Okay, all set for this massive clash.

Sir Viv Richards brings out the World Cup trophy and places it on the podium. Time for the players to line up for the anthems.

Pitch and conditions | Shaun Pollock and Samuel Badree: Nice breeze coming across. 67 meters and 61 meters square boundaries. 74 meters down the ground. One of the things you are guaranteed at this venue is consistent bounce. There are runs on offer. This is a very good cricket pitch and that's what you want for a game as crucial as this one.

Teams:

West Indies (Playing XI): Kyle Mayers, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran(w), Roston Chase, Rovman Powell(c), Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Obed McCoy

South Africa (Playing XI): Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock(w), Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Tabraiz Shamsi

Powell: Was 50-50 with the toss. Would've bowled as well. We're Caribbean guys playing in our home conditions. We should be able to adapt quickly. It's a team we have played often over the last couple of years. Kyle Mayers comes in for Johnson Charles.

South Africa have won the toss and have opted to field

Markram: Going to bowl first. Can't see the wicket get any first. Hoping it gets slightly better this evening.

South Africa have won the toss and have opted to field

The pitch in Antigua generally has good pace and bounce, and is more conducive for shot-making than some of the other venues. It should be to the liking of both batting lineups which have plenty of firepower, but the bowling remains a concern, especially for the West Indies. The hammering by England exposed their lack of options, forcing them to go to Obed McCoy in place of Romario Shepherd in the next game. Will they stick with that same combination today?

These two teams played a bilateral series shortly before the tournament where West Indies cruised to a 3-0 sweep against a second-string South African side. Not many players in the current South Africa lineup were part of that series, but Reeza Hendricks was one of the few who did play those three games and finished as the top-scorer for the Proteas. However, he's been woefully out of form and confidence in this World Cup. Apart from him, another area of concern for South Africa would be the fifth bowler. Do they go with Baartman or Shamsi, both of whom were expensive in their previous outings.

19:30 Local Time, 23:30 GMT, 05:00 IST: Hello and welcome to what is a virtual quarterfinal between South Africa and West Indies. Winner goes through to the semis, and the loser goes out. Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua is the setting for this crucial Group 2 encounter and it's the same venue where South Africa narrowly staved off the challenge from USA a few days ago. Narrow wins has been the theme of their campaign so far, and they've somehow found a way to get over the line everytime without really firing as a unit. Today will be a good time to finally hit their straps against the co-hosts who are coming into this game after a massive win.

Preview by Telford Vice

It's simple. Win and you're in the semifinals. That goes for both West Indies and South Africa in their men's T20 World Cup match in Antigua.

Should South Africa lose they could still make it on net runrate, and if the United States beat England in Barbados - which would be known before play is due to start in Antigua - the Windies could go through even if they lose. But those are complications best avoided.

Cricketers tend to be primal creatures. They can make all the pretence they like to sophistication and nuance, but when it comes down to it, they are about beating opponents like they are about nothing else. So this will make sense to them. Just win, dammit.

Both teams have been good at that in this tournament. West Indies' only loss in six games was to England in St Lucia on Wednesday. South Africa have reeled off six consecutive victories, most recently over the English in St Lucia on Friday.

That might make the South Africans look like favourites, but the fact is all of their wins - even against lesser fancied opponents like the US and Nepal - have been hard fought. They got home by a single run against the Nepalese. Not so the Windies, who hammered Uganda by 134 runs, Afghanistan by 104 and the Americans by nine wickets.

The upside for Aiden Markram's team is that, in the process of sailing close to defeat but, so far, fighting their way to success, is that they have never known themselves better as a team. You don't need to win emphatically. You just need to win. It's a lesson South Africans have taken a long time to learn.

The West Indians have been heartened, as Shai Hope says below, by the warm maroon love they have felt coming from the stands wherever they have played in this tournament. They're playing for themselves, obviously, but also for the fans. That's powerful alchemy.

When: West Indies vs South Africa, June 24, 12.30AM (June 25) GMT, 8.30PM Local, 2.30AM (June 25) SAST, 6AM (June 25) IST

Where: Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua

What to expect: A decent batting pitch with something in it for the spinners. The showers forecast for the morning could add zip to the surface.

Head to head in T20 World Cups: West Indies 1-3 South Africa

Team Watch:

West Indies

Brandon King has been ruled out with a side strain and replaced in the squad by Kyle Mayers.

Tactics & Matchups: Nicholas Pooran is the biggest batting threat in the tournament, and Alzarri Joseph is up there with the ball.

Probable XI: Shai Hope, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell (capt), Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Obed McCoy, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie

South Africa

A team who have hung tough to earn six tight wins have gelled into a hardened unit.

Tactics & Matchups: Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj both featured in the win over the United States at this ground, but Shamsi looks like sitting this one out.

Probable XI: Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman

Did you know?

- Both West Indies and South Africa won all four of their group games.

- The teams have played 22 T20Is against each other, and the score is 11-11.

- West Indies have lost two of the four T20Is they have played at this ground, both of them to South Africa - who have won all three they've played there.

What they said:

"Keep rallying. That's our motto. We always talk about rallying around the West Indies. The fans need to do the same. We're out there fighting for each and every one of us. We're playing a home World Cup, something a lot of cricketers may not get the opportunity to do. We understand the importance of this and we know how much the fans really want us to win. So we're fighting, we're doing it for them." - Shai Hope, man of the people.

"If you look at previous World Cups, the small moments we haven't really won. And it's good to see that all the games have been really close and we've found a way. That's building the character within the team. Crossing the line in those small moments are things we've never done before." - Keshav Maharaj on South Africa's reinvention.

Squads:

West Indies Squad: Shai Hope, Johnson Charles, Nicholas Pooran(w), Roston Chase, Rovman Powell(c), Sherfane Rutherford, Andre Russell, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Obed McCoy, Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Joseph, Kyle Mayers

South Africa Squad: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock(w), Aiden Markram(c), Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Ryan Rickelton, Bjorn Fortuin, Tabraiz Shamsi