Batters come alive as England take on South Africa 

Batters have started to come alive in the T20 World Cup following a shift to the West Indies and a blockbuster contest between two of the best batting lineups, at least on paper, in the tournament will face off when reigning champions England take on hot favourites South Africa at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St.Lucia today. 

In six meetings in T20 World Cups, South Africa have had the better of England on four occasions. England won the other two.

The venue for the contest has already seen two 200-plus first-innings totals in the four matches played so far and boasts a 194.75 average first-innings total, and on that basis, another run-fest is expected to be on the cards when the two sides lock horns.

Both sides come into the contest having won their opening Super 8 contests. Despite having flirted with group-stage elimination, England seemed to have found top gear after a dominant display in an eight-wicket victory over co-hosts West Indies in St.Lucia yesterday, courtesy of a match-winning unbeaten 47-ball 87 from opener Phil Salt.

The right-handed batter smacked five sixes and seven fours and put together an unbeaten 97-run stand with Jonny Bairstow (48 off 26) to help England chase down an 181-run target with 15 balls to spare.

England will be further boosted by the fact that their encounter against South Africa will be at the same venue whereas the Proteas played their last match in Antigua.

On the other hand, South Africa qualified for the Super 8s with a 100 percent record but barely got over the line in at least three of the four encounters -- a four-wicket win against the Netherlands, a four-run win over Bangladesh, and a one-run victory against Nepal. South Africa batters struggled to get going on wickets in New York, where they played three matches, as well as in Kingstown where they beat Nepal to cap off the group stage. Batting first in two of those contests, the South Africa batters managed a best first innings total of 115.

Against the USA, however, South Africa's batters were able to get rid of their shackles as they posted 194 for four -- their highest total this tournament so far. Opener Quinton de Kock found his mojo as he smashed five sixes and seven fours in a 40-ball 74 while skipper Aiden Markram notched up his highest score in the tournament -- a 32-ball 46 which was followed by a 22-ball 36 from Heinrich Klaasen.

England are expected to go unchanged from their eleven that played against the West Indies, while Markram has a big call to make -- whether to continue with two spinners or to go with an extra pace option. Tabraiz Shamsi took a solitary wicket but went for 50 runs in his four overs against the USA and should the Proteas skipper opt to go with one spinner, it would likely mean that Ottneil Baartman will return to the lineup.