Welcome to Nassau County, Bangladesh. It's a beautiful place to be—unless you're trying to score runs in the men's T20 World Cup. While India and Pakistan might have better luck on Sunday, so far it's been a challenging venue.
Sri Lanka was bowled out for 77, and Ireland managed just 96. South Africa, considered among the favourites, have won both their games at this ground but not as dominantly as they might have hoped.
Saturday's match between the Netherlands and South Africa was the first of the four games in Nassau where the focus was on the cricket rather than the unpredictable pitch.
In the initial three games, deliveries landing in the same spot could vary significantly in bounce, making consistency a challenge for the batters. This, combined with significant swing and seam movement, and an outfield that resisted easy boundaries, created a tough environment for scoring.
Even the somewhat settled pitch seen on Saturday kept bowlers in the game more than the high-scoring matches typical of this year's IPL. This should result in a more balanced contest than we've seen in previous T20 World Cup games between these teams, which have often been dominated by South Africa.
Neither batting lineup has delivered a commanding performance in the three matches played so far—David Miller's unbeaten 59 off 51 balls against the Dutch is the only half-century scored by a Bangladesh or South Africa player. This promises a competitive game for those wanting more than just a run-fest.
However, for all the Bangladeshi and South African fans, both at home and abroad, the priority will be securing another two points for the Super Eights.