South Australia face upbeat Lions

Sunday, September 12
Start time 1330 (1130 GMT)

If the Lions' game against Mumbai Indians was akin to David taking on Goliath, this one is more even. The South African team meets South Australia, who are without their star players Kieron Pollard and Shahid Afridi, and have now gone 14 years without a domestic title since their Sheffield Shield win in 1995-96.

The Lions at least have a domestic Pro20 crown from 2006-07 to show for their efforts. The last time South Australia won anything, they were led by current Bangladesh coach Jamie Siddons. That just goes to show how barren their cupboard has been in recent times. So they surprised even themselves by winning four games on the trot in the last Big Bash - Australia's domestic Twenty20 tournament - before being thrashed by Victoria in the final. Pollard and Afridi had a big role to play in that run and to say that they will be missed is an understatement.

South Australia have arrived with a new leadership team of Michael Klinger and his deputy, Callum Ferguson. Neither batsman has a reputation for being a hitter and Ferguson, who has a T20 strike-rate under 110, hasn't played since injuring his knee in the 2009 Champions Trophy final. The batting hopes will rest on Daniel Harris, whose 62-ball 98 against Victoria is the highest T20 score by a South Australia batsman.

The Lions, meanwhile, will be upbeat after beating star-studded Mumbai, giving them one of the biggest wins in their history. Their bowlers came back after Sachin Tendulkar looked to be running away with the game, and will fancy their chances against a South Australian batting line-up that lacks its big guns.

After recently ruling out a return to Test cricket, Shaun Tait will be keen to show once again that he belongs in the shortest format in which a tearaway spell of a couple of overs, something that he is quite capable of, can change a game.

Though the batsmen set up the Lions' win on Friday, Shane Burger applied the finishing touch with his medium-pace, bowling Tendulkar and Pollard in consecutive overs. He will look to be on target once again with his full-pitched deliveries.

Jonathan Vandiar v Tait: Vandiar started nervously against Mumbai before swinging some big hits over the leg side, including one six off Lasith Malinga that went 87 metres into the crowd, to top-score with 71. Tait is similar to Malinga in action and likes to bowl full and fast like the Sri Lankan.