New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Former India pacer Shikha Pandey expects a tightly contested battle when England take on South Africa in the second semi-final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, saying both sides possess the quality and experience to thrive under knockout pressure.

Assessing the contest ahead of the winner earning a place in the final against Australia, Shikha highlighted South Africa’s familiarity with English conditions but believes England’s batting depth could prove to be the decisive factor.

Pandey began by explaining why South Africa remain one of the most dangerous teams in global tournaments, pointing to their temperament and experience of playing in English conditions.

“South Africa are ruthless when it comes to World Cups. They have a strong bowling attack and batters who can handle pressure. Many of their players have also played a lot of cricket in England. Marizanne Kapp herself has had about three to four seasons in the Hundred here on these surfaces. So they are quite well-drilled. They are fighters who don’t give up easily,” Shikha told JioStar.

Despite acknowledging South Africa’s strengths, Shikha believes England will enter the semifinal with a batting line-up that is stronger and more balanced than in previous years.

“But one thing I will say about England is that I have watched them for a long time, and I haven’t seen their batting this organised and this deep. They have power, they have experience, and they have players who can finish games,” she added.

Shikha expects the contest to be decided by the smallest of margins and drew comparisons with another closely fought knockout fixture from the tournament before making her prediction. “So, we could be looking at a game like the South Africa-India one that goes right down to the wire. It’s tough to call, but I am going to say that England might just pip South Africa,” she said.

With Australia already through to the final after defeating the West Indies in the first semi-final, the spotlight now shifts to England and South Africa as they battle for the remaining place in the title decider.

–IANS

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