SENA is a term in the cricket world that refers to the four topmost cricket playing nations: South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia. These countries have exceptional performances on their native pitches, which are pacer-friendly.
Asian vs SENA Pitches
The Asian pitches are, on the other hand, batsman and spinner-friendly pitches. Since cricket heavily relies on the pitch conditions, team decisions like selection, batting/bowling first, game plan, and key departments are based on the pitch. This is a major reason why Asian teams struggle against the SENA countries on their home grounds.
Conversely, the SENA cricket teams find it difficult to maintain their records on Asian pitches, as they struggle against spin bowling. Since Asian pitches don’t favor fast bowlers, the SENA teams lose their key strength.
SENA Country Profiles
Australia
The Australian team is the most powerful among the SENA countries, having ruled the game for a long time and dominated other nations. With the highest winning percentage (60%) in ODIs, the team has reached the World Cup final 7 times and won a record 5 times (1987, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015).
Australian pitches complement pace and bounce, making them ideal for the fast format like T20. Hence, Australia hosts major T20 tournaments like the Big Bash League, where players relish playing on such pitches. Despite their great history, the Australian team is facing a decline in performance, although they still have a strong team.
New Zealand
The current world test champions, New Zealand, have clearly proved their class in world cricket after trying to win the title for many years. The team is exceptional in every format, and their comeback after the unlucky 2019 World Cup final defeat against England was grabbing the test champions title against India.
The BlackCaps are now one of the toughest sides to play against, excelling in each department with great team effort.
England
The home of cricket, England, won their first-ever World Cup title in 2019 and is a strong side. The iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground is also located in their country, adding to their cricketing legacy.
South Africa
The team that has no haters around the world and plays with a true spirit of sportsmanship, although they have failed to grab the cup even after coming closest. The pitches in South Africa also favor pace bowling.
Together, these four cricket playing nations comprise the term SENA.
