We have opted for a fantasy cricket team based on the recent performances, overall impact, and credit points.
Pitch Report
In the recently concluded English T20 League, 4 of 6 games were won by the teams chasing at the County Ground in Derby. The last two games also saw batters scoring freely and posting a big total.
Teams
Probable XI for England: Sophia Dunkley, Danielle Wyatt, Natalie Sciver (c), Amy Jones (wk), Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Bryony Smith, Katherine Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Sarah Glenn, Freya Davies
Probable XI for South Africa: Anneke Bosch, Lara Goodall, Sune Luus (c), Laura Wolvaardt, Mignon du Preez, Chloe Tryon, Delmi Tucker, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Masabata Klaas, Ayabonga Khaka
Power Players
Katherine Brunt has been giving the South African batters all sorts of problems in the last three white-ball games. She is the leading wicket-taker (5) in this series and has the ability to run through the opposition as she did in the opening T20I.
Sophia Dunkley has been super consistent with the bat and South Africa will know the importance of dismissing her early. She has added 262 runs at 52 in the white-ball series.
Natalie Sciver has been feasting on the South African attack with scores of 47, 13, 63, 55, and 169*. She also has a happy knack for picking wickets as we saw in the first ODI, where she walked away with a four-wicket haul.
South Africa will continue to rely on Laura Wolvaardt’s brilliance at the top. It is not to be forgotten that before getting dismissed for 21 at Worcester, she scored three consecutive half-centuries.
Smart Picks
After going wicketless for several games in a row, Ayabonga Khaka is slowly but surely getting back to rewarding fantasy players with the ball. She has bagged 4 wickets, including the best figures of 3 for 13 in this series.
Danielle Wyatt walked away with the Player of the Match award at Worcester for scoring 39 off 24 balls. In her last 10 T20Is, she has added 330 runs at 41, including the highest score of 89*.
Anneke Bosch turned out to be a dark horse in fantasy leagues. She has been getting starts in every game. Her last five T20I scores read 61, 18, 44*, 32*, and 29.
It is almost impossible to ignore the ever-performing Sophie Ecclestone in fantasy leagues. From Worcester to Northampton, she has been amongst the wickets in every game. Despite playing 52 T20Is, she has maninted an impressive average of 15.
By taking 3 wickets in two games, Sarah Glenn has been quietly making a difference in fantasy leagues. She has picked 4 wickets in 3 games against South Africa in the format.
Form Concerns
Unfortunately for South Africa, Sune Luus has been struggling for runs on this tour. She is yet to get past a single-digit score in the ongoing white-ball series.
Match Preview
South Africa haven’t won a single game on this tour. On the other hand, England have been clinical on all fronts and will be the favourites to whitewash the tourists in the T20I series as well. Unless South Africa find ways to restrict the England batters, they are likely to return home winless.
Time: 25 July, 11.00 PM IST