Free cricket betting preview and tips: South Africa v England ODI series
England's tour of South Africa switches to the limited-overs formats on Tuesday with a three-match ODI series getting under way in Cape Town - read Richard Mann's preview here.
England's tour of South Africa has certainly been an eventful one with sickness running through the camp initially before the tourists bounced back from injuries to James Anderson and Rory Burns to claim an impressive 3-1 Test series victory.
It was a fine turnaround from England's young outfit but if the four Test matches reaffirmed one thing, it was that South African cricket is currently in crisis.
The host of big-name performers to have walked away from the South African cricket continues to rise - Vernon Philander the latest following his retirement from international cricket in favour of a move to Somerset - and now Faf Du Plessis appears to be coming to the end of his time as captain following news that Quinton de Kock will lead the Proteas in the upcoming ODI and T20 series.
With du Plessis, Kasigo Rabada and Aiden Markram missing from the South Africa squad for the three-match ODI series at least, the misery looks set to continue for the hosts with England's World Cup Cup winning unit still looking fearsome and strong.
Granted, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Jos Buttler being rested and Liam Plunkett missing out on selection does mean England's squad has a slightly different look to it from the one that lifted the World Cup at Lord's last summer but many of the pillars of that team remain untouched and anything other than another series win is hard to envisage.
Refreshed from a gruelling 2019, Eoin Morgan will continue to lead a side that will again rely heavily on a brilliant top three of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root while the bowling can call upon experienced heads Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid.
The return of Moeen Ali to international duty could see him and Rashid reform their potent spin partnership, should conditions in South Africa allow, while Chris Jordan's excellent showing for the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash has rightly been rewarded with a recall.
Like Jordan, Tom Curran joins up with England having enjoyed a good time of it in the Big Bash - this time with the Sydney Sixers - and in the absence of Archer and Wood, one or both of Jordan and Curran could find themselves thrust into England's starting XI for this series with Morgan needing someone to take responsibility of bowling in the crucial death overs.
Both Jordan and Curran have proven themselves excellent operators at the death, each boasting plenty of variety and good yorkers to boot, though Curran's superior strike rate in the recent Big Bash and the fact he, unlike Jordan, was a member of England's World Cup squad might mean he gets the nod to start on Tuesday and for the remainder of the series.
With that in mind, and impressive ODI numbers from his 17 matches to date, - 27 wickets at an average of 29.81 with an economy of just 6.33 - Curran looks worth backing for top England series bowler honours.
The fact Curran's renowned skills at the death should see him entrusted to bowl when wickets are generally more likely to fall further strengthens the case for the Surrey seamer and 3/1 is fair enough.
As previously mentioned, both sides will have to do without a few key performers in the next three games but while England's depth has been emphatically proven over the last four years, South Africa's limited reserves in all forms of the game have only highlighted the issues with their own domestic system and their dismal showing at last summer's Cricket World Cup is a fair indication of where they are at with their ODI cricket.
While the elevation of de Kock to captain has the potential to inspire him, South Africa are taking a big risk in piling even more responsibility onto their best batsman and wicketkeeper and they can ill afford a dip in his returns with the bat.
As was the case when meeting England in the World Cup opener at The Oval back in May, expect South Africa to be outgunned again and the 10/3 Sky Bet are offering about the tourists winning the series 3-0 is most appealing with intervention from the weather having the potential to prove the biggest threat.
Don't be surprised if Andile Phehlukwayo proves the star man on the home side, the all-rounder having firmly established himself in the South Africa line-up with his bustling medium pace and ability to clear the ropes from number seven.
Often unheralded, Phehlukwayo finished the World Cup with 11 wickets and 133 runs with the bat at an average in excess of 30, and he might be one to monitor game by the game in any Player Performance markets.
I'm not expecting any heroics from South Africa's top order in this series so Phehlukwayo might find himself with plenty of time in front of him when called upon with the bat and his bowling is generally very reliable.
Phehlukwayo might prove the pick of a modest South African bunch but this brilliant England ODI outfit hold all the aces and are fancied to register a series clean sweep in which the older of the Curran brothers can show just what a fine white-ball operator he has become.
Posted at 1300 GMT on 31/01/20.
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