Australia vs South Africa T20 Series Preview – CopyBet
International heavyweights Australia and South Africa are ready to lay on a T20 spectacle as the clock ticks down to this coming winter's T20 World Cup.
The first two of three internationals will be played in Darwin, staging international cricket for the first time in 17 years, while the series decider will be held in Cairns.
Australia vs
South Africa
Australia are a short price to get this three-match series off to a flier in Darwin - and Mitch Marsh's side are very hard to oppose.
The Aussies have flown back from a thumping 5-0 win of the West Indies in the Caribbean which in turn followed a 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan on home soil at the back end of 2024.
They look to be peaking perfectly for the T20 World Cup in February and hold all the aces against a South Africa side shorn of many of its stars for a variety of reasons.
Their one area of vulnerability against the Windies was at the top of the order - the first wicket fell inside two overs in four of the five games - but that just ushered in a power-packed middle order.
And no one packed more punch than keeper Josh Inglis, who gets top Australia batter preference in the opener.
Inglis smashed 172 runs in the five games against West Indies, featuring a 78 not out and a 51.
He has become such a dependable No.3 and is a big price to upstage his rivals at the top of the Baggy Greens' order.
Australia vs
South Africa
The Proteas have a fascinating opening partnership in Ryan Rickelton and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, 10 years apart but both hugely exciting strikers of the ball.
Pretorius, who is only 19 and doubles up as the team's keeper, had produced some solid efforts for Hampshire in the Vitality Blast before flying out to Zimbabwe for Test and T20 action.
He smashed 153 and 78 in the two Tests against Zimbabwe and signed off the T20 Tri-Series with a dashing 51 against New Zealand on a sluggish Harare track.
Inevitably being hailed as the next Quinton de Kock, Pretorious looks the real deal and overpriced - given he's an opener - to land top batter honours for his country at the Marrara Oval.
Australia vs
South Africa
There were just three individual scores of over 69.5 - two by Australians - in the five matches against West Indies.
There were just two scores over that mark in the recently-completed Tri-Series between hosts Zimbabwe, New Zealand and South Africa - and none by a South African.
The Marrara Oval track could be a bit of a mystery to both sides as Darwin gets back on the international rota, so don't expect any player to reach 70 in what might be a relatively low-scoring contest.