England and South Africa are set to face off in the 20th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Saturday, October 21. This day-night encounter is expected to be a thrilling spectacle, with both teams eager to bounce back from recent setbacks.
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England’s last outing against Afghanistan saw them on the losing end, as they succumbed to a 69-run defeat in Delhi. Their bowlers allowed Afghanistan to recover from a precarious position of 190/6 to post a challenging total of 284. The slow bowlers from Afghanistan, including the likes of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Rashid Khan, and Mohammad Nabi, weaved a web that proved too challenging for England’s batters to chase the target.
On the other hand, South Africa experienced a sense of deja vu as they suffered a 38-run defeat to the Netherlands. This loss was reminiscent of their exit from the 2022 T20 World Cup at the hands of the Dutch. The Netherlands batted first and set a formidable target of 245/8 in 43 overs. In response, South Africa’s batting lineup crumbled, managing only 207 runs, and the infamous “chokers” tag resurfaced.
ENG vs SA ODIs Head-to-Head
The head-to-head record between England and South Africa in ODIs is incredibly close, with South Africa holding a slight advantage, having won 33 of the 69 matches played. One match ended in a tie, while 5 others had no result.
ENG vs SA Head-to-Head in ODI World Cup
In ODI World Cup matches England has won 4 out of the 7 contests against South Africa. Notably, they dominated in the 2019 World Cup, where they thrashed the Proteas by 104 runs at The Oval, thanks to a brilliant all-round performance by Ben Stokes, who scored 89 runs and took 2/12.
The last five encounters between these two teams in ODI matches have shown South Africa’s recent dominance, as they won 2 out of the 3 matches in a series earlier this year. England managed to grab one victory, displaying the fierce competition that exists between these two cricketing giants.
In their recent meetings, England won the first encounter with a commanding 346/7, defeating South Africa by 59 runs. However, South Africa quickly bounced back, edging out England in the second match with a narrow 5-wicket win. They continued their winning streak, clinching a 27-run victory in the third match of the series.
The most recent clash between the two sides took place in July 2022, where the match was abandoned without a result due to unforeseen circumstances. England had the upper hand in the previous encounter, registering an impressive 118-run win over South Africa.
