England and South Africa will meet in the 9th match of the ICC Women's T20I World Cup 2024 on Monday, October 7, at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
This match could decide who tops Group B, so, expect both teams to be at their absolute best. England beat Bangladesh in their opening fixture courtesy of a disciplined bowling performance. However, South Africa's thumping ten-wicket run chase against the West Indies should give them more confidence.
England will look to avenge their defeat in the semi-final of the last edition of the World Cup, while Laura Wolvaardt and Co. will look to virtually secure their place in the semis with a win here.
On that note, let's look at the top three Dream11 captaincy picks for this fixture.
#3 Sophie Ecclestone (BOWL) (ENG)
Sophie Ecclestone was surprisingly the only English bowler to go wicketless, although it has to be said plenty of chances were missed off her bowling. The left-arm spinner is the highest-ranked bowler in the world.
She has a terrific record against South Africa, having picked up 14 wickets in nine T20Is at an economy rate of 6.11. Given that she's a proven wicket-taker and someone known to deliver on the big stage, considering Sophie Ecclestone for Dream11 captaincy should be a no-brainer.
#2 Marizanne Kapp (ALL) (SA)
South African ace Marizanne Kapp showed her quality with a terrific spell of bowling with the new ball to unsettle the West Indies early in their batting innings, picking up the crucial wicket of Hayley Matthews. She eventually finished with figures of 2/14 in her four overs. Though she didn't bat, she would likely have walked out at No.3 or 4.
A complete all-rounder like Marizanne Kapp is very hard to come by, and when they do, they're solid Dream11 captaincy picks.
#1 Nat Sciver-Brunt (ALL) (ENG)
Like Marizanne Kapp, Nat Sciver-Brunt is another powerhouse all-rounder that Dream11 players shouldn't think twice about before giving her the captain's armband.
She fell cheaply in the first match against Bangladesh, trapped plumb in front by Fahima Khatun's leg-spin, but she did come back strongly with the ball, bowling a tight spell of 1/20 in her four overs.
There's not much separating Nat Sciver-Brunt from Marizanne Kapp as a Dream11 captaincy pick, but her numbers against the Proteas are better than Kapp's numbers against England, and that might give her the edge over her counterpart in the South African XI.
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