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Mar 29 LIVEEngland vs South Africa: Live stream, TV channel and team news as hosts prepare for World Cup
Everything you need to know as England’s preparation for the Twenty20 World Cup continues with a three-match series against South Africa.
England’s home series against South Africa continues with three Twenty20 matches months out from the World Cup in Australia.
The hosts are adapting to life without former captain Eoin Morgan who announced his retirement from international cricket in June.
Since then, England have lost one-day and Twenty20 series against India and played out a 1-1 draw against South Africa in a rain-affected 50-over series.
Attention turns back to the 20-over game for a fascinating three matches against the Proteas with time running out for both sides to fine-tune their plans ahead of the ICC tournament in October.
How can I watch the series?
The T20 series will be available to watch on the NOW app via BT TV.
Coverage of the second match from Cardiff begins at 6pm with play set to get underway half an hour later.
When are the matches?
First T20: Wednesday 27 July, England won by 41 runs
Second T20: Thursday 28 July, South Africa won by 58 runs
Third T20: Sunday 31 July, Southampton (2.30pm)
Team news
England: Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Richard Gleeson, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, David Willey.
South Africa: David Miller (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen.
Yorkshire spinner Adil Rashid returns to England’s T20 set-up after featuring in the one-day series and Jonny Bairstow is included after being rested for the India series.
Test captain Ben Stokes, who recently retired from the 50-over game, will not play in this series or The Hundred to prepare for the Test series against the Proteas.
For South Africa, David Miller deputises as captain for the injured Temba Bavuma who was ruled out after sustaining an elbow injury against India.
“The T20 format is a high priority for us at the moment,” said Chairman of Selectors Victor Mpitsang.
“We are looking to give opportunities to players that we are interested in seeing and working out the best combinations, while also trying to balance our desire to maintain enough consistency within the set up that the players are used to playing together as a team by the time they reach Australia for the World Cup."
The series so far
England’s red-ball revolution under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes has gripped the nation, but the white-ball team have struggled without influential captain Eoin Morgan.
Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott have presided over defeats to India in the ODI and T20 format, and they face uncertainties with the 20-over World Cup looming.
The ensuing South Africa series began with a three-match one-day series that will be remembered for the retirement of Test captain Ben Stokes from the 50-over game.
Stokes’ final ODI game ended in a 52-run defeat to the tourists in sweltering conditions in Durham, with Rassie van der Dussen scoring a fine 134.
The 2019 World Cup hero struggled for fitness with the ball and was dismissed by part-time spinner Aiden Markram for five.
A superb bowling effort saw England level the series at Old Trafford in the second ODI.
They posted a below-par 201 with the bat but reduced South Africa to 6-4 in a devastating new-ball burst and eventually bowled them out for 83 to seal an emphatic victory.
England’s hopes of securing a first white-ball series victory since Jos Buttler took over the captaincy were left scuppered due to rainy weather at Headingley.
Less than 28 overs of play were possible in Leeds, with one rain delay and resumption before the game was called in the first innings with South Africa 159 for two, which meant the series was drawn 1-1.
Quinton De Kock was denied an 18th ODI century as he struck a cleverly crafted 92 from 76 to help set a solid platform for the Proteas.
“It was a good wicket, and this can be a tough ground to defend at times,” England captain Jos Buttler said.
“The game was quite evenly poised. It would have been great to have a full game.”
The T20 series between England gets underway on Wednesday 27 July. Watch all the action with a Now Sports membership on BT TV.
