South Africa's [ Images ] domestic Twenty20 [ Images ] champions Diamond Eagles will have to play out of their skin if they desire to start their Champions League [ Images ] campaign on a winning note against a formidable New South Wales (NSW) in New Delhi [ Images ] on Friday.
Considering the big names in captain Simon Katich [ Images ], Stuart Clark, Nathan Hauritz [ Images ] and Brett among others in the NSW squad, Lee, the champion Australian side is undoubtedly the overwhelming favourites in the opening Group B match.
On the other hand, Eagles are the underdogs in the encounter, but one thing which is in the favour of Boeta Dippenaar-led side is the lack of knowledge about them.
Speedster Lee, high on confidence after a successful Champions Trophy [ Images ] campaign, possesses the biggest threat before the Eagles as he has the unmatched ability to extract bounce from the placid sub-continent pitches.
Besides Lee, the NSW attack has two nippy pacers in Doug Bollinger and Stuart Clark up its rank. The spin department will be in the hands of off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, who is fast emerging as a world class tweaker.
The batting front will be led by Philip Hughes and explosive David Warner, who make a formidable opening combination for the NSW, while Katich will provide the much-needed stability in the middle.
For Eagles, Dippenaar is the mainstay in the batting line-up while right-hand batsman Ryan Bailey also has the capability to change the colour of a match on his given day.
Apart from Dippenaar, the Eagles does not have much international experience in their side, and will be relying heavily on him and all-rounder Morne van Wyk, a member of the Indian Premier League [ Images ] (IPL) side Kolkata Knight Riders [ Images ], to come good in the $6 million tournament.
Eagle's bowling department too lacks experience and will face a herculean task against a solid NSW batting line up tomorrow.
Teams
Eagles: Boeta Dippenaar (C), Ryan Bailey, Jandre Coetzee, Cornelius de Villiers, Dillon du Preez, Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Alan Kruger, Adrian McLaren [ Images ], Ryan McLaren, Victor Mpitsang, Rilee Rossouw, Thandi Tshabalala, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Morne van Wyk.
New South Wales: Simon Katich (C), Aaron Bird, Doug Bollinger, Stuart Clark, Nathan Hauritz, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes, Simon Keen, Brett Lee [ Images ], Steve O'Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Daniel Smith, Steven Smith, Dominic Thornely, David Warner.
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