Australian and South African powerhouses clash
ESPNcricinfo previews the second semi-final of the Champions League Twenty20 between Titans and Sydney Sixers in Centurion
Match facts
October 26, 2012Start time 1730 local (1530 GMT)
Big Picture
As expected of a young tournament with potentially different qualifiers every year, we have a semi-final between two sides that have never met each other. However, these two sides - not literally, but the regions they are derived from - are traditional powerhouses in their respective countries.Watch out for…
Starc and Cummins have been known outside Australia for some time now, but this was an important tournament for Josh Hazlewood. The rest of the world now knows of another potential baggy green holder. He might not have taken many wickets, but he has bowled his quota in all the four matches he has played, and has gone at just 4.5 per over. Starc, who is leading the charts with 11 wickets, will no doubt acknowledge Hazlewood's contribution to his wickets.Weather and conditions
The forecast point to a "mostly sunny" day and a "mostly clear" evening in Centurion. If it does rain enough to wash the game out, we still have a reserve day on Saturday. That reduces the teams' challenge to dealing with the slightly tacky bounce at SuperSport Park. That this is Titans' home ground should give them a slight advantage.Quotes
"There won't be any change in game plan. Everybody knows their role and we will continue to play our roles whether Shane's here or not. So, I don't think that is going to be an issue."Sydney Sixers' Peter Nevill on the absence of Shane Watson
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo