I am really looking forward to this one. It is a must-win game for South Africa
After their unexpected win against Sri Lanka, will England dump South Africa out of the tournament?
Start time: 14:30 local, 12:30 GMT
Weather:
Head to Head: South Africa lead England 22-15 in 40 games (1 tied, 2 abandoned)
Form Guide: (last five completed matches, most recent first)
England - WWLLL; South Africa - WLLWW
Match Preview:
The hosts sharpened their game against New Zealand to get their campaign back on track. Wayne Parnell claimed five wickets and AB de Villiers looked in ominous form. This will be the first of many meetings between the two sides over the next few months; in November England return for a full Test and one-day tour. In the present, though, it’s all about reaching the semi-finals of this tournament and South Africa can’t afford any more slips.** It’s a pressure game for Graeme Smith’s team, and pressure can do funny things to South Africa.**
Pitch and conditions:
The Centurion surface hasn’t offered the amount of help that England enjoyed at The Wanderers, but there will still be something there for good bowling. As ever in these parts there is a threat of thunderstorms, but so far they have only impacted one match.
Probables:
England: (probable) 1 Andrew Strauss (capt), 2 Joe Denly, 3 Owais Shah, 4 Paul Collingwood, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Luke Wright, 8 Stuart Broad, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Graham Onions.
**South Africa: **(probable) 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Herschelle Gibbs, 3 Jacques Kallis, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Johan Botha, 9 Roelof van der Merwe, 10 Wayne Parnell, 11 Dale Steyn
Stats and trivia:
- These two teams have met twice at Centurion Park, once in 1996 and then in 2005, with South Africa winning on both occasions.
- Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood survive from the England side of 2006, while Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher are certain to play for South Africa.
