New Zealand Women vs South Africa Women, South Africa Women tour of New Zealand, 2020, Today Match Prediction 02 Feb 2020

nzw vs rsaw Match Prediction & Analysis

New Zealand will be looking to turn things around in the T20 format when they take on South Africa Women in the 1st T20I game to be played at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday. Captain Sophie Devine will be hoping that the side can learn from the mistakes made in the three-match one-day series and deliver a decent performance in this T20I series opener. The home side will make changes to their playing XI for this opening game.

On the other hand, South Africa will be keen to continue their winning momentum after completing their first whitewash over New Zealand in the one-day series. The visitors will need to guard against complacency and maintain their standards in this opening fixture

TEAMS PREVIEW

New Zealand Women Preview

The home side will be looking to get back to winning ways in the five-match T20I series. Sophie Devine-led unit suffered a clean sweep in the three-match one-day series against South Africa. Experienced Lea Tahuhu has been included in the T20I squad after missing the three-match one-day series due to personal reasons. Maddy Green has been named in the T20 squad for this home series.

In the batting department, the side will be relying on the likes of Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and wicket-keeper Katey Martins to do the bulk of the scoring. Despite having an outstanding WBBL season, captain Sophie Devine has not been able to produce runs for the side. All-rounder will be looking to find a form with the bat in this five-match T20I series.

Opening batsman Suzie Bates showed excellent form with the bat in the recently concluded one-day series. She accumulated 142 runs in three T20I matches at an average of 47.33 with two half-centuries to her name. Besides Suzie Bates, Katey Martins chipped with crucial scores for the side in the three-match one-day series against South Africa women.

The biggest cause of concern for New Zealand women will be the lack of runs from the opening pair of Laura Down and Maddy Green. The duo collectively scored just 23 runs between them in the one-day series. Middle-order comprising of Sophie Devine, Amelia Kerr and Katie Perkins will need to deliver runs in order for New Zealand to post competitive scores in this five-match T20I series.

In the bowling department, the side will be depending on likes of Lea Tahuhu, Leigh Kasperek and Amelia Kerr to provide crucial breakthroughs in this contest. Since Jan 2018, off-spinner Leigh Kasperek has topped the bowling charts for New Zealand women in the T20 format. She has claimed 31 wickets in 18 matches at an economy rate of 7.24.

New Zealand Women Predicted Playing XI:

Sophie Devine (captain), Suzie Bates, Katie Perkins, Katey Martins (wk), Laura Down, Hayley Jensen, Rosemary Mair, Leigh Kasperek, Amelia Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Anna Peterson.

New Zealand Women Actual Playing XI:

Katie Perkins, Leigh Kasperek, Hayley Jensen, Rosemary Mair, Maddy Green, Lea Tahuhu, Amelia Kerr, Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Rachel Priest, Katey Martin

South Africa Women Preview

The visitors will be confident of maintaining their winning streak in this five-match T20I series. In the batting department, the side will be depending on the likes of Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt and Mignon du Preez to do the bulk of the scoring. In the one-day series, swashbuckling opener Lizelle Lee topped the batting charts for South Africa Women with 157 runs at an average of 52.33.

Apart from Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt had a great outing with the bat in the one-day series and accumulated 117 runs at an average of 58.00. Skipper Dane van Niekerk and Mignon Du Preez looked in good touch with the bat and chipped in with crucial scores for the side in the three-match one-day series.

Nadine de Klerk, Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus are capable players in the middle-order that will need to make decent contributions with the bat and ball in this T20I series.

In the bowling department, the side will be depending on the likes of Shabnam Ismail, Masabata Klaas and Marizanne Kapp to make early inroads with the new ball. Sune Luus, Dane Van Niekerk and Ayabonga Khaka are other prominent bowling options for this game.

South Africa Women Predicted Playing XI:

Dane van Niekerk (captain), Trisha Chetty (wk), Mignon du Preez, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnam Ismail, Chloe Tryon, Sune Luus, Lizelle Lee, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka, Laura Wolvaardt

South Africa Women Actual Playing XI:

Masabata Klaas, Tumi Sekhukhune, Laura Wolvaardt, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Shabnim Ismail, Lizelle Lee, Trisha Chetty, Chloe Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Nadine de Klerk, Mignon du Preez

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The wicket prepared for the game is going to be excellent for batting. The weather forecast for the day to be played on Sunday is going to bright and sunny.

Venue Details

Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui is going to host the opening T20I game between New Zealand women and South Africa Women. The home side will take heart from the fact that they have an excellent head-to-head against South Africa Women in the T20I format. Also, New Zealand women have won all their T20 games played at Bay Oval

Toss: To Bat

The side that wins the toss would be keen to bat first and put on a competitive total on the board. The last two T20 matches played at Bay Oval have been won by sides batting second.