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South Africa vs. England both lost shockingly to Afghanistan and the Netherlands in their previous games, respectively
South Africa vs. England were left scratching their heads following defeats deemed to be the tournament’s upsets. Afghanistan overcame England, the world champions, who had advanced significantly and possessed some of the best batting abilities in the sport, to ultimately prevail. South Africa lost by a final score of 38 runs against the Netherlands, the only other nation taking part in this competition, despite being in superb form heading into their match.
Both teams are playing their fourth games of the competition, and while England is starting the game in sixth place and is a staggering five points off from the top of the table, they will be under some pressure to win, even if no team can yet be eliminated from the contention for the semi-final. However, South Africa would have been reminded several times after the Dutch loss of being called “chokers” at World Cups.
They would be driven to demonstrate that their defeat by the Netherlands was an isolated incident and that they are, in fact, just as excellent as they appeared in their opening two games. Although the majority of World Cup matches have resulted in one-sided victories, this one at Wankhede Stadium may go in a different direction.
The potential availability of all-around star Ben Stokes for selection may be a huge boost for England. Stokes had missed the previous three Test matches due to a sore hip, but the England skipper has stated that he is now fit to play. Conversely, South Africa would be hoping that Quinton de Kock’s inability to score against the Netherlands was an isolated incident. In the two previous games, the wicketkeeper-batter had scored 100 and 109 runs.
South Africa vs. England Head-to-head in ODIs
69 One-Day Internationals have been played between South Africa and England. Of those matches, 33 have been won by the Proteas, 30 by England, and five have had no outcomes. Another notable encounter that took place in Bloemfontein in 2005 resulted in a draw.
South Africa vs. England Head-to-head in World Cup
In the World Cup, the two sides have played one another seven times. In the head-to-head match, England prevails 4-3. Prior to losing their most recent two World Cup matches to England in 2019 and 2011, South Africa had won three straight in 2008, 1999, and 1996.