RSA-U19 vs WI-U19 2nd Match Prediction

RSA-U19 vs WI-U19 Team Previews

South Africa U19

South Africa's preparation for this match and the rest of the tournament was far from ideal in the wake of two warm-up washouts, shared with Pakistan Under-19 and Afghanistan Under-19. Regardless, they will be highly motivated to perform as the new tournament hosts. The International Cricket Council belatedly replaced Sri Lanka with South Africa as tournament hosts.

Batter David Teeger was going to captain South Africa Under-19, but he was removed and all-rounder Juan James was given the captaincy. The decision caused a stir in cricket circles around the country. The home side will have to put this off-field disturbance aside and come good on the field.

Trio Adam Cannata, Beni Hansen and Juan Steyn were in the provisional 18-player squad, but were not included in the final 15. Steve Stolk and Kwena Maphaka are in the final 15 - and there is plenty of expectation surrounding their upcoming performances.

Stolk and Maphaka were contracted to the Pretoria Capitals and Paarl Royals, respectively, in the SA20 before being called up by South Africa Under-19. Stolk is a hard-hitting batter and Maphaka an outright fast bowler for his young age. Look forward to big showings from these two hot talents.

West Indies U19

West Indies relished victory over New Zealand Under-19 before sharing a washout with Nepal Under-19 in their World Cup warm-up fixtures. The win over New Zealand gave fans and critics alike an idea of how the team might fare in the tournament proper - and what their preferred playing XI and personnel combinations could look like.

Vice-captain Nathan Sealy took four wickets against NZ. He will likely be one of the best left-arm spinners on display in the 2024 Under-19 World Cup - and could really benefit from some of the spin-friendly conditions in South Africa. As a burgeoning all-rounder, Sealy can also offer value with the bat.

Joshua Dorne stood out as West Indies' top run-scorer against New Zealand. He hit 45, which was particularly important after the early exits of openers Adrian Weir and Stephan Pascal. The rest of the middle order failed to fire, too, making Dorne's role all the more important.

Fast bowler Isai Thorne, all-rounder Nathan Edward and batter Jordan Johnson are in the West Indies squad again. They were with the team for the previous World Cup. They have grown in physical stature, talent and experience since, which should help their side a lot this time.