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Two shocked teams return to action after defeats when England face South Africa in the 20th game of the 2023 ICC World Cup. This will be the first match of this tournament to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Our top England vs South Africa predictions
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As defending champions and one of the best white-ball cricket sides, England start off the rightful favourites but their recent form has been so scratchy it’s no surprise they are 4/5 (1.8) to win this.
South Africa might have even held the edge but for their shock lose to Netherlands last game and they are 11/10 (2.1) to grab a victory here.
First Prediction: South Africa to win: 11/10 (2.1)
England’s struggles look far more deep-rooted than South Africa’s shock loss to Netherlands. With South Africa having already beaten Sri Lanka and Australia they will be a lot more confident against a team that has already lost to New Zealand and Afghanistan and don’t have the kind of bowling to test a strong side.
Second Prediction: Top South Africa batsman – Quinton de Kock: 3/1 (4.0)
De Kock’s superlative form, a lacklustre bowling attack, possibly a flat pitch and having made his ODI runs at an average of 60 against England since 2015 make him a straightforward pick to top the batting charts in this game.
After disappointment in Delhi – we stay as a group, ready to go again! 💪
Full focus on Saturday.
Full focus on the win.#EnglandCricket | #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/fh4SQUfub6— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 19, 2023
ENG vs SA – Both need to shrug off shock losses
As the luck of draw would have it, these are two sides who are facing each other after suffering stunning defeats in their previous match. While that means one of them will immediately get back on a winning trail, it also points to the other side suffering another defeat.
England
That defeat to Afghanistan was down to a combination of poor bowling at the top and end of the Afghan innings and then a shocking chase in which none bar one of the batsmen made more than 32.
England had shown similar signs in their opening, New Zealand game too but at least that was while batting first. Which is why England will need to have some tough talk within the team to find a solution to their problem.
Will that be the talismanic Ben Stokes who might be returning for this one?
South Africa
South Africa would be ruing the manner in which they bowled against Netherlands. For most part they looked good but then went after scare-tactics with bouncers but ended up conceding 105 runs in the last 9.1 overs.
The South African batters will derive some relief from the manner in which they overcame Sri Lanka and Australia though and with the English bowling struggling it could lead to a quick turnaround in fortunes.
England vs South Africa h2h score
There have been 64 completed matches between these two sides and South Africa hold a slight edge at 33-30 with one tied game.
Interestingly, these two sides had played in a three-match series in South Africa earlier this year and the Proteas had won it 2-1. Since England’s win over them at the 2019 World Cup, it’s 4-3 in favour of South Africa in this format.
In World Cup cricket, England leads 4-3 while in India their only meeting came at the 2011 World Cup where England defended a sub-200 score.
Pitch report and weather conditions
The Mumbai weather was expected to be hot and humid as has been the case the last few days but there are new warnings of a cyclone expected to hit the city. As a result of that, there could be rains which could affect the encounter.
Pitches at the Wankhede Stadium typically have the red soil which make for good bounce and carry, bringing everyone into the contest. If the rain stays away, could be a high-scoring contest.
Key match details for ENG vs SA
- Date & Time: 8.30 am GMT, Saturday, October 21
- Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
- Where to watch: This match will be live with Sky Sports in the UK while fans in India can watch it on Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar. SuperSport is the official broadcast of this encounter in South Africa and you can also stream it on the SuperSport app.
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