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Pakistan’s chief selector, Mohsin Khan, has deferred a decision on whether or not he will resign from his post and will instead meet the PCB in an effort to resolve differences that arose after the selection of Pakistan’s 15-man Test squad for the West Indies.Khan cancelled a press conference he had scheduled for Wednesday following a series of releases from the PCB, the first of which said that any such press conference – without prior permission from the board – would be a violation of a code of conduct. A second statement was released shortly after, at the designated time of Khan’s press conference, which said he had been asked to meet with the board on Thursday in Lahore, where he can discuss any issues he might have about team selection.The board contacted Khan on Wednesday after his stance became public. Khan threatened to quit his post over the selection on Tuesday, saying he would make an announcement on his future.It remains unclear who Khan has an issue with and over what particular selections; one board official admitted to ESPNcricinfo they were also unaware of the nature of the problem. Speculation centres on the surprise dropping of wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal from the Test squad, despite impressive performances in the preceding four Tests.A reference has been made in one release to the procedure for squads being selected and the board said it was happy that procedure was followed. It is also understood that the relationship between Ijaz Butt, the board chairman, and Khan remains healthy, at least until this development.Butt has authority, as chairman, to change selections and has the final sign-off on it. The board said that once the squad for the series had been approved by the chairman and submitted, Khan had been given the chance to meet Butt and explain his point of view. According to the first statement, Khan said he could not meet with the chairman as his wife was ill.There is also a reference made in the first release to the on-tour selection committee – of coach, captain and manager – and its independence from the main selection committee. There have been suggestions of differences between the two over some selections.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDale Steyn took some tap in his first five overs, but came back to finish with a five-for as India collapsed from 267 for 1 to 296 all out•Getty Images

In a fascinating chase, with their choking past hovering over them, South Africa held their nerve to clinch a thriller in Nagpur. Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla set it up, AB de Villiers pushed them close, JP Duminy and Johan Botha pumped in oxygen with big hits, Faf du Plessis held one end up and Robin Peterson shoved them past the line in the final over.They needed 13 to win and there would have been the temptation to give the ball to Harbhajan Singh, who had one over left and had given away just five in his last, but MS Dhoni plumped for Ashish Nehra. Peterson inside edged the first to the fine-leg boundary, walloped the second over wide long-on for a game-breaking hit, ran madly to get two of the third before sealing it with a scorching cover drive.India were left ruing their sensational collapse in the batting Powerplay, when they lost four wickets for 30 runs, and crumbled from 267 for 1, in the 40th over, to be bowled out for 296. Later, Dhoni had strong words about that collapse: “You don’t play for the crowd, you play for the country.”The chase had several enthralling moments: Kallis sweeping from the rough, de Villiers’ skilful inside-out hits with the turn, Harbhajan giving de Villiers some lip, Dhoni’s smart run-out of Kallis, Gautam Gambhir’s dropped catch, du Plessis’ calming influence even as the C-word hung in the air, and Peterson’s stunning blows.The game itself swung crazily on each of those moments. South Africa had just lost Amla to a delivery that reared up alarmingly from Harbhajan when Kallis deployed the sweep and the paddle scoop against the same bowler to settle the nerves. South Africa were 144 for 2 at the end of the 30 overs at the end of those sweeps and the game hung in the balance.Dhoni got into the act to run out Kallis. The throw from Harbhajan was dying away from the off stump when Dhoni lunged across, collected and swivelled to break the stumps. With Kallis’ fall, South Africa needed 124 runs from just over 14 overs and de Villiers immediately took the batting Powerplay.The game turned again in the 40th over, Zaheer’s ninth, when South Africa looted 17 runs. de Villiers ragged a reverse-sweep to the fine-leg boundary, whiplashed another over point before Duminy walloped a slower one for a straight six to leave South Africa leaving 79 runs from 60 balls. It was then Harbhajan shoved the game into a thrilling climax.Harbhajan had been giving de Villiers lip ever since he was hit for a six in the 32nd over. Eyeballs bulged, the motormouth worked over time and de Villiers would walk away, shaking his head. That contest was consummated when Harbhajan returned in the final Powerplay over, the 41st of the innings. de Villiers struck the first blow, with an audacious reverse whack over backward point but slog swept the next one straight to midwicket to leave South Africa still needing 74 from 57.

The quarter-final scenario

India’s defeat means they aren’t yet entirely certain of making the last eight, though they should still make it barring a miracle.
There’s a small chance of their being eliminated if the following results happen: England beat West Indies, who in turn beat India; Bangladesh win both their remaining games, while South Africa beat Ireland. In such a scenario, South Africa, Bangladesh and West Indies will be ahead of India on points, while England will be level with them. That’ll bring net run rates into play, and it’s here that India have a reasonably comfortable cushion – their NRR of 0.768 is well ahead of England’s 0.013. India will have to lose their match by about 95 runs, and England will have to win by about the same margin for their run rate to move ahead of India’s.
For South Africa, the win has considerably eased the pressure on them. A defeat would have left them with two must-win games – including a potentially tricky one against Bangladesh in Mirpur – but this result against India means they’ll have to mess it up really badly from here to not make it to the quarter-finals. All they need is a win in either of their last two games, against Ireland and Bangladesh.

Things got tighter in the 43rd over when Harbhajan slipped a quick delivery down the leg side, past the advancing Duminy, and though Dhoni fumbled the take, he recovered to finish the stumping. India tightened the screws further when Munaf Patel trapped Morne van Wyk lbw in the 44th over, just moments after Gambhir dropped van Wyk at deep midwicket.In the 48th over, Botha swiped Munaf through midwicket and crashed a six over the straight boundary to push South Africa ahead but fell off the next ball, miscuing a slower one over cover where Suresh Raina, the substitute fielder, took a tough catch. Zaheer gave away just four runs in the 49th over but Petersen settled the issue in the final one.India lost the game in a manic self-destructive display in the batting Powerplay that they took in the 39th over. India were strolling at 253 for 1 but lost four wickets for 30 runs in the Powerplay and their last nine for 29 to collapse to 296.In a sweet moment of redemption, it was the pair of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, who bled runs with the new ball, who did the damage during this manic phase. Sachin Tendulkar fell to an across-the-line hoick, his first ugly shot of the day, in the 40th over to Morne Morkel. Steyn had a double strike in the next over: Gambhir backed outside leg and scooped a slower one to mid-off and Yusuf Pathan blasted to cover. Things got worse when Yuvraj Singh swung a full toss to long-on off the final delivery of the Powerplay, and it turned chaotic when Virat Kohli gave a tame return catch to Peterson. In the space of a few minutes, the game had spiraled out of India’s control and returned to balance. Steyn even went on to complete a five-for, something that was scarcely believable when he was leaking runs with the new ball, when he cleaned up the tail.Until that stunning phase of play, it was all India. Until then, even 375 seemed a possibility. If Virender Sehwag pumped in the adrenalin, Tendulkar oozed class. There was not a single shot that looked risky and yet he played all the shots, even a hooked six, a shot that he doesn’t play too often these days. Tendulkar faced just 20 balls in the first ten overs but had raced away to 35, and his fifty came off 33 balls. It was in the eighth over, from Morkel, that he really got going with an awesome thump through the covers, which was followed by a gorgeous straight drive. Like always, he held his pose even as Morkel was down on the mat. It was a moment that perfectly caught the one-sided battle.When Steyn fired a bouncer in the 10th over, Tendulkar unfurled a stylish hook to deposit it beyond the backward square-leg boundary. When Jacques Kallis bowled a slower one, Tendulkar glided forward and across to whip the off cutter past mid-on. Unlike Sehwag, who kept backing away to the leg to try hit everything to the off, and fell in the process, Tendulkar played the spinners as per the demands of the ball but of course on his own terms. It should have been his night but cruelly it was his shot that triggered a stunning implosion, which proved the difference in the end.

Match Timeline

New Zealand seem to have settled on their batting order after much experimentation during the home summer, and Brendon McCullum has said he’s thrilled to be opening again. It’s the position from which he has won all his Man-of-the-Match awards, and the one from which he hopes to erase the blot of two poor World Cups, where he has squeezed out only 152 runs in 10 innings.”The previous two World Cups I played down the order (where) you’ve got reasonably limited opportunities to create an impact,” McCullum said at the end of a three-hour training session at the renovated MA Chidambaram stadium. “That’s why I’m absolutely determined to play a role at the top of the order. Coming to India the best time to bat is when the ball is new.”New Zealand had pushed McCullum down the order for a few one-dayers against Pakistan last month, before restoring him back to the opener’s slot towards the end of the series. “I think the whole process of our order and who is going to bat where and those sorts of things came from our selectors and now we have arrived in India and are pretty settled about what our line-ups going to be,” McCullum said. “I’ve had four years of batting at the top of the order now, those two World Cups were rehearsals as well, it’s all set up for this, and I will focus on trying to play some influential innings throughout the tournament.”The New Zealand top five for the World Cup is likely to be McCullum, Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor and James Franklin. That means their current batsman with the most success in World Cups – Scott Styris, who has accumulated 767 runs at an average of nearly 70 – will come in as low as No. 6.”I’m probably no different from everyone else in the team, we’ll always like to bat as high as possible,” Styris said. “As it stands, I’m batting six, which obviously for me isn’t ideal, I would like to bat higher, but (that’s what) John Wright and Dan Vettori want of me right now, so it’s a role that I’m trying to do well, because it’s around the second Powerplay closing out the innings.”One of the reasons for New Zealand’s woeful run in one-dayers over the past year has been the brittle batting, but they have had encouraging signs in the past two matches, with Ryder’s whirlwind century in the final game against Pakistan and Martin Guptill’s 130 in Saturday’s tune-up against Ireland powering the side to 300-plus totals. Styris said those scores were the result of new coach John Wright’s input. “John’s batting expertise has been the major thing that he has brought to the side so far. He’s been great for the batters in the side because he’s given them some clarity about how to go about their innings. We’ve got some tremendous strikers of the ball who are still learning how to build an innings since they are very young.”New Zealand fans will hope Wright’s expertise and the re-jigged batting order spurs their side into reprising their familiar feat of beating expectations in big events.

ScorecardJames Hopes spirited Queensland to a comfortable win•Getty Images

New South Wales Blues crumbled to an eight-wicket loss to Queensland Bulls in Sydney, failing in their bid to host the Big Bash preliminary final. The Blues now have to travel to the Bellerive Oval to face Tasmania Tigers on Tuesday.The tone for the match was set off the very first ball when James Hopes bowled Usman Khawaja, the recent Test debutant, who chopped a pull back onto his stumps.After David Warner and Daniel Smith fell cheaply, it appeared that Phil Jaques and Moises Henriques were steadying the ship, before Luke Feldman ran Henriques out from the boundary, his direct hit catching the batsman just short.Ben Laughlin (3 for 25) and Chris Simpson (2 for 8) ripped through the hosts, with only Dominic Thornely offering any resistance in the lower order as the Blues stumbled to 120.Bulls never looked in any danger in the chase, Hopes (62 off 38) and Michael Lumb (40 off 26) taking to the Blues’ inexperienced bowling attack in the Powerplay that yielded 66. Hopes saw the visitors home with a massive 37 balls to spare.The preliminary final will be played on February 1 in Hobart between the Tigers and the Bulls, with the winner earning the right to face South Australia at the Adelaide Oval on February 5 in the final.

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
It was the Razzaq show in Christchurch•AFP

Abdul Razzaq pummeled an 11-ball 34 to propel Pakistan to 183, before returning to flatten the New Zealand top order with the new ball, as the visitors stormed to a 103-run victory in the third Twenty20 in Christchurch. Razzaq capitalised on some inexperienced death bowling from Adam Milne to hammer 31 from the last nine deliveries of the innings, and picked up three wickets for 13 as New Zealand imploded dramatically, effectively surrendering the game within the first three overs of their chase.The chase was derailed almost before it had begun as the top four batsmen all collected ducks. Martin Guptill began the catastrophic collapse when he edged Razzaq to point, pushing away from his body with hard hands to one that nipped away a touch. Jesse Ryder turned in his third failure of the series in the following over when he top edged a pull, and Dean Brownlie’s decision to sneak a quick single to get off the mark backfired when Shahid Afridi effected a rare Pakistani direct hit. Ross Taylor was unfortunate to be adjudged lbw to one that struck him slightly above the knee roll, but didn’t do himself any favours by playing all around the straight delivery. Three overs into the innings, New Zealand had lost four wickets for three runs, and when James Franklin lost his head, and his middle stump, two overs later, there was only one direction the match was heading. New Zealand had made 11 runs for the loss of five wickets from their first five overs. Pakistan were 51 for no loss at the same stage.Styris resisted bravely, throwing his bat to collect a couple of boundaries over cover in Razzaq’s last over, and even swatting a six over midwicket to give the Christchurch crowd something to cheer about, but with the required run-rate tipping 15, and wickets falling regularly at the other end, there was little he could do. Peter McGlashan dragged Abdur Rehman onto the stumps attempting to reverse sweep and Nathan McCullum didn’t hang around long, succumbing to Shahid Afridi’s straighter one. Styris eventually fell for 45, and Afridi wasted little time cleaning up the tail – an 134 kph arm ball to dismiss Tim Southee first ball being the highlight of his spell. Styris aside, none of the other New Zealand batsmen managed double figures. They made 28 collectively.

Smart Stats

• Pakistan’s 103-run victory margin is the largest in Twenty20 internationals involving two Test-playing sides.

• New Zealand’s total of 80 is their lowest in a Twenty20 international. Their previous lowest was 81, against Sri Lanka earlier this year.

• The top four New Zealand batsmen all scored ducks, which is the second time this happened. New Zealand were at the receiving end this time, but they inflicted the damage on the previous occasion, against Kenya in a World Twenty20 game in 2007.

• New Zealand’s Powerplay score of 17 for 5 equals their worst performance, in that match against Sri Lanka mentioned above.

• Abdul Razzaq has become only the seventh player to make a 30-plus score and take three or more wickets in the same Twenty20 match.

Pakistan’s impressive total was set up by an explosive opening partnership between Ahmad Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez, who blasted 81 in 8.4 overs to set pulses racing at the AMI stadium. Shehzad in particular, was quick to punish anything on a length, peppering the midwicket boundary repeatedly, while also driving through the covers when the ball was pitched up. Hafeez too got into the action scooping Mills over the shoulder for four, before unfurling a wristy swat that sent the ball sailing over deep square-leg a few overs later.The introduction of slow bowling into the attack did the trick for New Zealand though, as both openers perished attempting to maintain the frenetic scoring rate, and three more wickets followed soon after. Younis Khan was run out, attempting a suicidal single, Asad Shafiq was caught on the boundary after having used up 15 deliveries for his 8 and Shahid Afridi departed for a quickfire 14.Umar Akmal kept Pakistan ticking with some intelligent hitting, but it was Abdul Razzaq who boosted the visitors’ total and swung the momentum decidedly Pakistan’s way with a brutal display of power hitting. Razzaq swung in the V, launching Tim Southee twice over midwicket before taking on Milne in the last over. Razzaq smoked the short deliveries over cover, and sent the fuller ones racing along the ground to the boundary, and 19 runs came off the last five deliveries, despite Milne’s best efforts to vary the pace and find the blockhole.

Hamilton Masakadza, Zimbabwe’s opening batsman, believes his team have a better chance of success in Bangladesh than New Zealand, who were trounced 4-0 in a one-day series in October. Masakadza also suggested that the focus of the tour, which includes five one-day internationals, would be preparation for the World Cup in the subcontinent early next year.”I think the main thing is to prepare for the World Cup as the guys will be returning to the subcontinent to play [in that tournament,] and obviously we will try for a series win,” Masakadza told reporters at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka upon Zimbabwe’s arrival on Friday.”Definitely Bangladesh are difficult opposition at home but still we are looking for a very competitive series. I think it’ll be a bit different series than the one against the Kiwis as we have had the experience to play in Bangladesh quite often. And I think we are better prepared than the Kiwis.”Zimbabwe visited Bangladesh twice last year, in January and November, and also hosted the Bangladeshis in a home series in August. Bangladesh won all three series by significant margins, although not without creditable performances from Zimbabwe in certain games. “We have been here a few times and we know what the conditions are and how the wickets behave,” explained Masakadza. “We are also aware about the dew factor and that’s why we are looking forward to the series.”Both teams will rely upon an army of slow bowlers in spin-friendly conditions. Zimbabwe have included Ray Price, Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer in their touring party, and could also turn to Keith Dabengwa and Brendan Taylor’s finger spin if necessary. Bangladesh have the spin of Shakib al Hasan, Abdur Razzak, Suhrawadi Shuvo and Mahmudullah in their ranks. “I don’t think there is too much difference between the teams in terms of strength because both teams depends on their spin bowlers and both teams have a few guys who can strike the ball hard up in the order.”The conditions are definitely different but it’s just a matter of adjusting and we have a few days in hand to practice before we start the series proper. We are hopeful that the boys will take the opportunity to get adjusted to the conditions.”Zimbabwe’s tour opens with a limited-overs warm-up match against a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI at the Krira Shikkha Protisthan Ground in Savar on November 29 before the first ODI at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur on December 1.

Rusty Theron, the South Africa pace bowler, has been added to the squad for the one-day series against Pakistan in UAE following his recent impressive performances.Theron, 25, was originally only part of the squad for the two Twenty20 internationals but the selectors have decided to bolster their fast-bowling options after he claimed a Man-of-the-Match 4 for 27 in the second game in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. It continued the promising start to Theron’s international career after he bagged 11 wickets in his first three one-day internationals against Zimbabwe earlier this month.”His selection is actually a combination of several things,” said selection convener Andrew Hudson. “With the injuries suffered by Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis we feel it is prudent to have adequate cover in the fast bowling department.”Rusty’s form also deserves to be rewarded. He has performed exceptionally well against Zimbabwe and during the two Pro20s against Pakistan and he will bolster the squad ahead of the congested five ODIs against Pakistan.”Kallis and Steyn sat out both the Twenty20 matches against Pakistan. Steyn is unlikely to be fit for the opening one-day international in Abu Dhabi on Sunday but South Africa are hopeful about being able to include Kallis who has been struggling with a back problem. “We are going to have to make some difficult choices when everybody is fit and available and it is a nice problem to have,” Hudson added.

Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s latest Test captain, has hit back at criticism over his surprising elevation, arguing that he hasn’t even had the opportunity yet to show his capabilities as a leader. Misbah has at least two Tests as captain against South Africa in the UAE next month.”I do not agree with what they [former cricketers] are saying, doubting my abilities as a captain, and saying I am not capable of delivering,” Misbah told reporters in Lahore. “I know the task assigned to me is not easy. However, underestimating me as a captain and batsman is not fair as one always learns with time and improves.”Wasim Akram was one of those surprised by the decision to give Misbah, who is 36, charge of the Test team a day after he was named in the squad for the first time since the tour of Australia in 2009-10.Misbah, however, said he had spent time away from the team training and preparing for any comeback. “I did not give up. I used to train to keep myself in prime form,” he said. “And I was engaged in cricket because I was confident that I can make a comeback, which eventually happened.”The series against South Africa will be Pakistan’s first since the controversy-ridden trip to England, during which then captain Salman Butt and fast bowlers, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, were provisionally suspended by the ICC over their alleged involvement in a spot-fixing scandal.Pakistan had problems on the field as well, their batsmen struggling in bowler-friendly conditions; they were bowled for under 100 twice in four Tests and rarely made it past 200. Misbah, however, was confident of a better showing in friendlier conditions in the UAE.”I think it’s a bit unfair to judge the batsmen solely on the tour of England, as batting appeared to be very difficult,” Misbah told . “The batsmen at my disposal are much better than their statistics in England suggest. The conditions in the UAE will be more akin to what the Pakistani batsmen are used to seeing, and I am confident that the batting lineup will deliver against South Africa.”With Amir and Asif missing in action, Pakistan’s bowling attack will rely heavily on Umar Gul and the spinners – Saeed Ajmal, Danish Kaneria and Abdur Rehman. “Our strength in the spin bowling department could be the key in the UAE,” Misbah said. “We have three spinners in the squad and all are different styles of spinners, so the variety is there. There should be turn and bounce on offer, and it’s up to them to make the most of those conditions.”The fielding – shockingly shoddy in England – remains a concern, as Misbah – one of the side’s best slippers – acknowledged. “We cannot overcome it [poor fielding] in short time as we have been lacking in this department for years,” he said. “Only sincere efforts and hard work by players can bring improvement in fielding.”South Africa, on the other hand, are likely to be in their usual, top fielding form when the first Test begins in Dubai on November 12.

Despite two flop shows in the tournament, the Indian team’s morale ahead of the crunch match against New Zealand seems to be pretty high. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina were involved in a brief, fun game of tennis-ball cricket with some of the local net bowlers ahead of practice. There was plenty of banter between the Indian batsmen and the bowlers during the nets, mostly debating whether a particular shot would have cleared an imaginary fielder or not.There was serious training as well. Gary Kirsten had one-on-one chats with several of the young batsmen after giving them throw-downs in the nets, pointing out chinks in technique. For Monday’s optional session, 12 members of the side turned up, instead of the usual half a dozen or so.”I think the preparation has been very good,” Dhoni, the India captain, said. “Hopefully execution will also be good tomorrow.”With Dambulla’s pitches different in character to the usual subcontinental tracks, Dhoni stressed the need to be watchful at the start of the innings. “It’s more about the mindset because in one-day cricket you’re so used to going after and hitting the bowlers right from the first delivery,” he said. “[Usually if you] give respect to the bowlers for the first 10 overs, the next 40 overs are yours. This is one of those venues where you have to prolong the respect for bowlers by another 10 overs.”India folded for 88 and 103 in two matches, sandwiching a victory crafted by a Virender Sehwag special, but Dhoni wasn’t overly worried about the batting. “I won’t be bothered too much,” he said. “But if it’s said that this is the batting strength of our side, I won’t agree with that. One thing we can’t deny is that we have had two batting failures and we have to rectify the problem, get on the wicket and try to score some runs.”In both defeats, the loss of wickets led to a near halt in the scoring: after losing the third wicket against Sri Lanka, India made 13 runs in seven overs, while the corresponding number in the opening game against New Zealand was six runs in five overs. Dhoni called for a more enterprising approach. “Most of the batsmen are trying to battle through and there are times when you can’t do that. If you get eight or 10 runs off five overs, it doesn’t really help you. You have to be brave enough to play your big shots or challenge the bowler. You have to keep speculating and you have to try and make a way through the opposition.”Rohit Sharma is one batsmen having a horrid time, rarely looking comfortable at the crease all tournament, but he got a vote of confidence from his captain. “It’s a tricky situation for him,” Dhoni said. “There’s pressure when you are always in and out of the side. Especially on these wickets. Unfortunate to get out once when he didn’t get the umpire’s decision in his favour. He is working hard and his fitness has improved a lot.”Wasim Akram reportedly called some of the Indian youngsters ‘softies’, a charge Dhoni denied. “They have done really well in adverse and difficult conditions. Whether it’s in Australia or the T20 World Cup or some of the other tournaments where we were not at our best,” Dhoni said. “I think the guys are courageous enough to go through any conditions or situations thrown at them. We are just on the back foot right now, with the conditions maybe. But these are the boys who will ultimately be part of the Indian cricket team now or sometime later.”

Match facts

Sunday, September 12
Start time 1330 (1130 GMT)Shaun Tait will be a key figure with the ball for South Australia•Getty Images

Big Picture

If the Lions’ game against Mumbai Indians was akin to David taking on Goliath, this one is more even. The South African team meets South Australia, who are without their star players Kieron Pollard and Shahid Afridi, and have now gone 14 years without a domestic title since their Sheffield Shield win in 1995-96.The Lions at least have a domestic Pro20 crown from 2006-07 to show for their efforts. The last time South Australia won anything, they were led by current Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons. That just goes to show how barren their cupboard has been in recent times. So they surprised even themselves by winning four games on the trot in the last Big Bash – Australia’s domestic Twenty20 tournament – before being thrashed by Victoria in the final. Pollard and Afridi had a big role to play in that run and to say that they will be missed is an understatement.South Australia have arrived with a new leadership team of Michael Klinger and his deputy, Callum Ferguson. Neither batsman has a reputation for being a hitter and Ferguson, who has a T20 strike-rate under 110, hasn’t played since injuring his knee in the 2009 Champions Trophy final. The batting hopes will rest on Daniel Harris, whose 62-ball 98 against Victoria is the highest T20 score by a South Australia batsman.The Lions, meanwhile, will be upbeat after beating star-studded Mumbai, giving them one of the biggest wins in their history. Their bowlers came back after Sachin Tendulkar looked to be running away with the game, and will fancy their chances against a South Australian batting line-up that lacks its big guns.

Watch out for…

After recently ruling out a return to Test cricket, Shaun Tait will be keen to show once again that he belongs in the shortest format in which a tearaway spell of a couple of overs, something that he is quite capable of, can change a game.Though the batsmen set up the Lions’ win on Friday, Shane Burger applied the finishing touch with his medium-pace, bowling Tendulkar and Pollard in consecutive overs. He will look to be on target once again with his full-pitched deliveries.

Key contests

Jonathan Vandiar v Tait: Vandiar started nervously against Mumbai before swinging some big hits over the leg side, including one six off Lasith Malinga that went 87 metres into the crowd, to top-score with 71. Tait is similar to Malinga in action and likes to bowl full and fast like the Sri Lankan.

Stats and trivia

• Centurion was the most batsman-friendly venue in IPL 2009, leading in both run-rate, 7.64 an over, and average, 27.46 per wicket.
• Neil McKenzie is the most-capped Test cricketer among both teams, having played 58 Tests for South Africa. Lions’ captain Alviro Petersen, with four Tests, is a distant second.