England go up against South Africa in the second T20 international on Thursday, July 28 at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff from 11:00 PM IST (Indian Standard Time).
England have lost three of their last five matches in this format. They were beaten 3-2 by West Indies in the T20I series in the Caribbean nation followed by a 2-1 series defeat by India earlier this month. The Englishmen also lost the following ODI series against India.
In the first match of this series, Jonny Bairstow’s 90 and Moeen Ali’s 52 helped England set up 234 runs on the board after batting first. Adil Rashid and Reece Topley took two wickets each as they sealed a 41-run victory against the Proteas.
South Africa finished the ODI series against England all square after the heavy defeat in the second match at Manchester. The Proteas’ last series in the shortest format was a strong one against India, winning the first two matches as the series ended 2-2. They beat West Indies, Ireland and Sri Lanka in consecutive series’ before the ICC T20 World Cup last year.
Lungi Ngidi’s 5-fer, Reeza Hendricks’ fifty and Tristan Stubbs’ 28-ball 72 were the only positives for the South African cricket team in the first T20I. The rest of the Proteas bowlers were taken for runs and most of the batsmen failed to impress.
England vs South Africa 2nd T20I odds
Parimatch odds: England: 1.50, South Africa: 2.54
10CRIC odds: England: 1.50, South Africa: 2.55
Betway odds: England: 1.57, South Africa: 2.40
Betwinner odds: England: 1.52, South Africa: 2.48
1xBet odds: England: 1.54, South Africa: 2.51
Note: Odds are subject to change. Please visit betting sites to check and confirm the latest odds.
England vs South Africa head-to-head in T20Is
The English cricket team have a slight edge in this head-to-head, winning 12 of the 23 matches against South Africa. The Proteas have won 10 and one match finished without a result.
England beat South Africa in the T20I series on their tour of the African nation in November 2020. The Proteas beat the English side in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup group stage encounter.
England vs South Africa 2nd T20I probable playing XI
England: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (captain & wicket-keeper), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Richard Gleeson.
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Rilee Rossouw, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller (captain), Tristan Stubbs, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi.
England vs South Africa 2nd T20I top picks
England: Moeen Ali is the top pick from the English side in this match. The all-rounder has scored 157 runs and picked up seven wickets against the Proteas in this format. He has scored 367 runs in 19 matches at a strike-rate of 155.50 and picked up 12 wickets in T20Is in England.
South Africa: Watch out for David Miller in this encounter. The Proteas stand-in captain has scored 1890 runs at a strike-rate of 141.04 in this format. The southpaw boasts of an average of 20.50 against England in this format with a top score of 35*. The 33-year-old scored 577 runs for Gujarat Titans in the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
England vs South Africa 2nd T20I prediction
England have a good record in this format at home against the Proteas and looked the stronger batting unit in the last match. The hosts will once again be the favourites to win this encounter.
South Africa had a poor performance with the ball in the first T20I but they have the quality to turn it around and challenge the English side. However, they have a poor record at this venue and are likely to find it difficult once again.
England vs South Africa 2nd T20I playing conditions and weather report
Maximum Temperature: 20°C
Precipitation: 14%
Humidity: 97%
Wind: 11 km/h