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Hambantota will play host to an African derby as tournament favourites South Africa begin another campaign for major silverware, this time against neighbours Zimbabwe. AB de Villiers’ men probably could not have asked for a gentler easing in and will view this match as the beginning of a journey that they hope will end on October 7 in Colombo, with a trophy.

Despite some in the South Africa team being on the road since June, they showed no signs of homesickness and most were delighted to be in the island nation. De Villiers posted photographs of the air-force helicopter the team travelled in and Dale Steyn and Lonwabo Tsotsobe put up pictures of the beach in Hambantota.

They have found ways of keeping themselves fresh, a small sign that mindset has changed under Gary Kirsten. South Africa have made promises that they are ready to perform under pressure and that, more than ability with bat and ball will be under scrutiny.

Knowing that mind games have been used successfully used against South Africa in the past, Zimbabwe will look to make the most out of their victory in the unofficial tri-series in June where they beat a South African side in the final.

Expect words on the field from Zimbabwe, who will be more motivated by who their opposition is than the context in which this match is played. Their flights to Harare are probably booked and boarding passes waiting to be stamped but Zimbabwe will want to make a point before boarding.

Brendan Taylor was visibly and verbally disappointed with Zimbabwe’s performance against Sri Lanka. “We are a better side than that,” he said. His team will want to prove the captain right.

Form guide (last 5 completed matches, most recent first)

South Africa LWWWW
Zimbabwe LLLLL
 

Watch out for

He has been dubbed the man that will change South Africa’s fortunes at a major tournament and if AB de Villiers is able to do that, he will be hailed as more than a hero. With the responsibility of holding the batting line-up together, wicketkeeping and leading the side, De Villiers will have more to think about at first, but the silverware will be on his mind. 

Sri Lanka’s batsmen found it difficult to pick Zimbabwe legspinner Graeme Cremer and he finished as their most successful bowler. With a well-disguised googly and a good arm-ball, Cremer also has the right attitude of aggression for his role. He is well used in the middle overs and could be a challenge for the likes of JP Duminy.

Team news

South Africa’s squad has been hit with a tummy bug. AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis did not train but they have all been declared fit to play. They are also waiting on Albie Morkel to make a decision about their final XI. Morkel sustained lower back spasms in the warm-up match against New Zealand and was taken for MRI scan which was inconclusive in its results. He will have a fitness test on Thursday morning. If he cannot play, it could open up a spot for either Faf du Plessis, who will likely miss out on a batting role in the top order or Wayne Parnell, if South Africa opt for an extra seamer. 

South Africa’s batting line-up will be flexible with their top order still undecided except the opening combination of two Wynberg Boys alumini – Jacques Kallis and Richard Levi. Both Johan Botha and Robin Peterson are expected to play and they could resort back to their default bowling pair of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, meaning no space for Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

South Africa (probable): 1 Richard Levi, 2 Jacques Kallis, 3 Hashim Amla, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Justin Ontong, 7 Faf du Plessis/Wayne Parnell/Albie Morkel, 8 Johan Botha, 9 Robin Peterson, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Dale Steyn

Zimbabwe’s seamers came undone against Sri Lanka, which may tempt them into using an additional spinner. They had both Cremer and Prosper Utseya in action on Tuesday and could add Ray Price to the XI, in place of Chris Mpofu. With even less to lose than they had at the start of the competition, death bowling specialist Richard Muzhange could make his debut. Malcolm Waller may have to pay for a match in which he dropped two catches and made a duck and Stuart Matsikenyeri could be brought in to bolster the batting.

Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Hamilton Masakadza, 2 Vusi Sibanda, 3 Brendan Taylor, 4 Craig Ervine, 5 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Prosper Utseya, 8 Graeme Cremer, 9 Richard Muzhange, 10 Kyle Jarvis, 11 Ray Price/Brian Vitori

Pitch and conditions

Although talked up as a seamer-friendly surface, the Hambantota pitch offered almost nothing. It was slow and lifeless, did not have pace or turn and the bowlers had to rely on movement through the air, or in Ajantha Mendis’ case, variations to cause problems. Batsmen found the going tough at first but run-scoring became easier as they spent more time at the crease. The skies may be watched more than the ground though. Rain is predicted for Thursday evening. 

Stats and trivia

• South Africa and Pakistan are joint-second on the list of teams who have won the most consecutive T20s. Both have a string of seven victories, the same number as the maximum amount of matches the finalists will play in this edition of the competition. England and Ireland have had runs of eight wins.
• Zimbabwe have lost their last 13 T20 matches 

   

  Quotes

  “Zimbabwe are a proud country and a proud team. They will want to improve on their performance yesterday. Whatever they bring to the party, obviously, we just need to be better than them.”
  Hashim Amla was in the South African XI that lost in an unofficial series final to Zimbabwe 

  “We’re more familiar with the South African set up and we know what they’re all about. They are a quality team. We do rely heavily on our top four so we need them to fire and also for some of the others to kick on so that we can chase down totals and post big ones.”
  Brendan Taylor hopes Zimbabwe will be stronger against South Africa, if only because they know them.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa correspondent

South Africa’s first-class competition will start on Thursday with two of the franchises opening their campaigns with the Champions League T20 not far from their minds. The Lions and Titans will play two rounds each before beginning the lucrative multi-team tournament and both see the early start to the season as an advantage ahead of the 20-over championship.

“It will be quite good for us and gives us a base going into the competition,” Lions captain, Alviro Petersen,said. Lions played in the last CLT20 to be hosted in South Africa, in 2010, and will again play most of their matches at their Johannesburg home ground, the Wanderers.

Titans coach Matthew Maynard admitted his squad is “match shy” after their pre-season plans were rained on at their training camp in the country’s north-eastern Mpumalanga province. In order to get as much time in the nets as possible one of their quicks, Ethy Mbhalati, was married on Tuesday and resumed training shortly after the ceremony.

Maynard said he is unconcerned with their lack of preparation and said he would rather the team “start undercooked than get overdone at the business end of the season”.

Titans won last year’s first-class competition in exactly that fashion. After starting badly, they peaked in the mid-section of the tournament and sealed the title on the final weekend with a massive victory over Dolphins. Maynard said they have every intention of repeating their feats this summer. “We are not trying to defend our title, we are trying to win the competition – that’s a slightly different mindset,” he explained. “It’s all about how well you play in the last third of the season.”

Titans start the campaign against Knights, who have prepared with two warm-up matches. They played North-West Dragons in a day-night first-class match, a pioneer of its kind in South Africa, where Morne van Wyk and Johan van der Wath scored hundreds in that game and van der Wath was among the wickets as well. “Our plans have gone quite well. Our bowlers were able to clock overs in the middle which they needed and the batters got plenty of runs,” Knights coach Sarel Cilliers said. “So at this stage, I’m quite happy.”

Cobras, last season’s runners-up, will start their summer in Potchefstroom against Lions. Both teams have new coaches, who are each taking charge of a franchise for the first time. Paul Adams, Cobras coach, is in charge of a team who ended last season fractured after Richard Pybus resigned. Adams said he understands he has a “responsibility to provide an environment in which the players will thrive and keep growing,” and he also wants to ensure trophies end up at Newlands.

Lions find themselves in the same position, having last secured silverware five seasons ago. Petersen thinks their development phase is over and that the squad of players they have are ready to blossom. “The guys have matured over the last couple of years,” he said. “We’ve spent time trying to build a team that can win and we think we have got there.”

Under Geoffrey Toyana, who Petersen describes as “relaxed”, Lions will look to play a new brand of cricket. “The way we are going to play four-day cricket has probably changed a bit because we’re going to be playing two strike bowlers,” he said.

A lack of firepower has been Lions, and at times the competitions’, main problem. That is set to change, especially as it is the place from where South Africa will have to produce players to help them retain their No. 1 Test ranking. Cricket South Africa are pouring resources into giving it a higher-profile, including securing the pay television broadcaster SuperSport to air hourly highlights and post-match interviews.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa

Season of change for Titans and Cobras

Who to watch 
Hendricks and Rilee Rossouw are both pushing for national selection. With runs aplenty between them in seasons past, they must feel they don’t need many more before the national selectors come calling.

Lions
Captain Alviro Petersen
Coach Geoffrey Toyana 

What’s changed 
The bowling attack. The Lions have headhunted two strike bowlers in paceman Hardus Viljoen and legspinner Imran Tahir to bolster their ranks. Dave Nosworthy’s resignation paved the way for Geoffrey Toyana to take over as coach. As a former first-class cricketer, Toyana knows the structures at the union well and is also South Africa’s first black African franchise coach.

How they fared last season
Two draws and a loss in their first three matches summed up what would become the Lions’ biggest problem over the season: an inability to bowl teams out. They were able to take 20 wickets against the Warriors, who they beat to earn their first win of the season. A crushing innings-and-83-run loss to the Cobras was followed by two victories, over the Titans and Warriors but their season petered out with three draws.

Run-scoring came in droves for the Lions. Alviro Petersen wrested back his international spot with 816 runs from seven matches at an average of 62.76 and was the competition’s top run-scorer. Neil McKenzie was second highest with 790 runs, and Steven Cook contributed 690 to give the Lions a healthy top order. Pumi Matshikwe’s 30 wickets got him picked for the South Africa A side and Eddie Leie’s 24 scalps saw him emerge as an exciting legspin prospect.

Who to watch 
Quinton de Kock is being talked up as the next big wicketkeeper-batsman and will be closely monitored. Chris Morris was part of the South African squad who competed in an unofficial T20 tri-series in Zimbabwe and Matshikwe has shown promising signs in the fast-bowling department.

Warriors
Captain Colin Ingram
Coach Piet Botha 

What’s changed 
The loss of Lonwabo Tsotsobe is the biggest concern for the Warriors who have a talented but underperforming squad. Since Russell Domingo was poached for the national assistant coach job, they have struggled to reach the highs of the 2009-10 season when they won two trophies. Not much has changed in their personnel, but they will need a change in attitude if they hope for success this season.

How they fared last season
With seven losses from ten matches, it’s a wonder the Warriors did not finish last on the table. They managed over 350 runs just once in the competition and conceded over 350 six times. With three defeats from their first three matches, reaching parity was always going to be tricky for them but they almost stood up to the challenge. Wins over the Dolphins and Cobras kept them above water. But three defeats, a weather-affected abandoned match and a fourth loss ended their season dismally.

It was not all woe though – Simon Harmer’s 44 wickets made him the tournament’s highest wicket-taker. Jon-Jon Smuts was their leading run-scorer with 742 runs at an average of 43.64.

Who to watch 
The Smuts brothers, Kelly and Jon-Jon, are entertaining and resourceful cricketers who could attract the attention of people in important places. Makhaya Ntini is still playing, despite international retirement, and Ashwell Prince is the senior statesman who has not given up on playing for South Africa just yet.

Dolphins
Captain Daryn Smit
Coach Lance Klusener 

What’s changed
Another franchise who have had a complete change at the top, the Dolphins are another new-look team. After Graham Ford’s departure to Sri Lanka mid-season, Klusener was appointed interim coach and the players enjoyed playing under him so much that he was given the job full time. Smit is a new, enthusiastic leader, and they have acquired Tsotsobe and Jonathan Vandiar, but lost Tahir to the Lions.

How they fared last season
A forgettable season for the Dolphins, who won one match in 2012, beating the Warriors by 227 runs.

Divan van Wyk scored 669 runs at just under 40 and Imraan Khan contributed 652 runs. Kyle Abbott and Robbie Frylinck both took 33 wickets to lead the bowler’s rankings.

Who to watch 
Khaya Zondo and Mthokozisi Shezi have made waves in the batting and bowling departments respectively, while Vaughn van Jaarsveld is always on the national selectors’ minds.

Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa