🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: S8 - Match 45: SA vs England @8:00 PM IST🏏

🏏ICC T20I WC 2024: S8 - Match 45: SA vs England Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia on 21/06/2024 at @8:00 PM IST🏏

Future hopes meet present needs as Group 2 pace-setters clash in St Lucia

England finding their range after difficult start as SA seek to maintain winning run

Who will give way at the top of Group 2?

What direction is the drama following these two teams going to go in next?

On the face of it, things are going smoothly for South Africa. They are unbeaten at the tournament and have won matches when both setting targets and chasing but, and this is a big but, none of it has been easy. It's not just they were pushed by former champions Sri Lanka (who actually did the least pushing) and fellow Super Eighters Bangladesh but also by three Associates: Netherlands, Nepal and USA. If England were watching, they will have seen the flaws in South Africa's make-up, most notably in the batting. Two of the top three - Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram - have only just found form and the middle-order have not yet had the opportunity to play to their potential.

England will have been more pre-occupied with their own sideshows. They survived a group-stage scare in which they were all but written off after their rain-out against Scotland and have played and lost to their biggest rivals, Australia. Their net-run-rate boosting victories over Oman and Namibia helped ensure their survival once Scotland's challenge had faded, but their most recent win over West Indies could yet propel their campaign to a new level. It is entirely possible that three teams in a Super Eight pool of four could end up with two wins each, especially given USA's underdog status in Group 2, and so net run-rate could provide decisive. England's is currently at 1.34, which leaves them in a good position, and after their shaky start, they would like to think they've got on a roll.

South Africa might argue that they are already on one, and all they have to do is stay consistent with the knockouts in sight. Their next challenge is to maintain their winning start against two former champions. England's task is much less abstract. South Africa humbled them at the 2023 ODI World Cup, in the middle of a horror run they don't want to repeat, and with only USA to come, they have a chance to stamp their authority on this event.

[Tag and Logo Credit to Wildestdreams]

In the spotlight: Opening batters and the quickest of the quick

Both Quinton de Kock and Phil Salt played their best innings of the T20 World Cup in their last games with de Kock's 74 setting South Africa up for a big total and Salt's 87* helping England chase 181 against West Indies. Before those knocks, the numbers were not quite what the pair may have liked. De Kock had scores of 20, 0, 18 and 10 and Salt 37, 12 and 11. Starts, for sure and crucial to the tone of the innings, but they were not there at the end. Having players with their aggression bat through could be key on surfaces that seem to have offer runs and so how they perform in the next two matches could be key to their respective team's semi-final hopes.

South Africa have not had the challenge of consistent and genuine pace until now which makes Jofra Archer an interesting opponent. He is England's joint-leading bowler at the tournament so far and has their best economy rate of 6.58 and could prove a handful to a top-order that is still finding its feet at the event. They'll hope to counter-punch through Anrich Nortje, who equalled Dale Steyn's record for the most wickets by a South African at T20 World Cups in the last match, and has looked menacing throughout. Nortje is the tournament's second-highest wicket-taker so far and has been played with respect. Will England's batters, who enjoy pace on, show him the same?

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ENG vs SA, Pitch Report and Weather Conditions

The pitch at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia, is balanced. The average first-innings score at this venue in the last 20 matches is 113 runs. The team batting first at this venue has won 40% of its matches. The team winning the toss may decide to bat or bowl depending on the ground conditions.

Pace or Spin?

The pacers have taken 75% of the total wickets at this venue. Hence picking up pacers for your fantasy team should be a good idea. Based on the stats available, we predict that the pitch will continue to assist the pacers.

Weather Report

The temperature is expected to be around 29.68 degrees Celsius with 62% humidity. 5.84 m/s winds are 

expected. Cloud cover is expected, so expect some movement to aid the pace bowlers.

ENG vs SA, Head-to-Head

In the 25 matches played between these two teams, England's bowlers have earned the most fantasy points for their team, while the batters have earned the most points for South Africa.

ENG vs SA, Fantasy Top Captain and Vice-Captain Picks

HEAD TO HEAD  LAST 5 MATCHES

South Africa won by 90 runs, 31-Jul-2022

South Africa won by 58 runs, 29-Jul-2022

England won by 41 runs, 28-Jul-2022

South Africa won by 10 runs, 07-Nov-2021

England won by 9 wickets (with 14 balls remaining), 02-Dec-2020

Best batters and Bowlers from both teams

Philip Salt (ENG)

Phil Salt has an average of 58 fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 7.9 and can be a good pick for your Dream11 Team. Salt is a top-order, right-handed batter and also keeps wickets. In the recent five matches, he has scored 147 runs.

Adil Rashid (ENG)

Adil Rashid is a very inconsistent player in terms of fantasy points and can be a high-risk, high-returns pick in your team. He has an average of 53 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 7.3. Adil is a leg-break bowler and in the recently played five matches, he has taken six wickets.

Samuel Curran (ENG)

Sam Curran is a safe bet for your Fantasy Team. He has an average of 51 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of eight. He is a left-handed batter. In the last played five matches, he has scored 91 runs. He can also give you some bowling fantasy points, bowling left-arm medium-fast and in recent matches, he has taken four wickets.

Ottneil Baartman (SA)

Ottneil Baartman is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He has an average of 42 fantasy points in the last five games and a fantasy rating of 8.2. He bowls right-arm medium-fast and in the last five games, he has taken eight wickets at an average of 11.6.

Tristan Stubbs (SA)

Tristan Stubbs is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He has an average of 41 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 7.8. He bats right-handed. In the last five matches, he has scored 20, 27, 0, 33 and 13 runs.

Jonathan Bairstow (ENG)

Jonny Bairstow can be a punt pick for your Dream11 Team. He has an average of 37 fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 8. Bairstow is a top-order, right-handed batter. In the last few matches, he has scored 48, 31, 8 and seven runs.

Tabraiz Shamsi (SA)

Tabraiz Shamsi is a very inconsistent player in terms of fantasy points and can be a high-risk, high-returns pick in your team. He has an average of 33 match fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 7.3. Shamsi bowls slow left-arm chinaman and in the last four matches, he has taken six wickets at an average of 15.8.

Batters To Watch(recent stats)

Phil Salt,  ENG

10 M • 471 Runs • 67.29 Avg • 189.15 SR

Jos Buttler,  ENG

10 M • 331 Runs • 41.38 Avg • 159.13 SR

Reeza Hendricks,  SA

10 M • 245 Runs • 24.5 Avg • 130.31 SR

Quinton de Kock,  SA

8 M • 186 Runs • 23.25 Avg • 147.61 SR

Bowlers To Watch(recent stats)

Adil Rashid,  ENG

10 M • 14 Wkts • 7.66 Econ • 15 SR

Jofra Archer,  ENG

7 M • 9 Wkts • 6.91 Econ • 15.44 SR

Anrich Nortje,  SA

7 M • 10 Wkts • 6.92 Econ • 15.6 SR

Ottneil Baartman,  SA

5 M • 8 Wkts • 4.65 Econ • 15 SR

Probable Best Performers of the match

Probable Best Batter:

Phil Salt had an amazing IPL season and is continuing his rich vein of form in the T20 World Cup 2024. He smashed an excellent 87 not out off 47 balls in the last game against the West Indies. Salt hit seven fours and five sixes during his exhilarating knock. England fans will hope for another big knock from their explosive opener.

Probable Best Bowler:

Anrich Nortje has bowled with steam and accounted for 10 wickets in five games at an average of 10.70. He is second on the list of highest wicket-takers in the tournament thus far. Nortje also has an awe-inspiring economy rate of 5.35 and his four overs will be key against the hard-hitting England batters.

Pitch and conditions

Runs, and a fair few of them, have been available throughout the matches that have been played here with a first-innings average of 187. However, it's not all smooth sailing for batters. There's good bounce and carry on offer and some grip, which brought England's spinners into play against West Indies. The one unknown is whether playing the match in the morning will make any difference to the conditions as all three matches so far have been night games. Weather-wise, there's rain due over the weekend but the forecast for Friday is clear and humid with peak temperatures at 31 degrees.

Stats and trivia

• The head-to-head record between England and South Africa is all-square with each team having won 12 matches against the other. At T20 World Cups, South Africa hold the upper hand and have beaten England four times in their six meetings, including their most recent clash in Sharjah in 2021.
• Anrich Nortje is two wickets away from 50 in T20Is and Tabraiz Shamsi one away from 300 in all T20s.
• Jos Buttler needs 19 more runs to become the ninth batter to 1,000 in all T20s this year. Currently, there are five South Africans with that many for 2024: Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen and Ryan Rickelton.

Quotes

"Hopefully."

Kagiso Rabada's one-word answer when asked if South Africa are peaking at the right time

"A lot of people say you learn when you lose, but I truly believe you learn when you win as well. It's important to reflect on what we did well today. We had a good performance, now we'll put that to bed and focus on the next performance."

England's Jos Buttler has had enough with the platitudes about the gains from losing.

England will be back at the scene of their convincing win over West Indies on Wednesday. South Africa haven't played a T20I at this ground since May 2010, but they arrive fresh from a decent enough downing of the United States. The stage for their men's T20 World Cup clash in Gros Islet on Friday couldn't be better set.

The South Africans are unbeaten after five games while England have lost to Australia and would have been hard-pressed to chase 109 in 10 overs to win their washed out match against Scotland. But the English will be considered favourites on Friday.