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South Africa are geared up to take on Bangladesh in the ODI series decider at Willowmoore Park in Benoni on Saturday, December 23. The series is hanging in the balance 1-1 and hence both teams will be pushing each other to claim the game that matters the most.
Bangladesh, in particular, have been fairly superb and it has been predominantly due to their batting. Known for crumbling under pressure in foreign conditions, Bangladesh’s batters have turned the script around and given the South African bowlers a run for their money in both ODIs.
While it was Murshida Khatun who scored 91* off 100 balls in the first match at Buffalo Park in East London, Fargana Hoque notched up a gritty ton (107 off 167 balls) in the 2nd ODI at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom to display that Bangladesh can’t be considered pushovers anymore.
Bangladesh batters will have to step up to the challenge once again and hope that their multifarious spin attack also does the job in Benoni.
On the other hand, South Africa’s bowling seems to rely heavily on their veteran allrounder Marizanne Kapp and it has its own set of dangers when she’s not around, something that they witnessed in the first ODI. Ayabonga Khaka, Masabata Klass and Nadine de Klerk will have to take more responsibility with the ball in hand.
Similarly, the hosts require a solid start by their openers to remain competitive in the game. The Proteas tend to struggle whenever Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits fail to get the team off to a good start and it can play a role in the decider.
Willowmoore Park, Benoni Pitch Report
The venue has traditionally not been a very happy hunting ground for the batters. Bowlers have mostly dominated the contests at Willowmoore Park in Benoni and it can very well turn out to be the case on Saturday when the two teams take the field in the series decider. Pacers tend to enjoy quite a bit of lateral movement and hence fans can expect a mouthwatering tussle between bat and ball.
Willowmoore Park ODI Record and Stats
Total ODI Matches: 26
Matches won batting first: 7
Matches won bowling first: 17
Average first innings score: 229
Average second innings score: 182
Highest total scored: 399/6 by South Africa vs Zimbabwe
Highest score chased: 258/3 by Sri Lanka vs South Africa
Lowest total recorded: 91 all out by Netherlands vs Bermuda
Lowest total defended: 295/5 by South Africa vs Zimbabwe
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