Steyn and co. versus dynamic NSW batting lineup (Preview)

A brief look at the squads of South Wales and Cape Cobras, starting their Champions League campaign facing each other on a spin friendly Chepauk surface Saturday, it won’t be wrong to say that these two teams provide strenuous test to the IPL teams in their pursuit to win the tournament. Both sides are blessed with some out and out match winners and this is enough to believe that a mouth watering contest is on cards between the two non-Indians.

Champions in the inaugural Champions played in India, NSW side boasts of experience, talent, depth, and, more importantly, one of the better cricket brains in their skipper and Australian national team discard Simon Katich. Not only has the first class stalwart brought heaps of experience and calmness to the set-up, Katich has an impressive ability to lead from the front.

Katich has some terrific young cricketers-none better than Philip Hughes, David Warner, Moises Henriques and Steven Smith-in his arsenal that should make his job easier. Hughes-Warner combination at the top are dangerous as anybody in the world with their ability to clear any boundary without much of fuss, Katich himself gives stability and world’s top all-rounder Shane Watson offers class, muscle in the batting and four overs of brisk pace to some flexibility to the overall scheme of things. With Hughes-Warner very much settled at the top, it would be interesting where Watson bats and, most probably, the quality all-rounder will be come at number three.

The spotlight will be on the world’s best fast bowler Dale Steyn and how he goes about his bowling against dynamic and explosive NSW batting line-up. His battle against Watson could well turn out to be one of the most enthralling in the tournament.

Experience pacer Micheal Clarke should pair up with young fast bowler Michael Starc to share the new ball as ace pacer Brett Lee has committed himself to the IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight riders. Spin department will have national team hopefuls Nathan Hauritz and Steve Smith to extract some help from slow Chepauk surface. On the paper, NSW looks very strong to beat any side and reclaim the title.

For their endeavour to turn into the reality, their first challenge is South African franchise Cape Cobras. Cobras too have players who can make impact with their willow and bowlers having ability to win the match on their own. To derail NSW bowling attack, Cobras, in their ranks, have Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy, Andrew Puttick and Justin Kemp to inject brute force in the middle order. For a change there will be an English cricketer playing in the South African side. England batsman Owais Shah, who has been a revelation with the bat in Protease domestic t-20 tourney, adds to the variety to the lineup.

Steyn’s lethal and pacy stuff will be complemented by very clever in approach Charl Langeveldt- a terrific death bowlers with his yorkers and changes in pace. Robin Peterson will have to shoulder the responsibility in the spin department to keep NSW batsmen under check in the middle overs.

For Indian and global fans, to watch two of the best IPL teams will be a thrilling experience, and, in all likelihood, could well be treated with a cracker of a game. All in all, a high voltage battle between Steyn and Co. and NSW batting line-up is on cards.

New South Wales: Stuart Clark, Patrick Cummins, Nathan Hauritz, Josh Hazelwood, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes, Simon Katich, Nic Maddinson, Stephen O'Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Daniel Smith, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson.

Cape Cobras: JP Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Richard Levi, Johann Louw, Justin Ontong, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Andrew Puttick, Michael Rippon, Owais Shah, Dale Steyn, Dane Vilas.