- South Africa’s 2-0 lead in the series against England has significantly improved the Proteas’ chances of qualifying for the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
- The Proteas gained 20 points from their two Mangaung Oval successes, going from 59 to 79 points.
- The wins moved SA to ninth place, three games ahead before the league cut in May.
Sri Lankan cricket fans must have watched with bated breath as South Africa first took the first ODI fire on Friday against England, before slumping in their chairs as the Proteas were surgically reeled in their third most successful ODI chase in the second game on sunday.
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Before the series began, South Africa had 59 points from their 16 ICC World Cup Super League matches.
After winning Friday’s first ODI by 27 runs and Sunday’s by five wickets, the Proteas won a crucial 20 points taking them to 79 points.
The points gained from the Mangaung Oval successes mean South Africa moved from 11th to 9th on the record.
ICC Super League Ranking
That pushed Sri Lanka (77 points) to 10th, and with South Africa still having Wednesday’s ODI against England in the Kimberley to come, the Islanders face the prospect of being 12 points adrift if SA get another one over Jos’s charges. Butler.
The West Indies currently sit in eighth place on 88 points, but having finished their ODI Super League programme, an SA victory on Wednesday will relegate them to the World Cup qualifiers for the second time in a row.
The top eight teams from the Super League automatically qualify for the World Cup in India later this year, with the bottom five joining five teams from League Two (three) and Challenger League (two). ).
Sri Lanka have three ODIs against New Zealand in Auckland (March 25), Christchurch (March 28) and Hamilton (March 31) to try and make up some ground in SA.
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The Proteas, due to the fortune of their calendar, have two ODIs against the Netherlands in Wanderers (March 31) and SuperSport Park (April 2), matches that were rescheduled due to Covid-19, the same being applicable to the rubber of SA against England.
If South Africa win their next three ODIs to qualify for the World Cup, it will be a remarkable feat considering their inconsistent form in Super League games, coupled with the fact that they sacrificed Australia’s ODI series for Cricket South Africa’s contract players. are available for the SA20.
The Proteas had to forfeit all 30 points on offer in that tie, and with the Super League games cut off in May, there was no room in what is an already tight international calendar.
