South Africa, who play New Zealand in the first match of the day today (Monday) at 3.30 pm at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong, are not a team accustomed to taking the opposition lightly. For years now, South Africa have been among the most well drilled and professional units around, and it is they who have set the standards for fitness and fielding in the shorter versions of the game, report agency.
On the other hand, New Zealand are a dangerous team, and it took only 5.2 overs for them to show England just what they are capable of on Saturday night. Without Ross Taylor getting a chance to come to the crease, or Corey Anderson being allowed to open those broad shoulders, New Zealand put it past England, earning themselves what could be a valuable win in the race to make it to the final four.
New Zealand and South Africa played each other 11 times in T20 internationals with South Africa winning 8 of those matches. That includes both meetings at previous World T20s: by 1 run at Lord's in 2009 and 13 runs in Bridgetown in 2010.
South Africa were the team that restricted New Zealand to their lowest T20 score when they bowled them out for 86 in Durban in December 2012. That was Faf du Plessis first series as captain of the side.
In other match in Chittagong new comer Netherlands will meet Sri Lanka at 7:30pm.
What makes this particular match a less likely candidate for an upset than others in the group, however, is not only Sri Lanka's T20 aptitude, but their general skill at putting weaker teams away.
If Sri Lanka have the parts of their T20 machine humming, Netherlands will likely await their first victory over a Test side in this tournament, but if the breakneck chase against Ireland proved anything.
Netherlands' batting had mostly been about Tom Cooper and Stephan Myburgh in the group stage, but against Ireland, wicketkeeper-batsman Wesley Barresi had played a crucial hand, walloping 40 not out from 21 to send his team into raptures. Formerly a first-class cricketer in South Africa, Barresi has lately only played competitive cricket for Netherlands, and if his team are to challenge some of the bigger sides, less well-known players like Barresi must make impactful contributions.
