South Africa need to regain some of their momentum going into their 2015 Cricket World Cup game against the West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground from 2:30pm (AEDT) on Friday. You can follow the live scores and blog of that crucial Group B game here at The Roar.
It has been a below-par start to the World Cup for South Africa. Two games into the competition and they have scraped through to a win against a so-called minnow nation and then went down to India by a whopping 130 runs in the second encounter.
What South Africa can definitely not afford to do is to put in another below-par performance and risk losing another game because that will push them down the points table and make for a tough second round test.
A position other than the top two could go on to ensure that the South Africans are left to play one of the host nations in quarter-finals – a proposition difficult to fathom.
Of course, it’s not that South Africa will be rollovers all of a sudden, they are still an excellent side and they can still go on to dominate most oppositions in the world. But they need an all-round improvement in all departments of the game.
Their batting, for instance, was appalling in the first half against Zimbabwe and throughout the match against India.
Their bowling struggled in both those games too, with the team going for 277 against Zimbabwe and more than 300 against India.
What made it even worse was that the South African fielding did not support their bowling at all against India. Catches were put down and there were a few misfields that allowed their opposition to pile up that kind of a score and against West Indies that fear is even more.
Because West Indies have a line-up which can easily destroy attacks.
While Chris Gayle did not practice in the day before the game, his back having flared up, no one was talking about it because the team and even AB de Villiers reckons it does not matter really. De Villiers revealed that Gayle’s practice before the IPL games for Bangalore was never intense and he often missed it to retain control over his body.
Marlon Samuels is also coming off a century but the team needs guys like Dwayne Smith and Darren Bravo to fire with the bat.
If the Sydney pitch shows signs it will turn, the West Indies could bring Sulieman Benn back for this game in place of another spinner, Nikita Miller, but it’s tough to see them go in with two left-arm slow bowlers.
Of course it will depend on the pitch but for them to play two slow bowlers could work against a team like South Africa who have struggled a bit in the competition.
You can follow the live score and blog of this West Indies vs South Africa World Cup 2015 encounter from 2:00 pm AEDT on Friday and post your comments in the section below.
Prosenjit majumdar
Guest
West indies is a strange strategyless,tactically blunt side and has been so for ages.first they play an injured spinner who was a liability in the field,then don't give him a bowl when gayle picked up wickets and abdv was new to crease, instead bring weak link sammy and let things easy.then the skipper gives gayle no more than 4 overs and himself bowls the last one after getting hit for 34 in the 48th.
Kajan
Guest
Great cricketer in the era.. Fastest 50, Fastest 100, Fastest 150... Records still counted.. This i time South Africans has lot more chances to lift the world cup.. http://www.worthofread.com/south-african-cricket-team-world-cup-2015/
Thanks for your hard work and commitment Suneer, another stirling job done. :)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
No problem Vic, thanks for following.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
So another game is out of our way this World Cup. Tomorrow, however is one that a lot of cricket fans, even neutrals are waiting for with bated breath. The co-hosts go up against each other at the Eden Park in Auckland and it will be one to watch out. Unfortunately, for me, I won't be around to live blog that one, would have loved to do it. I will be off to the WACA to watch the India-UAE game, but hope to keep an eye on the Australia-New Zealand game too! Be back for the match between England and Sri Lanka on Sunday. Ciao!
Vic
Guest
Thanks, Suneer
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
South Africa had struggled in the competition before this game, even including the warm-ups. They scratched to a win over Zimbabwe and were routed by India despite entering the match as favourites. They will hope that this result will turn the tide for them. They are still left with Pakistan, Ireland and UAE to play against and will want to win them. West Indies have been up and down. They were stunned by Ireland in their opener - although some believe it was hardly a surprise result - while they easily brushed aside Pakistan and Zimbabwe in the next two. And now this. What can they take from this?
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
That has been another one-sided match between two full nations in this World Cup, they just don't cease. Credit, a lot of it too, to South Africa for a fine all-round performance. They started with just 30 runs from the first 10 overs but what followed after that and what happened in the final 20 overs of their batting was extraordinary. Absolutely extraordinary. I would need to be a poet to do justice to AB de Villiers' innings but the interesting bit is he has done it twice this year already. De Villiers is the obvious choice for the man-of-the-match award.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
And that, is the end of that. South Africa have bowled West Indies out. Short of length from Benn, who was left with no option but to poke at it and gets it as far as to the first slip where Amla takes an easy catch. Morne M gets the wicket and West Indies end on 151. Biggest margin of win in World Cup cricket, 258 runs.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Sulieman Benn comes in at 11 and is immediately greeted by a bouncer. Hits his arm I think. A misfield off the next ball allows Benn to get off the mark. 9/151 in 33.
Pinetree
Guest
Was a great run chaset, the 90 in 41 balls from Gayle was awesome, and the partnership with Samules of 152 was very good, those 2 batmen will need to fire if they have a chance in this world cup, but form has been up and down, and 3 knockout games is a tough ask. But anything can happen in sport, that is why we watch it. I'm thinking at the moment the semis will consist of NZ, Aus, S.A. and India. Can't wait till knockout phase!
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Aah and now he's out. Holder's gone! Short of length from Steyn and Holder wasn't holding back. But that's too quick for him and it's been top-edged straight and goes to the mid-on fielder. Nine down. The end is nigh.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Break the stand? What are we talking about? Here's Holder bludgeoning one of the world's best over long-off for a six. Just puts his front foot out and goes through with the shot, maxes it! 8/150 in the 33rd
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Dale Steyn is back. Can he break this 36-run stand?
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Wow, what a shot. That's Jerome Taylor who has spotted a fullish ball from Morne M and smashed it down through wide mid-off for a four. Follows it up with another spanking shot over mid-off and gets himself two more to move up to 15. 8/144 in 32.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
50 for Jason Holder! His first in ODI cricket, and that's come from 44 balls. A crumb of positive for the West Indies. 8/138 in the 32nd
Vic
Guest
Agreed, mate - same reason I often hate Aus :)
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Morne Morkel is back into the attack after Tahir's 10. Can he finish them off? This stand is worth 29 already.
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Short and shot! That's quite short of length and it's been spanked through mid-wicket for a four through mid-wicket. Flicks one through square-leg for another couple to tickle over to 48. 8/136 in the 31st
Suneer Chowdhary
Roar Guru
Four fielders running after that one and not one gets close enough. Top-edged by Taylor off Abbott and it's fallen behind square-leg. The keeper, the square-leg, the fine-leg and even mid-wicket were running after it. Two of them got close but not enough. 8/130 in the 31st