NZ-W vs SA-W Prediction: Who will win today’s Commonwealth Games cricket match?
New Zealand Women (NZ-W) and South Africa Women (SA-W) will lock horns in the third game of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Saturday (July 30). This is a Group B fixture, with England and Sri Lanka being the two other teams in the group.
Women’s cricket made its debut on Friday (July 29) in the Commonwealth Games. Australia won the opening game of the competition, beating India by three wickets in a thriller. Meanwhile, New Zealand and South Africa will hope to start their respective campaigns on a high.
New Zealand haven’t played since the ODI World Cup, and they haven’t played a T20I since September last year. They could be rusty in terms of match practice. However, the White Ferns boast players like Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, and Lea Tahuhu, among others, who can win games single-handedly.
They endured a tough time at the World Cup earlier this year. They didn’t reach the knockouts at a home World Cup. That led to a lot of criticism and the cricket board stripping a few players off central contracts.
Meanwhile, South Africa are coming off a tough England tour, losing their last six white ball games. Lizelle Lee retiring just before the ODI series against England rocked the dressing room, which could have affected the team’s morale as well.
Moreover, they have been dealt a blow with Marizanne Kapp getting ruled out of the Commonwealth Games due to personal reasons. She flew back to South Africa midway through the T20I series against England. Her replacement, Tazim Brits, scored a sparkling half-century, albeit in a losing cause, against England in the third T20I.
Will New Zealand Women (NZ-W) beat South Africa Women (SA-W)?
New Zealand are coming into the Commonwealth Games without any match practice. However, they have veteran players in their lineup, which can make the difference. Nevertheless, they cannot SA-W lightly.
They might have lost their last three games but they are coming into this tournament, but they've played six T20Is and know what's working for them. They have also had time to learn from the failings on their England tour. Although they'll miss Lee and Kapp, the likes of Ismail, Wolvaardt, Luus and Brits could make a difference for them.
New Zealand and South Africa have faced each other in 11 T20Is. The White Ferns have won nine of these games, while the Proteas have emerged victorious twice. However, considering the recent games played, SA-W are expected to win.
Prediction: South Africa (SA-W).