/ Editor / 08 April 2007 /

World Cup Super Eights - South Africa v West Indies, Tuesday 14.30

South Africa's stunning defeat by Bangladesh on Saturday has blown open the race for semi-final places. The Proteas' thrilling opening Super Eights win over Sri Lanka has been cancelled out and they are now appear to be in a three way scrap for qualification with England and the West Indies. South Africa are trading at 1.33 to reach the last four.

The hosts were preparing for an early departure from the tournament but now have the chance to revive their flagging hopes. They must raise their game after losing handsomely to Australia, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, but their destiny is back in their own hands and they are currently on offer at 6.2 to reach the final four.

South Africa lost to Bangladesh in such convincing fashion that the Tigers themselves cannot be ruled out of the running. England and the Windies still have to face Habibul Bashar's men, who have allayed fears that the Super Eights were becoming too predictable and trade at 6 to reach the semi finals.

The West Indies were considered serious contenders to become the first sole host nation to win a World Cup, and their opening day win over Pakistan suggested they would be around to contest the latter stages of the tournament. A closer look at their recent record reveals a lack of consistency that should prevent us expecting too much from the hosts.

The West Indies came into the tournament having won 13 and lost 13 of their previous 26 matches, although they did reach a second successive Champions Trophy final during that time and recorded two wins over the juggernaut that was Australia.

Brian Lara's men trade at 50 in the winner's market and although their recent form might hint at an inability to beat the top teams consistently, they are certainly capable of bouncing back from three defeats with a win against the Proteas. They are available at 3 to do so.

South Africa will be licking their wounds after suffering their first ever defeat to Bangladesh, although Australia proved in 2005 that the world number one team can slip up against the Tigers. South Africa have been the long-term second favourites to lift the trophy but have now slipped to 7.8, adrift of Australia (2.3) and Sri Lanka (5.4) and New Zealand (5.5).

They can at least go into this crucial match with the confidence of having the better of previous meetings with the West Indies. They have won five of the last 6, the sole defeat coming in the Champions Trophy semi-final, and have 26 overall head-to-head wins to the West Indies' 12.

The Proteas' impressive form before the World Cup, when they won 14 of their 20 completed one-dayers, might have hidden a frailty in alien conditions. They played 81% of those matches at home and looked all at sea against Bangladesh on a wicket that looked distinctly sub-continental.

However, their opponents on Tuesday, like South Africa, do not have a high class spinner to take advantage of similar conditions and both sides will hope that the National Cricket Stadium in Grenada provides more help for their fast bowlers, than Guyana's Providence Stadium did.

South Africa's fine record against the West Indies was not just constructed on home soil, as they have won 10 of their last 11 meetings in the Caribbean, including a 5-0 whitewash in 2004/05. They are available at 1.45 to continue that winning streak in this one.

This clash is the first ODI to be played in Grenada since 2004, although it is still a relatively new venue. Eight ODIs have been played there since the first in 1999 and the team batting second has triumphed five times - and on each of the last four occasions.

Both of South Africa's defeats in this tournament came when chasing, as did the hosts' two heaviest defeats, so the skippers might hope to bat first and change recent local convention.

The Proteas have the men in form to put runs on the board. Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith are second and third in the top runscorer's charts and trade at 8.6 and 12 respectively to finish the tournament in top spot.

Punters might expect a key contribution from Kallis in this clash, as he averages 49.08 with the bat and 21.68 with the ball against the West Indies. However, he has taken just three wickets in the last nine meetings and has struggled with the ball in this tournament, claiming two victims at an average of 88.

The hosts' lacklustre recent displays have been characteristic of some disappointing individual performances. Lara is the only front line batsman to have a tournament strike rate in excess of 75 and key man Chris Gayle has not got going with bat or ball, hitting just 116 runs and taking two wickets from six innings.

The West Indies will hope Gayle rediscovers the dashing form that saw him hit a blistering unbeaten 133 in the sides' meeting at the Champions Trophy. The Jamaican has three tons from his last eight ODI appearances against the Proteas.

Both teams must make decisions on bowling attacks that have struggled so far. Only Charl Langeveldt (16 in the top wicket taker market) and Daren Powell, with 12 and 11 wickets respectively, have impressed on either side, although Andre Nel did take the tournament's second five wicket haul against Bangladesh.

Nel was only playing due to an injury to Andrew Hall and South Africa have a concern over the form Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini. Their star opening bowlers, ranked first and seventh in the world, have taken just four wickets apiece, at respective averages of 50 and 48.5.

Time is running out for the big names to produce the goods as the Super Eight stage is becoming a knock-out competition - the loser of this clash might well have their dreams of winning the trophy dashed.

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