ICC Men’s CWC 2023: England and South Africa come face to face after encountering ‘upsets’
The 20th match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will be played between England and South Africa on October 21 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. While the defending champions have blown hot and cold in this World Cup so far, South Africa’s two-match winning streak has been shockingly broken by dark horses Netherlands.
Head-to-Head
England and South Africa have played 69 ODIs against each other since 1992, of which England have won 30, South Africa have won 33, one match ended in a tie, and five matches did not produce result. In India, these two teams have played one ODI against each other, which England have won. At the World Cups, England lead 4-3 against South Africa.
| Particulars | England | South Africa |
| ICC ODI Rankings | 6 | 3 |
| Wins in ODIs | 30 | 33 |
| Wins in ODIs (in India) | 1 | 0 |
| At World Cups | 4 | 3 |
Performance in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 so far…
England and South Africa will play their fourth match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. While England have won one and lost two, South Africa have won two and lost one.
| Match number | England | South Africa |
| 1 | Lost to New Zealand by 9 wickets | Beat Sri Lanka by 102 runs |
| 2 | Beat Bangladesh by 137 runs | Beat Australia by 134 runs |
| 3 | Lost to Afghanistan by 69 runs | Lost to Netherlands by 38 runs |
Squads
England: Jos Buttler (c), Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, David Willey, Mark Wood, Chris Woakes.
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Lizaad Williams.
Injury updates
England’s star player Ben Stokes, who missed first three matches due to hip injury, has declared himself fit to play against South Africa next. Besides, there are no other injury concerns for England and South Africa.
Playing conditions
Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host the encounter between England and South Africa. While England will play their fourth ODI here, having won two and lost one, South Africa will play their fifth ODI, having won one and lost three.
The venue will host its first game of this tournament. Prior to this, it has hosted 23 ODIs, with the teams batting first winning 11 and the teams batting second winning 12. The highest total scored here is 438 which was made by South Africa in 2015. Expect a fresh and hard surface that will offer excellent conditions for batting.
Weather
The weather is expected to be very warm with hazy sun. The maximum temperature attained during the day will be 37 degrees Celsius. There will be 4% cloud cover and 1% chance of rain. The wind will blow from the south-east.
Players to watch out for
Dawid Malan and Joe Root have been the torchbearers of England’s batting in this World Cup. While Malan has scored 186 runs, Root has amassed 170 in their three outings. With the ball, Reece Topley has been the most effective with five wickets in two matches, including a four-wicket haul.
South Africa’s wicket-keeper and opening batter Quinton de Kock has been exceptional with the bat. This left-handed batter has scored 229 runs in three matches at an average of 76 and strike rate of 108. Among the bowlers, Kagiso Rabada has been impressive with seven wickets in three matches.
Match details
Date: October 21, 2023
Time: 2:00 PM IST
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Live streaming: Star Sports, Hotstar
All the statistics are sourced from ESPN Cricinfo