South Africa v England 1st T20

Team News

So England have gone with this team for the opener with the batting order expected to be as below:

1.      Roy
2.      Buttler
3.      Malan
4.      Bairstow
5.      Stokes
6.      Morgan
7.      S Curran
8.      T Curran
9.      Jordan
10.      Archer
11.      Rashid

So Buttler opens as expected with the skipper dropping down to number six to accommodate all the other batsmen.

A slight surprise that Mark Wood doesn’t make the team but Archer is a certainty and it would be difficult not to pick Tom Curran and Jordan as they rely on them so much at the death.

So Sam Curran comes in and not only does he strengthen the batting but he also gives a left arm bowling option.

As well as no Wood it also means only one spinner and no Moeen Ali as well.

It certainly looks a strong team and when you consider that Wood, Moeen, Billings and Topley have not been selected and the likes of Root and Banton aren’t in the squad, it really shows the strength in depth that England have.

South Africa have gone with:

1.      Bavuma
2.      De Kock
3.      Du Plesis
4.      Van Der Dussen
5.      Klaasen
6.      Biljon
7.      Linde
8.      Hendricks
9.      Rabada
10.      Ngidi
11.      Shamsi

England have won the toss and chosen to bowl.