Limpopo Impalas vs Eastern Storm, CSAKC, Today Match Prediction

LPI vs ES Match Prediction & Analysis

Limpopo Impalas are coming into this match on the back of two consecutive wins. These wins were quite convincing and should boost their confidence as they face the table-toppers.

This will be Limpopo’s second outing at this venue in Polokwane. Eastern Storm have won all of their 3 games so far but haven’t looked very consistent. There are some concerns with the bat for the Storm.

Limpopo Impalas, on the other hand, showed consistency in their recent performances and are likely to pose a tough challenge here. In their successful run chase against South Western Districts, Eastern Storm had only two batters score in double digits.

They are quite heavily dependent on the openers Kabelo Sekhukune and Christopher Britz. The middle order has been inconsistent and the openers have scored most of the runs for Eastern Storm.

Limpopo Impalas have an in-form bowling attack as well and they will fancy their chances of ending Storm’s winning run.

TEAMS PREVIEW

Limpopo Impalas Preview

Limpopo started their campaign with a huge loss in the opening game at this venue. They were bowled out for 84 runs while chasing a 163-run target against Tuskers.

They bounced back strongly with back-to-back wins since then. In their second outing, Limpopo posted 188 for 2 batting first courtesy of a hundred opening batsman Morne Venter.

In the next outing, Morne Venter continued his form with the bat and also made a crucial contribution with the ball. Limpopo restricted the opposition to 146 runs and chased down the target quite comfortably.

Don Radebe and Eldren Hawken were the top bowlers for Limpopo in that match. Kgaudisa Molefe and Atwell Mokgoloboto are other key bowlers in this side to watch out for.

Mokgoloboto picked up 1 for 14 from 3 Overs the last time Limpopo played a match at this venue. Skipper Liam Peters is struggling to convert his starts into something bigger at the top.

In the middle order, Heinrich Pieterse and Louren Steenkamp are the key players. Both have looked quite promising and should be looking to improve on their last performance on this ground.

The top 4 have looked in fine touch and hold the key to a big total. Though there are a few handy batters lower down the order, the performances of the top 4 will decide Limpopo’s fate in this match.

Limpopo Impalas Predicted Playing XI:

Liam Peters (c), Morne Venter, Louren Steenkamp, Heinrich Pieterse, Ludwig Kaestner, Dilivio Ridgaard (wk), Atwell Mokgoloboto, Don Radebe, Jesse Albanie, Kgaudisa Molefe, Eldred Hawken

Eastern Storm Preview

Eastern Storm are on a roll with 3 wins from 3 matches. They will be eyeing a 4th straight win as they face a strong and back-in-form Limpopo in Polokwane. Skipper Kabelo Sekhukhune has looked in good touch with the bat as the opener for his side.

However, there haven’t been many game-changing performances from the middle order. In their last match, Dewan Marais and Danie Rossouw built a strong partnership for the 4th wicket and have given Storm some hope going ahead.

In their previous wins, only the openers Skehukhune and Christopher Britz delivered impactful knocks in this batting lineup. Grant Thomson led the Eastern Storm in their opening match of the season and scored a fifty at number 5.

However, he did not bat in the second match and was out of the XI in the third. Andrew Rasemene, Amaan Khan, and Tumelo Simelane are the key wicket-takers to watch out for in this squad.

Storm have been brilliant with the ball and some of their key bowlers have been consistently delivering breakthroughs. Shaveer Khan is also handy with the ball and can deliver a breakthrough when needed.

Eastern Storm Predicted Playing XI:

Kabelo Sekhukhune (c), Christopher Britz, Danie Rossouw (wk), Mark Pearse, Dewan Marais, Shaylen Pillay, Juan Lubbe, Andrew Rasemene, Shaveer Khan, Amaan Khan, Tumelo Simelane

Weather Conditions

It will be clear and sunny in Polokwane on the match day with a high of 20 degrees Celsius. It looks like a nice day for cricket and since it’s a day game there is likely to be no due coming into play.

LPI vs ES Pitch Report

It is a balanced wicket with quite a bit of help on offer for the pacers. The bowlers will have a slight edge in the contest. The average 1st innings score in the last 5 matches at this venue is 149 runs. There were some solid knocks from Tuskers in the last outing here. The team batting first should aim for 160+ to gain the upper hand in the contest.

Toss: To Bat

It isn’t a particularly high-scoring venue. Chasing a total on this ground won’t be easy. Teams batting first have won 4 of the last 5 matches played here. Limpopo suffered a huge defeat at this venue while chasing 163 runs earlier in the tournament. Eastern Storm, with an inconsistent batting lineup, won’t risk chasing against in-form Limpopo at this venue.