniel Baartman.
Note: This is not our final Dream11 Team as we are not aware of the Toss Result and Final Playing XI at this moment.
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