The first match of England’s South Africa tour will begin on Friday, January 27. The Proteas, who are in the race for direct qualification to the World Cup in India this year, will find this series crucial. England lost 3-0 to Australia in the previous ODI series. With this series, England will try to prepare for the ODI World Cup later this year. In this article you will know about south africa vs england match prediction.
After 2021, Jofra Archer is returning to the team without playing any series. On the other hand, South Africa ODI team is very unpredictable. They beat India in a series but lost to Bangladesh at home. They have to win this series against England to qualify for the World Cup directly.
South Africa Vs England Match Details
After defeating England in the first of the three-match ODI series at Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein, South Africa moved up one place and are currently tenth in the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League. On the other hand, this ODI series will also test the Proteas’ ability to qualify for the 2023 World Cup in India.
Captain Temba Bavuma has not led the Proteas to an ODI series win since South Africa easily defeated India 3-0 in early 2022, so he is under intense pressure. However, the recent performances of the South African players have proved that they are capable of withstanding the opposition’s pressure.
Since November 2022, England have not played a single ODI match. That was well proven after the defeat on 27 January. While the English team is yet to nail down their ideal lineup for the 50-over format, they look set to finish second in the second ODI at the same venue.
South Africa Vs England Match Prediction
The match is unlikely to be interrupted by rain and the temperature will be between 29 and 33 degrees Celsius. Teams bowling first have won 16 of the 32 matches at Mangaung Oval, but South Africa will look to bat first in the second ODI. Also, considering how the ball bounced in the second innings of the first ODI, England would prefer to bat first.
At Mangaung Oval, the batting average is 240 runs. However, with the pitch being slow at the start, each team will want their batsmen to drive their scores to high scores with an aggressive character and attacking style against players from both sides. Seamers will get ample support from this pitch.
Who will be the winner?
South Africa took a 1-0 lead in the first match of the three-match ODI series between South Africa and England (SA vs Eng). England lost by 27 runs. And after this loss, England’s Test team captain Ben Stokes felt that playing too many matches in a short period of time played a big role in their loss.
England lost 3-0 to Australia after the T20 World Cup. Then the defeat against South Africa. From that point of view, England has lost four ODI matches in a row. England’s cricket is under criticism. Stokes has brought extra cricket to the table for this situation.
Final Thought
South Africa won the toss and elected to bat first in the first ODI between England and South Africa. South Africa scored 298 runs for the loss of 7 wickets thanks to Dasen’s brilliant century. In reply, England were bowled out for 271 runs. But England at one point reached 146 runs without losing any wicket. It was thought that England would win the match easily.
But the South African bowlers changed the situation of the match. Protea pacer Sisanda Magala took 3 wickets and Enrique Nokia took 4 wickets. Magala was the man of the match. If they win the series by 3-0, South Africa have a chance to qualify directly for this year’s World Cup. As a result, this series is very important for the Proteas. Stokes also made a suggestive tweet. Wrote, England’s problem starts with ‘S’ and ends with ‘E’. All in all, when will England turn around, cricket lovers are waiting.