Ireland v South Africa, World Cup 2015, Group B, Canberra March 2, 2015

Ireland face their biggest challenge

Match facts

March 3, 2015, Canberra
Start time 14:30 local (03:30 GMT)

What will AB de Villiers have in store this time? © Getty Images

Big picture

The World Cup so far: South Africa, beaten once, Ireland unbeaten.

Predictable as the tournament may have become in some ways, you cannot say you expected to read that. Ireland have also bucked the trend in Australia by chasing a tough target successfully under lights against UAE, one of just two successful pursuits in that part of the draw (the other being India's against UAE when the lights weren't needed in Perth).

Victories over West Indies and UAE have left Ireland looking good for the knockouts with half their matches still to play, although they will know their strongest opposition in the group is still to come. That starts in Canberra, where they will take on a South African side sufficiently recovered from a defeat to India and buoyed by their performance over West Indies.

Both sides will clear their own paths to the quarters with a win in this match and South Africa will be the strong favourites to get that. They may even regard their hiccup for the competition over after they dominated West Indies, albeit with an injury setback to JP Duminy and two reserves in the starting XI.

That performance allowed almost all South Africa's squad members, barring left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso, to find form and they will want nothing more than to take that back to New Zealand especially if they hit cruise control when they get there - and a win over Ireland will allow that.

For Ireland, defeat will not mean disaster but an upset would be another jolt to the global order. It would also maintain them as the only unbeaten team alongside New Zealand and India.

Form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
South Africa WLWWL
Ireland WWLWW

In the spotlight

In a tournament dominated by the batsmen there have been a few outstanding displays from bowlers, but Dale Steyn has yet to have a say. He has a wicket from each of the three games South Africa have played and pulled back his economy rate from more than seven runs an over against Zimbabwe to less than four runs an over against West Indies, but he seems to be missing some of the menace that makes his magic. Steyn has not been as quick or as aggressive as usual and has let some of South Africa's other bowlers take over from him as the spearhead. But that may all have been part of his warming up and if he is ready to go, opposition line-ups will have something to fear.

Ireland's batting has proved, twice in this tournament alone, that they can stand up for themselves so it will be up to their bowlers to step up. George Dockrell is their highest wicket-taker with four scalps while Max Sorensen leads their pack. South Africa do not struggle against either left-arm spin or pace but have been known to be outthought by craftiness and guile, which is what Ireland's pack will need to find to keep them quiet.

Team news

Vernon Philander and JP Duminy are still recovering from hamstring and side strains respectively and South Africa will likely take the cautious approach over their availability. That should give Rilee Rossouw and Kyle Abbott another opportunity after both performed impressively against West Indies. South Africa may still be deciding between which allrounder to use with Farhaan Behardien and Wayne Parnell the candidates.

South Africa 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 Rilee Rossouw, 5 AB de Villiers (capt), 6 David Miller, 7 Farhaan Behardien/Wayne Parnell, 8 Kyle Abbott, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Imran Tahir

Ireland have no reason to alter a strong batting line-up and will likely stick with the same attack they used against West Indies. Alex Cusack came in for Andy McBrine and they may want the extra seamer rather than slower bowler given the surface.

Ireland 1 Williams Porterfield (capt), 2 Paul Stirling, 3 Ed Joyce, 4 Niall O'Brien, 5 Andy Balbirnie, 6 Gary Wilson (wk), 7 Kevin O'Brien, 8 John Mooney, 9 Alex Cusack, 10 Max Sorenson, 11 George Dockrell

Pitch and conditions

Although Afghanistan made run scoring look like hard work at this venue, this was the surface Chris Gayle plundered 200 runs on a week ago. Zimbabwe responded with a total just shy of 300. A flat pitch and fast outfield should provide plenty more runs as the tournament says goodbye to the Australian capital. Warm weather of 29 degrees is forecast with no rain.

Quotes

"You can sit all day and talk about him and different theories and plans and whatever, but you've got to stick to your best ball and how you go about things. You don't have to reinvent the wheel or change how you play really against one player."
William Porterfield was keeping a level head about the challenge posed by AB de Villiers

"In my opinion he is a level above most batters...I wouldn't want to be in bowling analysis meetings when preparing for de Villiers."
Farhaan Behardien wishes Ireland good luck at bowling to the aforementioned de Villiers

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's South Africa correspondent

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