The clock is gradually ticking, as South Africa and England start winding down the pre-World Cup preparations.
After a mixed bag of an ODI series, both teams are gearing up for what will be an action-packed, high-voltage T20 showdown.
The Proteas have named a full-strength squad for this series, with a couple of new faces in the mix, too. David Miller is set to take charge for the first time since 2019. The seasoned left-hander has been a vital element in the middle order searching for much-needed consistency.
Gerald Coetzee, the Knights tearaway speedster, has received his first ever national call, while the hard-hitting Tristan Stubbs has been retained.
However, the return of Rilee Rossouw has hit the headlines for all the right reasons. A blistering run in the Vitality Blast for Somerset has reopened the door for the experienced batter. There has been plenty of buzz about him finally getting a second chance at representing the Proteas, and here comes an opportunity to take the initiative.
In addition, Kagiso Rabada will return after being rested from the ODIs. The world-class quick will be central to spearheading a formidable bowling unit and picking up wickets at critical intervals.
England’s squad is similar to that from their previous series against India. They’ve got immense talent depth, but it’s been a fresh new start under a new leader. Unfortunately, they haven’t quite got it going just yet but that could well and truly be a motivating factor in and of itself.
The batting card is laden with clean strikers, and Dawid Malan’s anchoring ability on offer. And it’s to be noted that England’s white-ball sides have a reputation of batting pretty deep, giving everyone the free license to go for it as early as possible.
On the other hand, the bowling has been a bit shaky. But the presence of Reece Topley will bolster the England attack with a genuine wicket-taking seam choice. Matt Parkinson is not in this side, and fellow leggie Adil Rashid has returned.
Potential XI’s
For the Proteas, the equation is pretty simple – six batters, one allrounder, and four bowlers. Having three seamers and two spinners has seemingly been a functional strategy, and should be the case for the series opener.
Now here comes the tricky part: who does Rossouw come in for? It’s possible to bat him at No 3 and shift everyone else down a position, and in that case, Heinrich Klaasen might make way. It’s also possible to open with Rossouw and de Kock, leaving the rest of the lineup as is. In any case, it’s an intriguing headache.
Hendricks/Rossouw
De Kock (wk)
Van der Dussen
Markram
Miller (c)
Klaasen
Pretorius
Maharaj
Rabada
Ngidi
Shamsi
England’s wide array of all-round options lengthens the batting lineup, which is a luxury. But they’ll be keener on an improved display after several collapses against India.
Roy
Buttler (c &wk)
Malan
Livingstone
Brook/Salt
Ali
Curran
Willey
Jordan
Rashid
Gleeson/Topley
Wednesday, 27 July
1st T20I – 18:30 start
England vs South Africa – Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol
