South Africa vs England – 1st One-Day International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is South Africa vs England taking place? Sunday, December 6th, 2020 – 08:00 (UK)
Where is South Africa vs England taking place? Boland Park, Paarl
What is the expected weather for South Africa vs England? 33c with sunshine and cloudy intervals
What channel is South Africa vs England on? The match will be televised live on Sky Sports Cricket (Sky channel 404)
Where can I stream South Africa vs England? The match can be streamed live using the SkyGo app
Where can I get tickets for South Africa vs England? This match will take place without spectators
LAST MEETING
England beat South Africa by 2 wickets
THE TEAM NEWS
SOUTH AFRICA
- South Africa were thoroughly outplayed in the T20 series being whitewashed 3-0 by the tourists and they will have to find some answers in their bowling attack for dealing with this ferocious England batting line-up here.
- They will take some confidence from the drawn ODI series with England back in February when they were without Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje though they will be without key man Rabada here again as has a groin problem and will miss this series.
- Faf du Plessis has also been released from the squad as he is rested here but that will weaken them after his impressive form in the T20s but they will need the likes of Temba Bavuma, Heinrich Klaasen and Reeza Hendricks to step up and contribute more here.
UPDATE: One unnamed South African player has tested positive for COVID-19 and has been removed from the squad. All other players have been cleared to play so it remains to be seen who has dropped out.
ENGLAND
- England were in sensational form with the bat in the T20s as they blew the hosts away in all three matches so they will look to continue that stunning form in the 50-over format starting in Cape Town.
- They will make their usual adjustments in terms of selection as Joe Root will come back into the side while Sam Billings is also expected to play and the biggest question for the team will be whether they go with any of their all-rounders such as Moeen Ali, Lewis Gregory or Liam Livingstone or simply go with out-and-out bowlers.
- Olly Stone and Reece Topley are both pushing for a spot in the bowling attack while Mark Wood should also come in after being left out of the T20s as there is great competition for places in England’s white-ball teams right now.
THE PREDICTION
South Africa will be desperate to compete better in this ODI series starting in Paarl after they were comprehensively outplayed in the T20 series that finished earlier this week by England. They are not helped by the absence of Du Plessis and Rabada which dents their batting and bowling but they simply need more of their players to step up now in their absence. Their bowling attack struggled in the T20s but they did well in the ODI series back in February when Shamsi and Ngidi especially did well against England. Their batting really does need to step up further if they are to match England here though. The tourists may lose a little momentum due to the changes in their team but the competition in the squad right now is so high that everybody knows they need to perform to keep their place. The gulf may not be as obvious in this format in comparison to the T20s but England should still have enough quality in all areas to beat the hosts here.
