North West vs Western Province, 4-Day Franchise Series 2022-23, Today Match Prediction 19 February 2023

nwest vs wpr Match Prediction & Analysis

North West are yet to win a game in the CSA 4-Day Series, Division 1. They have lost 2 matches and secured 2 draws and are 7th in the Division 1 table with 26 points. Their next match is against table-toppers Western Province. With 2 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, Western Province are sitting comfortably at the top of the table with 71 points in their kitty. They still have 3 more matches to go, and will be looking to keep their No.1 spot. 

TEAMS PREVIEW

North West Preview

North West drew their previous game against the Rocks played at the North-West University No1 Ground, Potchefstroom, from February 12 to 15. On a pitch with some spice, they first bowled out the Rocks for 234 and then managed 269 in reply. The Rocks were then bowled out for 200 in their second innings, while North West finished at 87-3 before the game was drawn.

Shaylen Pillay’s 110 in the 1st innings was the standout performance of the match for North West. Opener Lesego Senokwane scored 74 and 47* in the match and has shown he can be a consistent opener for the team. Senokwane now has 199 runs in 6 innings at an average of 49.75 in the tournament.  Captain Heino Kuhn has had a quiet series so far, collecting only 29 runs from 5 innings. The team would be expecting some runs from him in this match.

North West’s bowling was top-notch in the previous game with fast bowler Delano Potgieter returning figures of 4-47 and 5-43. Potgieter is now the team's leading wicket-taker this season, with 15 wickets in 6 innings at an average of 20.20. Right-arm fast bowler Renaldo Meyer (11 wickets in 6 innings at an average of 28.39) is another one who has been quite consistent. 

North West Predicted Playing XI:

Lesego Senokwane, Grant Mokoena, Shaylen Pillay, Heino Kuhn (c), Christopher Britz, Delano Potgieter, Khanya Cotani (wk), Juan James, Duan Jansen, Eldred Hawken, Renaldo Meyer

Western Province Preview

After registering back-to-back thumping innings victories, Western Province lost their first game of the season against the Dolphins at Kingsmead, Durban, earlier this week. After batting first on a spicy Durban surface, Western Province were bowled out for 210. They then bundled out the Dolphins for just 129, taking a substantial 81-run lead. However, Western Province could manage only 191 in their 2nd innings, giving the Dolphins a 273-run target. by this time, the pitch had eased out a little, and the Dolphins chased down the target with the loss of just 2 wickets.

Western Province’s batting wasn’t up to the mark in the previous match. All-rounder Kyle Simmonds’ 47* and 64 gave them some useful runs down the order. Among the top-order batters, only Edward Moore’s 51 in the 1st innings was a noteworthy performance. 

Opener Tony de Zorzi might have had an off game, but he’s the leading run-getter of the season for Western Province with 489 runs in just 5 innings at an average of 122.5 and a highest score of 304*. Captain Kyle Verreynne (303 runs in 5 innings at an average of 75.75) has been leading from the front and is the main batter to watch out for.

Western Province’s bowling has largely revolved around left-arm pacer Beuran Hendricks (11 wickets in 7 innings at an average of 15.54) and Tshepo Moreki (11 wickets in 7 innings at an average of 29.63). Playing his first game of the season, Kyle Simmonds had a memorable outing with the ball as well, taking 6-42 in the 1st innings. His slow left-arm spin can prove to be an asset for the team going ahead.

Western Province Predicted Playing XI:

Tony de Zorzi, Edward Moore, Yaseen Vallie, Zubayr Hamza, Kyle Verreynne (c & wk), Jonathan Bird, Aviwe Mgijima, Kyle Simmonds, Mihlali Mpongwana, Tshepo Moreki, Beuran Hendricks

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom is typically good to bat and on. The outfield is extremely quick, so even the edges will fly quickly to the boundary. There is something in the wicket for the fast bowlers with good bounce and pace throughout, but the conditions are usually more favorable for batters.

The weather in Potchefstroom during the four days of the match will be sunny and warm. However, a stray storm is expected on the first two days.

Venue Details

This will be the first match of the season played at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom. There have just been two Tests played at the venue, the last of which took place between South Africa and Bangladesh in October 2017. The highest total at Senwes Park is 496-3 by South Africa against Bangladesh. The average 1st innings score here is 355, which extends to 401 in the second innings. The team batting first in this match should look to post a total of around 350-400 runs.

Toss: To Bat

This is a good batting surface. The team winning the toss is likely to bat first.