South Africa vs West Indies 1st Test Tips

VS
West Indies

South Africa vs West Indies Match Details

  • Date: 2023-02-28
  • Start Time: 01:30
  • Location: SuperSport Park, Centurion
  • Tournament: West Indies tour of South Africa 2023
  • Format: Test Matches
  • Tipster: Brian Thorpe

Tip Summary

  • South Africa will be playing under the new leader Temba Bavuma in the first Test starting on Tuesday.
  • West Indies have done slightly better in the Test format as they have won two of their last five matches.
  • Both South Africa and West Indies are out of the race of reaching the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023.

It will be the beginning of a new era for South Africa in the longest format of the game as there have been massive changes in the leadership group. The team will be playing under the new Test skipper Temba Bavuma and new coach Shukri Conrad when they will lock horns with West Indies in the two-match Test series.

The first Test of the two-match series between the two teams will be played from February 28, Tuesday to March 04, Saturday at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. The Proteas will be in a dire need of some momentum as they failed to score even a single win in their last five matches. 

South Africa’s most recent Test series loss came against Australia. They traveled to Australia for a three-match series in December and ended up losing by 2-0. Australia won the first two Tests by six wickets and innings and 182 runs respectively while the third match ended in a draw. The series’ defeat also diminished South Africa’s chances of making it to the final of the World Test Championship.

The consecutive losses resulted in Dean Elgar stepping down from his place as the captain and Temba Bavuma taking his place. As far as West Indies are concerned, they have also lacked in showing consistency in the Test format in the past few years. The team was out from the final race a long time back but they made a solid statement in their last Test match by defeating Zimbabwe.

Earlier this month, West Indies traveled to Zimbabwe for a three-match series. The first game resulted in a draw while the Indies won the second game by an inning and four runs. It was a stunning bowling performance by the Caribbean nation as they restricted Zimbabwe to scores of 115 and 173 runs in their two batting innings. 

Meanwhile, South Africa leads the head-to-head records between the two teams. They have played against each other 30 times and the Proteas have won 20 games while West Indies have only three victories to their name. 

3 beneficial player bets for SA vs WI 1st Test.


South Africa vs West Indies Tips

Player of the Match: Temba Bavuma

Player Of The Match
  • Tip By: Brian Thorpe
  • Tournament: West Indies tour of South Africa 2023

The newly-appointed Test skipper Temba Bavuma is expected to lead from the front as his team will lock horns with West Indies in the first Test match. He was the top run-getter for his team during the Australia series with 185 runs at an average of 37.00. Speaking of his overall Test performance, Bavuma has collected 2797 international runs in 54 matches and 93 innings at an average of over 34. He has also hit 20 fifties and one hundred. The duty of leading the team is likely to help Bavuma perform better in the game starting from Tuesday.

Top West Indies batter: Kraigg Brathwaite

Top Batter
  • Tip By: Brian Thorpe
  • Tournament: West Indies tour of South Africa 2023
  • Date: 2023-02-28
  • Best Odds: 3.67 @ Indibet

Kraigg Brathwaite is one of the most experienced players in the West Indies line-up. The skipper has played a total of 83 Test matches for the team, scoring 5303 runs at an average of 35.59 and a strike rate of over 40. He also has 28 fifties and 12 hundred to his name in the purest format of the game. Kraigg Brathwaite made headlines with his performance in West Indies’ most recent Test series as well. Playing against Zimbabwe, he ended up as the second-highest run-getter with 214 runs in two matches and at an impressive average of over 71. Thus, the 30-year-old will again have the responsibility to score maximum runs for the team and take them home in the first Test of the two-match series.

Top wicket-taker of the match: Keshav Maharaj

Top Wicket Taker
  • Tip By: Brian Thorpe
  • Tournament: West Indies tour of South Africa 2023
  • Date: 2023-02-28
  • Best Odds: 5.5 @ Dafabet

Keshav Maharaj has been an asset to the South African cricket team in the recent past and the spinner is more lethal while playing in home conditions. The 33-year-old has donned the white jersey for South Africa in 48 matches so far and has picked a whopping 155 wickets. Keshav has scalped wickets at an economy rate of 3.16 and an average of 32.09. The spinner failed to excel in South Africa’s last series against Australia as he could dismiss only one batter in three games. However, he is likely to pick up the rhythm from Tuesday.