The third and final T20I between Australia and South Africa will be held on Saturday (August 16) at Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns. It is a venue which will be hosting its first ever international T20 match. The series currently stand at 1-1 and all eyes will be on how the pitch behaves and what the toss-winning captain decides.
Cazaly’s Stadium has previously hosted two Test matches and five ODIs, Australia also has been very dominant here at this venue. But considering there is very little T20 exposure, the conditions can be difficult to read. The only recent match here was BBL 2022-23 clash where the Melbourne Renegades defended a target of 166 against the Brisbane Heat and won by 22 runs.
The match showed that there was good bounce early and the seamers played a crucial role in the powerplay. But after a while it slowed down and the innings progressed with batting getting tougher in the latter overs.
Given the unpredictable nature of the pitch and is limited T20 history, bowling first appears to be a smart choice. The team bowling first could benefit by knowing the batting conditions and how the ball is coming which will make the target a bit easier to chase.
Australia have already suffered an injury blow with Mitchell Owen getting ruled out due to concussion while South Africa are in a strong position filled with confidence after they registered a stunning win in the 2nd T20I against Australia.
