RSA vs AUS Match Prediction & Betting Tips - Aug 30, 2023
The first of three T20I games between South Africa (hosts) and Australia (visitors) is to be played at Kingsmead, Durban, on August 30th. Afterwards, the two squads will face off in a best-of-five ODI series.
The biggest last-minute news is that Aussie batsman, Glenn Maxwell, will miss the series due to an ankle injury he sustained during training. He will be replaced by Matthew Wade. Be sure to keep watch of all the best betting sites if you're looking for something new.
RSA vs AUS Team Previews
South Africa
South Africa is definitely in need of a win, as they lost a recent three-game T20I series, 1-2, to the West Indies. With a slightly less amazing Aussie squad, this will be South Africa’s best chance.
There’s no doubt that it’ll be down to Hendricks and captain Markram to lead the team in batting. Hendricks is one of the most experienced players with 50 innings and 1,544 runs with an average of 31.51. However, Markram has been batting brilliantly lately, and already has 966 runs and an average of 40.25 in 30 innings.
There are several talented bowlers that the Aussies will need to watch for, namely Maharaj, Ngidi, and Shamsi. In 25 innings, Maharaj has done well with 22 wickets, although does allow too many runs with an ER of 7.21. Ngidi is turning into a superstar bowler and has been amazing in 60 innings, with 60 wickets and a good average of 18.43. Shamsi is certainly one spinner to watch, with a whopping 74 wickets in 61 innings. Plus, 7.28 ER is solid for a spin bowler!
South Africa Playing 11
Temba Bavuma, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Lungi Ngidi, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Australia
As Australia recently finished a gruelling but successful Ashes series versus England, the squad is resting several big names, especially with the Cricket World Cup right around the corner. Pat Cummins, David Warner, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc will miss the T20I games, but are expected to join for the ODIs.
Star batter Steve Smith is likely to miss the entire tour due to a wrist injury he sustained in the Ashes, but he should be ready for the World Cup. The Aussie squad is going to be captained for the first time by Mitchell Marsh, and there are several first-time T20I players in the team, including Spencer Johnson, Aaron Hardie, and Matt Short.
With a few key batting names missing in the lineup, there will be more pressure on the likes of Marsh, David, Head, and Stoinis to keep the runs flowing. As captain and one of the most experienced players on the team with 44 innings, Marsh should lead the batting, as he already has 1,086 runs and a 29.35 average in T20I games. Stoinis is also a veteran and reliable batter with 803 runs and a 29.74 average, but keep an eye on David, who has 23 innings but already 740 runs and a 37.00 average.
The bowling has also taken a bit of a dip without major names such as Cummins and Starc, but knowing that Zampa is in the squad will ease the tension. Zampa is Australia’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 82 (71 innings) and he has a great ER of 6.93. Ellis isn’t too experienced with just five innings, but he already has 15 wickets and a fantastic ER of 6.40. Stoinis is also a useful all-rounder, as he has 18 wickets in 29 innings.
Australia Playing 11
Matthew Short, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Josh Inglis, Marcus Stoinis, Timothy David, Aaron Hardie, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis, Tanveer Sangha, Spencer Johnson.
RSA vs AUS Toss Prediction
The results are fairly even for T20I games, as out of 14 games, the team batting first has won 7 times, while the team batting second has won 6 times. It may come down to how the captain feels on the day, but bowling first would still be a reasonable idea.
Read our guide on toss predictions to learn how we analyze and come up with our tips.
Pitch and Conditions
The Kingsmead pitch has a reputation for assisting bowlers, as it’s lightning-quick and provides a lot of bounce and turn. Spinners, too, can get considerable movement, and it’s not uncommon to see low-scoring games of around 150 in T20 games.
RSA vs AUS Betting Tips
Although the Parimatch odds will say that Australia is the clear favourite, especially as they’ve beaten South Africa in the last two T20I games, we think it’s not so obvious. The Australian team is missing many of their star players, and there are several newbies to the squad who have never played a T20I before.
As the games are on South African soil, this should give the home team a slight advantage, and the team is looking better than ever with Markram and Ngidi playing excellent cricket. The loss to the West Indies is behind them and they should come out ready to play. The odds are very intriguing for South Africa, so it’s worth a shot.
Bet on South Africa to win.
Bonus Cricket Bets
Brevis doesn't have much T20I experience, but he's a talented short-over batter and has made a staggering 162 runs in a previous T20 game. Although Markram and Hendricks will be good, we think that the Australians might overlook Brevis and this could allow him to score over a half-century.
Marsh is a capable batter and arguably the best on the Aussie squad, so it's a pretty safe bet that he'll score over 22.5. Plus, he averages 29.35 in T20I games and has been in great form recently when playing for Australia in the Ashes.
Shamsi is not a bad option, but we like Lungi Ngidi because of his odds and you just know that he's going to perform well on home pitches. He's had great games with 5/39 in the past, and his fast bowling is going to cause trouble against the Aussies.
Who will win RSA vs AUS
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Match Predictions
Cricket Betting Tips
- Highest opening partnership - India W (1.55) and 1 more BANW vs INDW betting tip
- Total runs in the highest scoring over of the match - Over 22.5 (1.95) and 2 more MI vs SRH betting tips
- Nazmul Hossain Shanto to become the top batter. - 4.10 and 3 more BAN vs ZIM betting tips
- Delhi Capitals to win the toss - 1.90 and 4 more DC vs RR betting tips
We are eager to know what you think of our match predictions, if there is anything we can do better or if you want to let us know your own predictions for the match.