After the England tour of South Africa was called off due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the hosts went on to blame the visiting side for breaching a bio-secure environment for their practice session.

South Africa’s Western Province cricket officials specified the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as well as the local authorities that they wouldn’t be responsible for the health of English players.

They said that England players opted to practice in an outdoor net facility and hence the cricket officials cant be held accountable for the safety of touring side.

However, now ECB has cleared the reason as to why their players chose to practice outside. ECB said that the rest of the available pitches were not up to the standard of Newlands, a cricket venue in Cape Town.

“On arrival at Newlands on 3 December, we advised the venue that the three nets provided on the main pitch were not of a standard for conducive practice, as per the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the respective boards. Batsmen were unable to face seam bowlers on the nets on the main pitch as the surfaces were rendered and unacceptable,” said an ECB spokesperson as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

We requested CSA to provide security chain: ECB spokesperson

The ECB official further added that they requested Cricket South Africa (CSA) to provide them with the security cordon in order to pursue the practice in the outbound net facility. The same happened during the T20I series on November 28.

“We requested with CSA that we would like to use the practice nets and that we would create a security cordon to ensure the players and coaches could enter the facility safely, as done previously on 28- November,” added the English spokesperson.

“This was confirmed by England’s Security Team, the Team Operations Manager, and the Team Doctor. We were satisfied with this outcome, and we were able to practice in the net facility safely,” the spokesperson remarked.

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Boland Park in Paarl will host the first One-Day International (ODI) of the three-match series between South Africa and England after the fixture on Friday in Cape Town was postponed to Monday.

Now as per the revised schedule, both teams will play the first two matches back-to-back. Hence the win in Sunday’s fixture will be crucial in order to carry the momentum.

Pitch report

This match will be played on a different pitch which favours the batsmen, but the role of seamers and spinners can’t be ignored either. So, fans may expect a cracker of a game.

Head to head record

Matches played: 65 | South Africa won: 30 | England won: 28 | Tied: 1 | Abandoned: 2 | No result: 4

Predicted XI:

South Africa

South Africa will indeed miss the presence of Faf du Plessis, who was rested for ODI series, and Kagiso Rabada, who got injured. However, the relieving thing for the hosts is the return of David Miller and Andile Phehlukwayo, who missed the T20I series. George Linde might debut for the Proteas in ODI set-up after an impressive run in the shortest format.

SA XI: Quinton de Kock (c,wk), Janneman Malan, Andile Phehlukwayo, Jon-Jon Smuts, David Miller, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, George Linde, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi.

England

Joe Root and Chris Woakes, return after missing the T20Is. Sam Billings had an impressive summer so he will feature in the middle-order. For the specialist spinner, Adil Rashid will play while Moeen Ali could be given his first chance on this tour as an added spinner and a lower-order batsman.

ENG XI: Eoin Morgan (c), Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Sam Billings, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Tom Curran, Mark Wood.

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The first One-Day International (ODI) between South Africa and England has been postponed after a member of the home team’s squad was tested positive for Covid-19.

The three-match series will now start at Paarl on Sunday (December 6). The second fixture will be staged on Monday (December 7) before the final game on Wednesday (December 9), both of which are scheduled to take place at Newlands in Cape Town.

On Friday, Cricket South Africa (CSA) revealed the news via their official Twitter handle.

“CONFIRMED: Cricket South Africa and @ECB_cricket confirm the postponement of the first ODI of the three-match series to Sunday, December 06 2020,” CSA wrote in a tweet.

“This decision results from a player from the Proteas team testing positive for COVID-19 after the teams’ last round of scheduled testing performed on Thursday,” it added.

“In the interests of the safety and well-being of both teams, match officials, and all involved in the match, the Acting CEO of CSA, Kugandrie Govender as well as the CEO of the ECB, Tom Harrison, have agreed to postpone the first fixture to Sunday,” added CSA in a series of tweets.

In the interests of the safety and well-being of both teams, match officials, and all involved in the match, the Acting CEO of CSA, Kugandrie Govender as well as the CEO of the ECB, Tom Harrison, have agreed to postpone the first fixture to Sunday. #SAvENG #BetwayODI

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) December 4, 2020

Correct decision was made: England on the postponement

The Managing Director of England men’s cricket, Ashley Giles, issued a brief statement after the first ODI between South Africa and England got postponed. He thanked CSA for acting wisely after one player got COVID-19 positive.

“On behalf of the England touring party and the ECB, I would like to thank Cricket South Africa for their collaborative approach to postponing today’s one-day international,” said Giles as quoted by Guardian.

Giles opined that the decision to delay the first ODI was right as the safety of players is the top priority of England cricket management.

“Our number one priority is the health and safety of the England team and management group, and the correct decision was made following discussions between the two boards and respective medical teams. The England party will remain at its base in Cape Town on Friday and Saturday, and we are hopeful that the three-match series will be played before we depart next Thursday starting with the match at Paarl on Sunday,” added Giles.

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Former South Africa skipper and veteran batsman Faf du Plessis has been rested for the upcoming three-match One Day International (ODI) series against England.

In the recently concluded T20I leg, Du Plessis showed tremendous form as he registered scores of 58, 11, and 52 not out in three games.

Apart from Du Plessis, Pite van Biljon, Bjorn Fortuin, and Reeza Hendricks have also been released from the Proteas squad. They will now take part in the 4-day Domestic Series. Pacer Kagiso Rabada, on the other hand, had already been ruled out of the ODI series.

The ODI leg starts from Friday (December 4) at Newlands in Cape Town. The second match will be held at Paarl on December 6 before the action returns in Cape Town for the last ODI on December 9.

“The following players have been released from the squad to either join their franchise teams who continue playing in the CSA Four-Day Domestic Series or for rest and recuperation; Faf du Plessis (rest), Kagiso Rabada (injury rehabilitation, recuperation and rest), Pite van Biljon, Bjorn Fortuin and Reeza Hendricks (all to return to 4-Day Domestic Series),” said Cricket South Africa (CSA) in a statement as quoted by India Today.

Tests against Sri Lanka is in focus: CSA

South Africa will be hosting Sri Lanka for 2 Test matches, after the completion of ODI series against England. The CSA have decided to give three weeks rest to Du Plessis ahead of the first Test that will start on Boxing Day (December 26).

“The player will be released from the squad and bio-secure environment tomorrow to begin recovery, rehabilitation and preparation for the Betway Test series against Sri Lanka beginning on December 26,” added CSA in a statement.

Here is South Africa’s updated ODI squad:

Quinton de Kock (c), Heinrich Klaasen, George Linde, Temba Bavuma, Junior Dala, Beuran Hendricks, Janneman Malan, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lutho Sipamla, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Glenton Stuurman, Jon-Jon Smuts.

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The victory in the third T20I at Newlands completed a 3-0 series clean sweep for England over hosts South Africa. The triumph in Tuesday’s game also guided England to the top of the ICC T20I rankings.

For the visitors, Dawid Malan and Jos Buttler, both shined with the willow. While Malan smashed unbeaten 99, Buttler scored 67 not out to help England chase down a humungous target of 192 runs.

Apart from the fantastic show from Malan and Buttler, there was another interesting moment which caught everyone’s attention in the game.

It all happened when England’s analyst Nathan Leamon was spotted sending a piece of coded information to skipper Eoin Morgan from the dressing room. A series of letters and numbers were hung from the balcony of the touring side.

England’s vice-captain Buttler said that it’s an attempt to let the skipper know about the situation in the contest. He even regarded Morgan as one of the best leaders in the world.

“It’s a little help, a suggestion and what match-ups are going on. Eoin and Nathan work closely on analysis. It’s just a little bit of an experiment. Eoin is one of the best captains in the world, a fantastic, instinctive captain, and there’s a nice balance going on,” said Buttler as quoted by BBC.

Not commands but suggestions: England on signals

England termed the codes as a ‘live informational resource’. An England spokesperson said that it depends on the captain as he may choose to use the information or ignore it.

“The numbers and letters are intended as a live informational resource that the captain may choose to use or ignore as he wishes. They’re not commands or instructions, and all decision-making takes place on the field,” said an English spokesperson.

Although the former England captain Michael Vaughan was not impressed with the new tactic. He took to Twitter and expressed his thoughts.

“Signals sent from an analyst on a balcony to the captain on the pitch !!!! The world has officially gone nuts !!! #SAvENG #OnOn” Vaughan wrote on the micro-blogging website.

Signals sent from an analyst on a balcony to the captain on the pitch !!!! The world has officially gone nuts !!! #SAvENG #OnOn

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 1, 2020

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England’s middle-order batsman Dawid Malan showcased his superior class once again as he smashed an unbeaten 99 from 47 balls against South Africa in the third T20I at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday.

Malan built an unbroken 167 run stand with Jos Buttler (67) from just 85 deliveries during England’s successful chase of a 192-run target. The No.1 ranked T20I batsman, however, missed out from reaching the triple-figure.

After the match, Malan joked about his miscalculation of failing to score a hundred. The left-handed batsman said he needs to go back to Maths class.

“I knew I had to hit two sixes (to convert his 88) to win the game and get a hundred, I got a six and a four, so I guess I didn’t calculate that too well. I need to go back to maths class,” said Malan as quoted by SkySports.

Happy that I got some momentum: Malan

Malan amassed 173 runs in the three-match T20I series. For his outstanding effort with the willow, the 33-year-old received the ‘Player of the Series’ award. In the post-match interview, Malan admitted that he was not hitting the balls well in this series, but was happy that things changed in the dead rubber.

“Very happy that the last two innings I wasn’t hitting as well as I’d like, but this time I really got some momentum. The wicket played really well, and that was to my advantage. Jos didn’t start as quickly as he would have liked, but I had the momentum and took the pressure off of him, and that ebbed and flowed over the course of the partnership. I play the same way every time, sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn’t. I have the power, and it’s just about applying myself,” added Malan.

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The Newlands in Cape Town will host the third T20I between South Africa and England on Tuesday (December 1). After winning the second game, the visitors have already sealed the series 2-0.

In the second T20I, the No.1 T20 batter Dawid Malan played a match-winning knock of 55 runs to take his side over the finish line with two balls to spare.

Although, the third game will be a dead-rubber as hosts have now lost the series, but the Quinton de Kock and Co. would look to save some pride by winning the final contest of the T20I leg.

The Eoin Morgan-led side would want to finish the T20I series on a winning note as the victory in the third match would take England to the No.1 spot alongside Australia in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings. The English side are just one rating point behind Australia.

Pitch report

In the opening game, the pitch helped both the seamers and the spinners, but it also played well for the batsmen. A similar situation might take place in the third game, so it’s likely to be a high-scoring game.

Head to Head

Matches played: 19 | South Africa: 9 | England: 10

Predicted XI:

South Africa

If Proteas would want to alter the playing XI, then in all possibility, Janneman Malan might come in place of Temba Bavuma.

SA XI: Faf Du Plessis, Quinton De Kock (c/wk), George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Temba Bavuma/Janneman Malan, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje, Heinrich Klaasen.

England

As England have won the series, they might try giving a chance to Reece Topley, who could replace Tom Curran for the third T20I.

ENG XI: Eoin Morgan (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Reece Topley/ Tom Curran, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan, Sam Curran.

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Jonny Bairstow exhibited a top-class performance with the bat as he powered England to a 5-wicket win over South Africa in the first T20I at Newlands in Cape Town on Friday.

Bairstow demolished the Proteas bowling attack and scored unbeaten 86 off 48 balls to guide his side chase down the target of 180 with four balls to spare.

The hosts started well after they picked up three wickets of the touring side for just 34. But a crucial partnership of 85 runs between Bairstow and Ben Stokes (37) for the fourth wicket completely changed the momentum of the game.

Though South Africa were still in the competition as England needed 53 from the last four overs but their pacer Beuran Hendricks ended up gifting 28 runs in the 17th over, which took all the hopes away from Quinton de Kock-led side.

In the end, England successfully chased down the target and won the match with five wickets in hand. Bairstow won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his match-winning knock.

What's your message for the match-winner? pic.twitter.com/2gmfPL2Uah

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) November 27, 2020

Du Plessis drives South Africa to 179/6

Earlier, Faf du Plessis played a vital knock of 58 from 40 deliveries to push the home team total to 179/6 in their allotted 20 overs.

Du Plessis destroyed the English attack in the powerplay to give his side a solid platform. With four boundaries and a couple of two’s, Du Plessis took 24 runs from Tom Curran’s second over.

6, 4, 6, 2, 2, 4

Tom Curran's second over goes for 24 runs at the hands of Faf du Plessis.#SAvENG pic.twitter.com/GOE5DqIwVK

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 27, 2020

Apart from the former Proteas leader, De Kock (30 off 23), van der Dussen (37 off 28) and Heinrich Klaasen (20 off 12) made valuable contributions in the team’s total.

🏏 CHANGE OF INNINGS

πŸ‡ΏπŸ‡¦ Faf du Plessis' 58 off 40 balls set us up nicely to post 179/6 in our allotted overs. Time for the bowlers to warm up and defend this total.

πŸ‘€ Have you seen our fleets?
Ball by ball action right here πŸ‘‰πŸΌhttp://t.co/ruRYcILWQc pic.twitter.com/4afWVnDFh5

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) November 27, 2020

For England, all-rounder Sam Curran picked up three wickets for 28 runs in his quota of four overs. Apart from Sam, Jofra Archer (1/28), Tom (1/55) and Chris Jordan (1/40) bagged one wicket each.

Playing his first T20I in over a year, Sam Curran finishes with career-best figures of 3-28.#SAvENG pic.twitter.com/ewXxon0gag

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) November 27, 2020

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The T20 international series between South Africa and England is all set to begin from Friday (November 27). After the T20I fixtures, both teams will lock horns in the One Day International (ODI) series, which begins from December 4.

The T20I leg comprises of three matches to be played in Cape Town and Paarl. Similarly, the ODI series also features three games, which would take place at the same venues.

For the hosts, Quinton de Kock will be captaining the side, whereas Eoin Morgan is the skipper of the visiting team.

Full Fixtures:

• November 27: 1st T20I β€?Newlands, Cape Town
• November 29: 2nd T20I β€?Boland Park, Paarl
• December 1: 3rd T20I β€?Newlands, Cape Town
• December 4: 1st ODI β€?Newlands, Cape Town
• December 6: 2nd ODI β€?Boland Park, Paarl
• December 9: 3rd ODI β€?Newlands, Cape Town

Telecast and live streaming details:

• India: Star Sports
• UK: Sky Sports Cricket
• South Africa: SuperSport
• Australia: Fox Sports
• Pakistan: Ten Cricket Pakistan
• Bangladesh: Gazi TV
• USA: Willow TV
• Caribbean: ESPN
• Canada: ATN Cricket Plus
• Malaysia: Astro Cricket HD
• Sri Lanka: SLRC (Channel Eye)
• MENA Nations (Middle East and North African countries): OSN Cricket HD
• Digital streaming: Disney+Hotstar, SuperSport Live

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