England vs South Africa
Sharjah, 6pm local time
England national team: Heather Knight (Captain), Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsie, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Danielle Gibson, Sarah Glenn, Beth Heath, Amy Jones (Lt.), Freya Kemp, Nat Sciver. -Brunt, Lindsey Smith, Danny Wyatt
South Africa national team: Laura Wolvaardt (Captain), Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta (State), Marizanne Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Sune Luus, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Seshnie Naikhune, Tumi Sekhune , Chloe Tryon
Tournament Format Guide: Both teams are coming off convincing wins in their tournament openers. England were restricted to 118 for 7 by Bangladesh in Sharjah but cruised to a 21-run win in 16 overs off four spinners. South Africa played an almost perfect performance against West Indies and won by 10 wickets.
news briefing: England’s experience of playing in Sharjah could help, but the two-day turnaround will test their stamina in hot conditions. The Sharjah pitch is generally slow so it is likely that England will retain their four spinners – Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Sarah Glenn and Lindsey Smith. Getting off to a good start will be a difficult task for the batsmen, as evidenced by the fact that only three out of nine England batsmen managed to score double figures against Bangladesh.
With 19 losses in 24 matches, South Africa have had a terrible record against England in T20Is, but the last of their four wins came in the semi-finals of the previous T20 World Cup. They are also coming off a clinical 10-wicket win over West Indies, credited to Nonkululeko Mlaba and Marizanne Kapp. The duo took all six wickets with Kapp going at an economy of 3.5. Chloe Tryon and Sune Luus, who shot 6-over in Dubai, are more likely to achieve their full quota under more favorable conditions. The rest of the batting lineup is yet to be tested as Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits scored an unbeaten fifty to take them home. It seems that South Africa will remain unchanged like England.
Player to watch: While spinners, especially Mlaba, are the focus, Kapp’s all-round ability increases her value. She can swing the new ball and get rid of key batsmen like she did with Hayley Matthews in Dubai. She is versatile with the bat and can act as an anchor or slam the bat. For England too, Nat Sciver-Brunt is the all-rounder who provides balance. She was the only pacer they used despite the availability of Danielle Gibson and bowled a full four overs for the first time in eight matches against Bangladesh. If she performs well with the bat, England will be stronger in the semi-final rematch.
