England vs South Africa – 2nd T20 International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is England vs South Africa taking place? Thursday, July 28th, 2022 – 18:30 (UK)
Where is England vs South Africa taking place? Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
What is the expected weather for England vs South Africa? 18-19c cloudy, but dry with light winds throughout.
What channel is England vs South Africa on? The match will be televised in the UK live on Sky Sports
Where can I stream England vs South Africa? Subscribers of Sky Sports based in the UK will be able to stream this match live on the Sky Go app.
LAST MEETING
England beat South Africa by 41 runs.
THE TEAM NEWS
ENGLAND
- The first match of this series saw England take full advantage of some small Bristol boundaries to rack up their second highest T20i score, plundering 234/6 batting first which unsurprisingly proved a winning total, although they were made to sweat slightly at one stage.
- Both Richard Gleeson and Chris Jordan returned to the team as expected following the One-Day Internationals and each made a significant impact, Gleeson taking three wickets and Jordan bowling four overs for an economy rate of just 7.50, including a game-changing 18th over which snuffed out any hopes their opponents had of completing a stunning run-chase.
- Opener Jason Roy failed again with just 8 and his form is beginning to draw questions from some, but despite Phil Salt knocking at the door, Roy should be persisted with.
SOUTH AFRICA
- South Africa at least made a fight of this first T20i after conceding such a vast total before losing two early wickets in response, but in the end the weight of runs was simply too much for them to claw back
- 21-year-old Tristan Stubbs was the main reason why South Africa stood any sort of chance going into the final few overs as he smashed 72 from just 28 deliveries coming in at number 6 and it would be no surprise to see the big-hitting young batter promoted up the order in Cardiff.
- Lungi Ngidi took five of South Africa’s six wickets across the England innings and he will need better support this time round, whilst Anrich Nortje could come back into the side after being rested for the first match.
THE PREDICTION
The big hitting batting order of England was due a monster score and they duly delivered with their performance in the first T20i with Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali doing the majority of damage. The fact that Moeen came in to bat at number five above Liam Livingstone only emphases the depth England boasts on this front, which stands them in excellent stead for the rest of the three-match series. Less than 24 hours after shaking hands with the Proteas in Bristol, these two sides meet again in Cardiff and although they are likely to be playing on longer boundaries, a high-scoring contest is still likely to be on the cards. England however, appear finally to be hitting their stride under Jos Buttler and are well worth backing to make it two wins in two days.
