Lions v South Australian Redbacks (Match 4)&RCB v Guyana (Match 5)

11 Sep 2010Preview: Highveld Lions v South Australian Redbacks (Match 4)

What

The fourth game of CLT20 2010 sees the local boys Highveld Lions take on the South Australian Redbacks at Centurion.


When
Sunday, September 12, 2010. The game begins at 1.30 pm, SAST.


Where
SuperSport Park, Centurion

About the teams:

The Lions are on seventh heaven at the moment after their brilliant 9-run win over the Mumbai Indians in the opening game of CLT20 2010. Jonathan Vandiar and Neil McKenzie showed why they are so highly rated in cricketing circles. With the backing of their home crowd, the Lions will go into this game brimming with confidence.



The Redbacks begin their CLT20 campaign with a tough encounter against the Lions. But the prospect of facing a South African team will hardly deter the Aussie side. With adequate youth and experience in the side, the Redbacks are a real force to reckon with.


Key players

Shaun Tait has proved time and again that when he’s on song, he can be a real handful in every format of the game. With a license to thrill, Tait is the man the Redbacks will look to inspire them. The 27-year-old could be devastating with the ball if in rhythm, but can he keep it together during trying circumstances?


The experienced head in the Lions’ setup, Neil McKenzie could well be the man who turns the tide in favour of the Lions. Like he amply displayed during his strokeful innings of 56* against the Mumbai Indians in the opening game. His attacking play, combined with a firm understanding of the game, could well hold the key to the Lions’ fortunes.






11 Sep 2010Preview: RCB v Guyana (Match 5)

What

The Royal Challengers Bangalore face Guyana in the fifth game of CLT20 2010. It’s going to be a cracker of a match!


When
Sunday, September 12, 2010. The game begins at 5.30 pm, SAST.


Where
SuperSport Park, Centurion

About the teams:

As star studded as they come, the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad is their fans’ pride and the object of every other team’s envy. A power-packed batting line-up with the likes of Jacques Kallis and Ross Taylor, mixed with talented youngsters like Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey makes RCB a serious threat to any bowling attack. The Bangalore side is not too bad with the ball either - Dale Steyn and Anil Kumble will try and outwit batsmen with pace and spin respectively while IPL revelation Vinay Kumar can also chip in with a few.

One thing that is certainly going for Guyana is the surprise factor- no one knows them, but they’d like to change that by the end of CLT20 2010. Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan is a known quantity and his quality is undisputable, but apart from him Guyana have at their disposal the burgeoning talent of Jonathan Foo. The 19-year-old almost single-handedly won Guyana the final of the Caribbean T20 and will be looking to have a similar impact in South Africa too.

Key players

With the unique ability to swing the ball at pace, Dale Steyn takes RCB’s bowling reins. He sets the tempo and it’s generally fast, very fast. Aside from his searing pace, Steyn also knows the South African conditions well enough to exploit them to the maximum.

If Guyana are to succeed in South Africa, then the form of captain and talisman Ramnaresh Sarwan will be crucial. He has been there and done that in the past and Guyana will be hoping their captain can lead from the front.

What Next

Finding form early on will be crucial for both these teams, and the one who gets off the blocks the quickest will feel less pressure during the other games of the competition. With very little room for error, CLT20 requires teams to perform right from the word go.