Australia and South Africa meet in the first of three T20 internationals, starting on Sunday the 10th of August at the TIO Stadium in Darwin. With both sides having come off competitive recent series in the shorter format, this promises to be an entertaining encounter, and we break down the opening clash from a betting perspective below.
SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa have had a mixed run of late, but their T20 campaign kicked off well with a pair of wins by 11 runs and then 7 wickets over Pakistan in December 2024, this was followed by a two-leg series victory over Zimbabwe across July this year. However, a recent trilogy of matches, also played in Harare throughout July exposed vulnerabilities, with New Zealand beating them on each occasion by 21 runs, 7 wickets and 3 runs respectively despite two of the games being well contested.
Still, players like Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram have shown signs of form, and the bowling attack has the tools to test the Aussies if they fire on the day.
AUSTRALIA
Australia come into this series in solid white-ball form, having completed a dominant run against West Indies in July. Across five T20s, they came out victorious each time, displaying strong middle-order resilience and bowling depth to win three of the clashes by 3 wickets, with one by 6 wickets and the remainder with 8 wickets to spare.
Prior to that, they also cleaned out Pakistan in November 2024, winning all three matches by narrow margins. With the home advantage and an in-form squad, Australia will look to keep that momentum going into this series opener as the clear favourites.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The last T20 series between these sides took place in August and September 2023 with each fixture taking place at Kingsmead in Durban, where Australia dominated. They won all three matches, beginning with a win by 111 runs, followed by an 8-wicket victory, and the final match saw them pull clear by 5 wickets. South Africa will be eager to turn the tables this time around.
BETTING – click here to bet
Australia 1.47
South Africa 2.70
SUGGESTED BETS:
Travis Head to Score 50+ at 3.30
Head has had his fair share of solid knocks in T20 format and remains one of Australia’s most dependable middle-order batsmen. He has shown form both at home and abroad, and conditions in Darwin should suit his attacking style.
South African Top Bowler – Kagiso Rabada at 2.70
Rabada has been consistently lethal with the ball and he looks set to lead the charge again for the Proteas. With pace and accuracy, he remains a constant threat to any batting lineup, and I think he will be dangerous on this drop in pitch come Sunday.
Note: All odds are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
Get a refund if your player scores a duck
Back any player to be the Top Batsman in any official Proteas game and if your selection scores a duck, we will refund your stake in Free Bets!
Max payout of R5000 per customer. Free bets do not qualify for this offer. Limited to 1 refund per customer per event. T&C’s Apply.
Important Details:
Pre-Match Events Only. Promotion must be claimed within 24 hours of the game finishing.
How to Claim:
Simply email promotions@wsb.co.za with Subject ‘Duck Off‘ to claim your voucher.
