West Indies will look to move one step closer to the tri-series final with a victory over South Africa on Wednesday. Coming off a comprehensive win over Australia, the home team will be in buoyant mood as they face the Proteas in St. Kitts.
While Australia top the points table at the moment, they have played a match more, with West Indies set to go above them, provided they get the better of South Africa. WI were impressive in their last match, chasing down a decent Australian total with consummate easy, thanks to a nice half-century from Marlon Samuels.
Australia have nine points from four matches, courtesy two wins, one with a bonus point, and two losses, while West Indies have won two and lost another to stand on eight points. South Africa lag behind with just one bonus point victory from three matches.
So, this ODI is a lot more important for South Africa, who haven't been themselves for quite a while now. Captain AB De Villiers believes playing as one unit, which SA haven't quite been able to do often enough, will be the key to picking up a win against the West Indies.
"Our bowling department's been really good," De Villiers was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. "The bowling skills have been as good as they've been in the last two or three years. I've seen guys really nailing their yorkers. When I've asked for bouncers, really good aggressive bouncers have been bowled. Skill-wise everyone who has come in has got it right.
"There's been just one or two no-balls too many. Maybe it's just a bit of a lack of that unit that I've been talking about, playing together as a team."
Even if South Africa play well, they could still end up on the losing team, such is the strength of this West Indies side, who, on their day, can beat any team in the world. De Villiers is well aware of the threat posed by WI.
"They're not as unpredictable as they used to be," the South Africa captain added. "They've become a really good ODI unit. They seem to know what they're doing. They've got world-class players both in the batting lineup and the bowling lineup.
"They're a force to be reckoned with, especially in their home conditions. They know what to expect."
Where to Watch Live
The West Indies vs South Africa tri-series match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. local time (6 p.m. BST, 10.30 p.m. IST) start. Below are the live streaming and TV options.
India: TV: Ten 3 and Ten 1 HD. Live Streaming: Ten Sports live.
Australia: TV: Fox Sports. Live Streaming: Foxtel and Cricket Australia Live.
South Africa: TV: SuperSport 2. Live Streaming: SuperSport live video.
UK: TV: Sky Sports 1. Live Streaming: Watch Sky Sports.
USA: TV: Willow TV. Live Streaming: Willow TV Online.
