Ponting targets Morkel for second T20
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has identified big-hitting South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel as the player to stop in the Twenty20 International on Sunday. Morkel smashed four boundaries and two sixes to score 37 off 19 balls as South Africa beat Australia by four wickets Friday to win the first Twenty20 International match at Wanderers.
He also starred with similar late-innings hitting as the Proteas won a one-day international series 4-1 in Australia in January.
"He probably won a couple of games single-handedly with his batting in Australia," Ponting said. "His power hitting (on Friday) probably got them over the line again.”
"So he is a very, very dangerous hitter. They use him very well. They hold him off as late as they possibly can and let him go in for the final onslaught really." South Africa has other big hitters in Herschelle Gibbs, A.B. de Villiers, J.P. Duminy and Mark Boucher - who cracked 36 not out off 22 balls on Friday.
But batsman Justin Ontong and bowling all-rounders Yusuf Abdulla and Roelof van der Merwe have been included for the match at Centurion.
Australia could bring in left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz. But
Ponting could prove to be a danger-man himself as he's the fourth most prolific scorer in the Twenty20 format, with 375 runs in 14 internationals and a highest score of 98 not out.
(source-icc).
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He also starred with similar late-innings hitting as the Proteas won a one-day international series 4-1 in Australia in January.
"He probably won a couple of games single-handedly with his batting in Australia," Ponting said. "His power hitting (on Friday) probably got them over the line again.”
"So he is a very, very dangerous hitter. They use him very well. They hold him off as late as they possibly can and let him go in for the final onslaught really." South Africa has other big hitters in Herschelle Gibbs, A.B. de Villiers, J.P. Duminy and Mark Boucher - who cracked 36 not out off 22 balls on Friday.
But batsman Justin Ontong and bowling all-rounders Yusuf Abdulla and Roelof van der Merwe have been included for the match at Centurion.
Australia could bring in left-arm seamer Nathan Bracken and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz. But
Ponting could prove to be a danger-man himself as he's the fourth most prolific scorer in the Twenty20 format, with 375 runs in 14 internationals and a highest score of 98 not out.
(source-icc).