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South Africa vs Australia highlights: 1st ODI scores, blog

30th September, 2016
Start: 9:30pm (AEST)
Venue: Centurion
Betting: South Africa $2.00, Australia $1.81
Squads:

SOUTH AFRICA
F du Plessis (C), KJ Abbott, HM Amla, F Behardien, Q de Kock, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, DA Miller, WD Parnell, AM Phangiso, AL Phehlukwayo, K Rabada, RR Rossouw, T Shamsi, DW Steyn

AUSTRALIA
SPD Smith(C), DA Warner, GJ Bailey, SM Boland, AJ Finch, JW Hastings, TM Head, UT Khawaja, MR Marsh, JM Mennie, CP Tremain, MS Wade, DJ Worrall, A Zampa
(AAP Image/SNPA, John Cowpland)
Roar Guru
30th September, 2016
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3995 Reads

Australia kickstart their tour of South Africa with the first of five ODIs at SuperSport Park in Centurion as the two teams look to shrug off their inexperience and begin with a win. Join The Roar for our live blog and scores from 9:30pm (AEST).

Australia have recorded an ODI series win in Sri Lanka followed a tri-series win in the Caribbean earlier this year and that, on paper, should have meant the world champions and the number one team in the ODI rankings, Australia, would start favourite even in South Africa.

Unfortunately for them, the bookmakers haven’t listed them as favourites and it comes as no surprise given what has transpired in their bowling department.

Mitchell Starc, who has been the leading ODI bowler in the world for some time now, was rested (and is now injured) but what has added to Australia’s problems is the absence of Josh Hazlewood, James Faulkner and Nathan Coulter-Nile, all of whom were given breaks either because of fitness concerns or because there’s a big home summer coming up for them.

This leaves the Aussie attack a tad depleted with John Hastings needing to lead the bowling. Hastings has played in just 24 ODIs, and while his usefulness can be outlined by his bowling average of 27.77 and economy rate of 4.68, having to lead the attack will be new territory for him.

Scott Boland, who had a tough initiation to international cricket at home last summer, will share the attack while one of Chris Tremain, Joe Mennie or Daniel Worrall could grab the third seamer’s role. Between them, they have played just one game.

As a result, all eyes will be on leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who, in 13 ODIs, has picked up 25 wickets already. Add that to the economy of less than six in the eight T20Is he has featured in for Australia, and he could well be the bowler to watch for in the series.

What an under-par bowling attack also does is to put pressure on the batsmen to try and make up for it. Against a bowling attack lacking potency, this tactic could end up working but the South African bowling at home could be a tougher opposition.

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A lot will depend on how David Warner and Steven Smith go.

South Africa will welcome back a fit and resurgent Dale Steyn, who looked back to his best during the series against New Zealand a few weeks before the start of this one. On the other hand, they will miss AB de Villiers, who has not only been ruled out of this series but also the following one in Australia where South Africa will be playing three Tests.

That leaves Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis to take over the big-scoring role but, in the absence of de Villiers, will the South African batsmen be able to take advantage of the inexperienced Aussie bowling the way their captain could have? It remains to be seen.

Despite the slight shift in the rules since the last Cricket World Cup, the ODI game is still loaded heavily in favour of batsmen. As a result, South Africa’s bowling arsenal could hold the edge in this series and that’s why they begin as favourites.

So will the Proteas justify their pre-match favouritism? Or will the Aussies strike first on foreign soil. Follow The Roar’s live scores and blog from ​9.30pm (AEST) to find out.

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