Australia v South Africa cricket tips & predictions | Third T20

Australia vs South Africa best bets

Australia vs South Africa match preview

Australia and South Africa meet for the second time in three days this Tuesday in Darwin with their T20 series on the line after the home side prevailed in the opener.

Top cricket betting sites are heavily favouring Australia in this fixture, and for good reason. The hosts are riding a nine-match winning streak in the shortest format, while they have now beaten South Africa five times in a row.

Though the Aussies won by 17 runs on Sunday, they will be intent on improving after Tim David’s knock of 83 largely carried the side. For the Proteas, their bowling held up well, but an inexperienced batting lineup was found out with cheap wickets in the middle order leading to their demise.

Given how much more Australia can raise their level, it is hard to see them not closing out the series in game two.

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Australia team news

There is little reason to expect Australia will change their lineup from Sunday’s win. Sean Abbott could come in for Ben Dwarshuis or Nathan Ellis, but that is a change more likely to occur in the third T20 once the series has been sealed.

Australia’s predicted XI:

1. Travis Head
2. Mitch Marsh (c)
3. Josh Inglis (wk)
4. Cameron Green
5. Glenn Maxwell
6. Mitch Owen
7. Tim David
8. Ben Dwarshuis
9. Nathan Ellis
10. Josh Hazlewood
11. Adam Zampa

South Africa team news

South Africa will again field an inexperienced side, but we can expect at least one change. The clinical Rassie van der Dussen should return to bolster the middle order, providing some much-needed firepower that was absent in game one.

South Africa’s predicted XI:

1. Aiden Markram (c)
2. Ryan Rickleton (wk)
3. Lhuan-dre Pretorius
4. Rassie van der Dussen
5. Tristan Stubbs
6. George Linde
7. Corbin Bosch
8. Senuran Muthusamy
9. Kagiso Rabada
10. Kwena Maphaka
11. Lungi Ngidi

Australia vs South Africa betting picks

Online bookmakers are offering scant value for backing an Australian win, with odds sitting at a short $1.33.

Tipping the hosts to hit the most sixes is only slightly longer at $1.40, but it’s a very bankable bet. In game one, Australia struck 13 sixes to South Africa’s two. Even without David’s eight sixes, Australia still came out on top by a comfortable margin, and they should do so again on Tuesday.

With the series on the line, expect South Africa to go down swinging. Their most experienced batsmen all sit higher up in the order and will know they need to perform if the Proteas are to have a chance. A fast start with more than 50.5 runs scored in the first six overs of the South African innings is a strong likelihood.

Looking at individual performances, Travis Head is one to watch for Australia. In his 39 T20I matches, the opener has never made consecutive single-figure scores. He comes into this match off a disappointing two runs in the first game, making him a good bet to be Australia’s top runscorer.

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