South Africa vs Pakistan at Supersport Park: Preview, betting odds and pitch report

The South African cricket summer kicks into high gear on Boxing Day when Pakistan meet the Proteas in the first Test of a three-match series at Supersport Park in Centurion.

Pakistan tuned up with a tidy win against a young Invitational XI but took some time to get going in that match and will have concerns on several fronts after a ‘home’ series defeat to New Zealand in the UAE.

The Proteas had a quiet Test winter, playing just two Test matches in Sri Lanka, where they were unceremoniously gunned down by the hosts and panned for poor preparation for the series on the Island.

Faf du Plessis and his troops have been afforded a single round of Four-Day franchise cricket to adjust to the longer format after a month of T20 action in the Mzansi Super League.

In a blow to the balance of the Proteas side as well as the potency of their bowling attack allrounder Vernon Philander was withdrawn from the squad and replaced by Cobras teammate Dane Paterson. Paterson has played limited overs cricket for South Africa but is uncapped at Test level.

With Lungi Ngidi already sidelined the injury to Philander puts extra pressure on the likes of Kagiso Rabada and veteran quick Dale Steyn, who needs just one wicket to become the all-time leading wicket-taker in Proteas Test.

Pakistan have injury concerns of their own and could be without metronomic seamer Mohammad Abbas who has yet to fully recover from a shoulder injury sustained in October.

Both teams have concerns about the quality of their top-order with South Africa struggling to replace AB de Villiers while senior batsman Hashim Amla continues to endure a slump in form. Pakistan will be boosted by warm-up hundreds for middle-order kingpins Azhar Ali and Babar Azam but might miss the experience of Mohammad Hafeez who recently retired from the longest format of the game.

Pitch Report

Details

Supersport Park in Centurion

Capacity: 22,000
Floodlights: Yes
Ends: Pavilion End, Hennops River End
Home team: The Titans/Tshwane Spartans/Northerns
Tests: 21 (16 home wins, 2 away wins, 3 draws)
Highest individual score: 208 (Hashim Amla)
Best bowling (innings): 7/29 (Kyle Abbott)
Best bowling (match): 12/127 (Mitchell Johnson)
Average RPO: 3.32
Groundsman: Bryan Bloy

Overview

Originally named Centurion Park, SuperSport Park is in easily accessible to cricket fans in Johannesburg, Midrand and Pretoria.

It is the only sports ground in the world to give its name to a municipality: Centurion and is one of only a few privately owned stadia in South Africa, having been bought back from the Centurion City Council by the Titans organization in more recent years.

Supersport Park has been described by various international captains as “One of the grounds with the best players’ facilities in the world”.

The stadium retains large grass embankments which make up a large part of the seating area, ideal for good family cricket watching with a traditional cricket venue feel to it. A pavilion at the north end of the ground boosts the spectator capacity to a tidy 22 000.

Known for being one of the quicker pitches in South Africa, it also gives plenty of opportunity to batsmen, with the ball generally coming onto the bat. It has never been seen as a spinners paradise. The outfield is level, lush and fast with a drainage system on par with any in the world.

The stadium staged its first test match between South Africa and Mike Atherton’s England team as recently as the 1995/1996 season.

SuperSport Park has a minimum seated capacity of 17 500, including 69 hospitality suites, 32 embankment suites and 40 wheelchair spaces.

Its reputation as having an atmosphere to rival even that of Newlands has led to the decision to host a Boxing Day Test at the venue for the first time ever in 2018.

The pitch is expected to have something in it for the quicks without being a total green mamba. The team winning the toss are likely to bat first nine times out of ten at Supersport Park.

There has been grave concern at the slowness of the Supersport Park wicket this season which may play into the hands of the tourists.

Betting odds

Betway have installed the hosts as the favourites for the first clash of the series which could prompt the adventurous punter to back Pakistan for an early series upset against a rusty Proteas outfit.

There is good value to be had in backing the Proteas rescuers-in-chief Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock to top the scoring for the hosts.