South Africa A will take on West Indies A in the first unofficial Test of the West Indies A tour of South Africa 2023 on November 21 at Willowmoore Park in Benoni, South Africa. The match will commence at 1:30 PM IST. The two teams announced their respective squads for the upcoming series, which is a combination of experienced cricketers alongside a handful of promising talents looking to make their mark at the international level. For the hosts, Keegan Petersen, Zubayr Hamza and Tony de Zorzi will be the leading batters, each of whom has played Test cricket for South Africa. Pacers Duanne Olivier and Hardus Viljoen will shoulder the responsibilities in the bowling unit.
The Caribbean outfit will be led by Joshua Da Silva, who has played 24 Tests for West Indies, recording one ton and three half-centuries. Opening batter Tagenarine Chanderpaul and seamers Jayden Seales and Shermon Lewis are some of the top names to watch out for.
As far as their recent performances are concerned, South Africa A defeated Sri Lanka A 1-0 in the two-match unofficial Test series earlier in June this year whereas West Indies A got the better of Bangladesh A by 1-0 in the three-match unofficial Test series, held in May-June 2023.
SA-A vs WI-A pitch report
The average score by the team batting first in the last 10 matches at the venue is 291.
Bowling first should be the preferred option at the venue, with the team batting second winning 70 percent of its contests.
SA-A vs WI-A weather report
The temperature at Willowmoore Park in Benoni is predicted to be around 29 degrees Celsius and 44% humidity.
SA-A vs WI-A Fantasy 11 Prediction:
Top captain and vice-captain picks
Duanne Olivier: South African fast bowler has the knack of picking wickets at regular intervals and will be in the fray for the captaincy spot. In 15 Tests, he has taken 59 wickets at an average of 21.93.
Hardus Viljoen: Viljorn is a right-arm pacer from the hosts side who has plenty of First-Class experience, having scalped 472 wickets in 128 matches, including 25 five-wicket hauls.
Joshua Da Silva: The 25-year-old will be a go-to choice among the available wicket-keepers. Joshua Da Silva has featured in 25 Tests for West Indies, amassing 882 runs.
Kevin Sinclair: The young spinner from the visiting team will be backed to overcome a potent South African batting line-up with his off-break bowling. He has scalped 11 wickets in seven Tests for the Windies, registering two four-wicket hauls.
SA-A vs WI-A Fantasy 11 team
Wicket-keepers: Joshua Da Silva
Batters: Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Keegan Petersen, Zubayr Hamza, Kirk Mckenzie
All-rounders: Hardus Viljoen, Kevin Sinclair, Kavem Hodge
Bowlers: Duanne Olivier, Dane Paterson, Shermon Lewis
Captain: Hardus Viljoen
Vice-captain: Joshua Da Silva
South Africa A vs West Indies A head-to-head record
South Africa A and West Indies A have faced off on five occasions, with the former succeeding three times.
South Africa A vs West Indies A prediction
Courtesy of their superior head-to-head record and home advantage, South Africa A can be anticipated to emerge victorious in this contest and kickstart the series on a winning note.