England v South Africa - July, August & September & 2023

At last, a Test Series stretching over 3 months so some momentum can be built. SA usually do well here esp in Test Matches. By the dates I presume they are going to Ireland for some matches in early August before the first test.

1st ODI v South Africa - 1pm - South Africa won the toss and decided to bat - Seat Unique Riverside, Chester-le-Street.

England

Jason Roy
Jonny Bairstow
Joe Root
Ben Stokes
Jos Buttler(c)(wk)
Moeen Ali
Liam Livingstone
Sam Curran
Adil Rashid
Brydon Carse
Matthew Potts

South Africa

Janneman Malan
Quinton de Kock(wk)
Rassie van der Dussen
Aiden Markram
Heinrich Klaasen
David Miller
Andile Phehlukwayo
Keshav Maharaj(c)
Anrich Nortje
Lungi Ngidi
Tabraiz Shamsi

Officials: Michael Burns, Richard Kettleborough, Richard Illingworth, Martin Saggers, Chris Broad

South Africa 333-5, Van Der Dussen 134, Markram 77, Malan 57, Livingstone 2-30.

England 271 all out, Root 86, Bairstow 63, Roy 43, Nortje 4-53, Markram 2-25.

South Africa win by 62 runs and lead 1-0 in the series.

England captain Jos Buttler: "A tough day, I thought the effort from the guys was outstanding having to field first in that heat. I thought it was a good toss to win and we just couldn't find those breakthrough.

"It was a fantastic partnership between Van der Dussen and Markram and we just couldn't break that. You need to try and take wickets to stem the flow of runs in this format of the game.

"They ran well as well, there were some big pockets in the ground and they picked up twos and put us under pressure that way as well.

"We never quite managed to impose ourselves with the bat in the chase. I thought the wicket got slower and lower as well and made it harder to time the ball. It wasn't through lack of trying but we never managed to put enough pressure on them."

On the powerplay approach: "I don't think it was a lack of effort, those two guys at the top are explosive players and try to impose themselves but South Africa read the conditions well.

"They were smart with the way they bowled and we were never able to get away."

On pressure building: "I think we've been improving through the games we've played and, of course, we're missing some experienced guys and we're going to lose another one but that creates great opportunity for others."

3rd ODI - England v South Africa - Toss: South Africa won the toss and decided to bat - Venue: Clean Slate Headingley, Leeds.

South Africa 159-2 (27.4 overs) de Kock 92no, Markram 24no, Willey 1-19.

The third one-day international between England and South Africa at Headingley was washed out, meaning the series is drawn 1-1.

Just 27.4 overs were possible in Leeds, with two lengthy rain delays enough to force the abandonment at 4.05pm.

Women's International Twenty20 Match v South Africa - Toss: England Women won the toss and decided to bat - Venue: The Incora County Ground, Derby.

England 176-6 (20 overs) Ecclestone 33no, Wyatt 30, Jones 28, Mlaba 3-22.

South Africa 138-6 (20 overs) Brits 59, Bosch 17, Kemp 2-18, Ecclestone 2-24.

England Women win by 38 runs & won multi-format series 14-2.

England 234-6, Bairstow 90, Ali 52, Ngidi 5-39.

South Africa 193-8, Stubbs 72, Hendricks 57, Gleeson 3-51.

England win by 41 runs


Would have been a close game if South Africa took vital catches and cleaned up their fielding too.


2nd Twenty20 28th July - Sophia Gardens Cardiff.

England v South Africa: Shamsi takes 5-24 as hosts thumped by 90 runs to lose T20 series 2-1.

A dismal batting display saw a pitiful England suffer a heavy 90-run defeat in the deciding Twenty20 against South Africa to lose the series 2-1.

Chasing 192 to win at the Ageas Bowl, England were blunt with the bat, going 55 balls without hitting a boundary at one stage, before being dismissed for 101 in 16.4 overs.

It is the fourth time in six T20s this summer that England have been bowled out and there was another failure for Jason Roy, who made 17 off 18 balls.

Jonny Bairstow top-scored with 27, while South Africa's left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi ripped through England with career-best figures of 5-24.

Defeat means England have lost a third successive T20 series, after defeats by West Indies and India this year, for the first time and they have failed to win a white-ball series in a home summer for the first time since 2013.

England haven’t been at their best during these white ball series. I don’t think it’s much more than a blip rather than a slow demise. I think Butler made some very good calls and seems to be in charge of stuff when fielding but apart from an over if two in Bristol Jordan hasn’t been at his best and I don’t know why Ali didn’t bowl more than an over yesterday but the problem has been the batting. Perhaps it’s just captain and coach getting used to each other as both have changed. But I honestly thought Morgan was the first captain of England in any format since Mike Brearley that was worth his place for his captaincy alone. But it was his call to go and it may be looking to be a good one! Jason Roy would be the big worry for me, he looks completely out of sorts.
The Hundred will give those players some practice and time to find some form.

I saw some of the Hundred match between Birmingham and whatever the name of the Franchise associated with Hampshire are called (Southern Vipers - or is that the women's T20 team?). The highlight was umpire Nick Cook giving George Garton out LBW by raising the "slow finger of death" in homage to Koertzen.