South Africa, Sri Lanka hope for batters to come good

Overview
South Africa v Sri Lanka
WT20 Match 8
Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet

It’s all to play for in Gros Islet, if the rain relents.

Sri Lanka’s opening game was against England, and going by the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings – England are at No.3 and Sri Lanka at No.8 – the rain-enforced abandonment was better for the Asian side than the 50-over world champions.

That’s a point in the bag for Sri Lanka, and they will back their chances of adding two more against a team whose batting performance in the warm-up games was as modest as that of the Lankans.

Dane van Niekerk’s side were poor in their two official warm-ups, performing below par with the bat to go down to Pakistan and Australia. In the first, they scored 72/9 in 15.1 overs, and in the second, all they got in response to Australia’s 130/4 was 79/9.

But Sri Lanka were only marginally better – they were bowled out for 98 by New Zealand and 85 by Ireland in their games.

The bowling, for both teams, has been fine, but it’s the batters who have flattered to deceive, and it’s the batters who must rise to the occasion in this crunch clash.

On that front, South Africa have more pedigree. In Lizelle Lee, Chloe Tryon, Laura Wolvaardt, and van Niekerk herself, they have batters of class. Not that Sri Lanka don’t have stalwarts of their own – the foremost among them is Chamari Athapaththu, the captain.

But South Africa, at least on paper, have a better-rounded side. Sri Lanka will know that, but they will also know that the opposition batters might just be low on confidence, and it will be a good time to strike. And then hope for Athapaththu & Co to do enough to keep Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Tumi Sekhukhune and the like at bay.

Key players

**Lizelle Lee (South Africa):**There are few more destructive batters in the women’s game, and while Lee had a poor time of it in the warm-ups, she has been in good form otherwise. She gets going – like she did against the Windies in Tarouba in October – and this game can become very one-sided.

**Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka):**The Sri Lanka captain has come into the tournament in patchy form, but everyone knows what she can do, like she did at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 in England. Sri Lanka will expect her to lead from the front with the bat.

Conditions

Rain, rain and more rain – that’s the forecast for St Lucia. The teams – and fans – will hope it clears for long enough to have 40 overs in or, failing that, at least a curtailed game.

Squads

South Africa: Dane Van Niekerk (c), Mignon du Preez, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Lizelle Lee, Sune Luus, Zintle Mali, Raisibe Ntozakhe, Robyn Searle, Tumi Sekhukhune, Saarah Smith, Chloe Tryon, Laura Wolvaardt, Faye Tunnicliffe

Sri Lanka: Chamari Athapaththu (captain), Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Ama Kanchana, Sugandika Kumari, Eshani Lokusooriya, Dilani Manodara, Yashoda Mendis, Hasini Perera, Udeshika Prabodani, Inoshi Priyadarshani, Oshadhi Ranasinghe, Shashikala Siriwardena, Rebeka Vandort, Sripali Weearakkody