An exciting contest is on the cards when hosts Sri Lanka and the number one ranked team South Africa will clash to decide who will top Group C in the T20 World Cup at Hambantota today. After defeating Zimbabwe in their opening match, they will stand a real test today against each other.
It is the first heavyweight clash of the tournament and both the teams are champions in their own right. They already have qualified for the knock-out stage and will look forward to sign off the group stages with a win.
The match will see a lot of good players in actions and let us take a look at few of the players to watch out for:
Sri Lanka:
Kumar Sangakkara: Sangakkara won a handful of awards at the ICC Awards a week back lived up to his reputation and started off the tournament in style. He rendered a brilliant knock under pressure in the last match against Zimbabwe and will look to carry forward the momentum in today’s match. If he gets going, the Proteas will find it very difficult to stay in the match.
Mahela Jayawerdene: The skipper missed out in the first match, but then his ability in this format of the game needs no introduction. He played a couple of great knocks in the recently concluded Sri Lanka Premier League and his team would want him to find his rhythm back in this match. Jayewardene is one of the cleanest hitter of the cricket ball and the way he has changed himself with the requirement of the game is worth praising. Lot will be expected from him and he will be hoping to deliver on those lines
.
Ajantha Mendis: Mendis was the wrecker in chief in the last match against Zimbabwe. He took six wickets by giving away just eight runs. What a performance to mark his comeback into international after a gap of nine months. It never looked like he was away from the game and bowled with so much intent and hunger. He will be the man that South Africa will have to deal carefully with.
Lasith Malinga: Master of destruction, Malinga can rip apart any batting line-up with his toe crushing Yorkers and pace. Wickets in Indian sub-continent do not have much for the speedsters but then he manages to get enough out them. He can derail batsmen at the start of the innings with his yorkers and swing, coming back in the later stages of the innings can create havoc with his reverse swings and slower deliveries. He will hold the key against the opening pair of Richard Levi and Hashim Amla.
South Africa:
Richard Levi: Richard Levi had started his campaign off to good note. He scored a half century in the last match and will definitely want to deliver against the better opponents today. Levi will open the innings for South Africa and he can get his team off to a flyer. He won the ICC T20 performance of the year award for his swash-buckling century against New Zealand and would like to leave his mark on this global arena. He is a raw talent and can lack elegance sometimes, but his power hitting and ability to destroy bowling attack makes him a dangerous player.
Albie Morkel: The left-handed lower order batsman has carved a niche for himself with his power hitting. He can hit bowlers out of the park at will and can change the course of the match in a span of few overs. South Africa will expect him to live up to his reputation in this match.
Jacques Kallis: He has been one of the best all rounder of the world for many years now and is a real match winner. He is equally dangerous with both bat and ball. He can score runs fast at the top and with the ball can deliver match winning performances. The veteran will look to lead the side from the front.
Morne Morkel: His expertise in this format was seen during the IPL season V. His vicious and precise line and length has made him one of the most dreaded bowlers of this format. He had a good match against the Zimbabweans and was getting good pace and bounce from the pitch. He will look to take the challenge on to Sri Lanka’s top order.
By Indian Sports News Network
