South Africa v England 2015/16

The tour will comprise four Test matches - starting with the traditional Boxing Day Test at Kingsmead in Durban - five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20 Internationals.

England to South Africa 2015-16

TOUR ITINERARY
2015
December 11: England arrive in SA
December 15-17: SA Invitation XI v England, Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
December 20-22: SA Invitation XI v England, Pietermaritzburg Oval
December 26-30: 1st Sunfoil Test match, Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, Durban
2016
January 2-6: 2nd Sunfoil Test match, Newlands, Cape Town
January 14-18: 3rd Sunfoil Test match, Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
January 22-26: 4th Sunfoil Test match, SuperSport Park, Centurion
January 30: 1-day tour match, Diamond Oval, Kimberley
February 3: 1st Momentum ODI, Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein
February 6: 2nd Momentum ODI, St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth
February 9: 3rd Momentum ODI, SuperSport Park, Centurion
February 12: 4th Momentum ODI, Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
February 14: 5th Momentum ODI, Newlands, Cape Town
February 17: T20 tour match, SA Invitation XI v England, BolandPark, Paarl
February 19: 1st KFC T20 International, Newlands, Cape Town
February 21: 2nd KFC T20 International, Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

 

Batsman Ian Bell has been dropped from England's Test squad for the tour of South Africa. The five-time Ashes winner, 33, who has played 118 Tests, has not scored a century in 23 innings.
Batsmen Nick Compton and Gary Ballance are recalled, while uncapped left-arm pace bowler Mark Footitt and spinner Samit Patel are included and Adil Rashid is left out.
England pace bowler Mark Wood will miss the tour because of injury

 

England Test squad: Alastair Cook (Essex, capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire, wk), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Jos Buttler (Lancashire, wk), Nick Compton (Middlesex), Mark Footitt (Surrey), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Ben Stokes (Durham), James Taylor (Nottinghamshire), Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).

 

Some odd selections.

Broad and Anderson will need to be in fine form again.

 

Who would you have picked Luke?
I was thinking a younger fast bowler (like Topley) might have been better than Footitt who I think is 29

 

I was more worried about them saving the batters' blushes. Compton and Ballance against Steyn and Morkel? The batting looks thin if Cook and Root fail. I don't see the logic of dropping Bell for Ballance. The latter was out of form the last time he played Test cricket. Bell might not have form either, but at least he's got proven quality and experience against probably the best pace attack in world cricket.

Footitt is probably a sound choice on the faster pitches in SA - probably seen as a similar bowler to Wood.

 

Yes strange decision to pick Ballance in front of Bell (I'm not James Whittaker's biggest fan so not suprised)

Given the squad I'm thinking it will be:
Cook
Hales
Compton
Root
Taylor
Stokes
Bairstow (Wk)
Moeen
Broad
Anderson
Footitt (or Woakes)

 

Will Stokes be fit to bowl? More likely Woakes will play if he can't.

Perhaps Buttler will get a recall after his ODI heroics.

 

AB de Villiers will keep wicket for South Africa in the first two Tests of the home series against England. The hosts have not named another keeper in their 13-man squad for the first Test in Durban on 26 December and the second in Cape Town on 2 January.
De Villiers, 31, has kept in 23 of his 102 Tests, most recently against West Indies in January. Cricket South Africa said the move was to boost the side's batting depth after the recent 3-0 series defeat in India.

 

Vernon Philander has been ruled out of the Boxing Day and New Year's Tests against England as he recovers from torn ankle ligaments, and will aim to play in the third Test in Johannesburg in mid-January
Philander is not the only injury concern South Africa face in their two-week turnaround between the India tour and the England series. Dale Steyn suffered a groin injury during the Mohali Test, sat out the next three matches and will have a fitness test within the next week to determine his availability for the first Test against England.

 

Steven Finn has been given the all-clear to join England's Test tour of South Africa after proving his fitness in a pair of hostile displays for England Lions in the UAE.
Finn, who was ruled out of England's Test series against Pakistan in October with a bone-stress injury in his left foot, bowled with pace and incision during two Twenty20 fixtures in Dubai over the weekend, and will link up with the Test team in Potchefstroom on Monday.

 

Another one of these 14-a-side warm-up "games" (have posted before my dislike of these)
Ben Stokes and James Taylor both made unbeaten centuries as England reached 470-5 on the opening day of their warm-up match against a South African Invitation XI in Potchefstroom.
Stokes smashed 158 from 131 balls and Taylor compiled a stylish 114 before both were retired out.
Nick Compton, batting at three, marked his return with 58.
That helped England recover from 56-3 as Alastair Cook managed only two and new opening partner Alex Hales eight.

 

England declared on their overnight 470-5 and bowled the home side out for 188, with Stuart Broad taking 3-18 and uncapped left-armer Mark Footitt 2-51.
Alastair Cook made 37 and Joe Root an unbeaten 26 as England closed on 99-3.

 

England's warm-up match against a South Africa Invitation XI was abandoned as a draw as heavy storms wrecked the third and final day in Potchefstroom.
The tourists resumed on 99-3 but slipped to 148-8 as five wickets fell for 15 runs, Junior Dala taking 5-34.
Ben Stokes' brisk 27 helped England to 190 all out, setting the hosts a nominal 473 to win, but they were 5-0 after two overs when the rain came.

 

Are these 14 a side games recorded as first class games?

 

No I don't think so - hope they play the game against South Africa A as a proper game

 

South Africa paceman Dale Steyn's chances of being fit for the Test series with England look positive after he passed a thorough fitness test.
The 32-year-old, the number one ranked Test bowler, has been out of action with a groin strain since the first Test against India in early November

 

Steven Finn may well have bowled himself into the England team for the first Test against South Africa after an impressive display on the first day of the tour match at Pietermaritzburg.
On a sluggish pitch and against strong opposition with genuine international aspirations of their own, Finn bowled with pace, control and rhythm to claim four wickets to help England enjoy an almost perfect day. A post lunch spell of three wickets in nine balls was especially impressive and knocked the stuffing of the South Africa A middle order.

England 64 for 0 (Cook 36*, Hales 28*) trail South Africa A 136 (Cook 53*, Finn 4-34, Stokes 3-25) by 72 runs at the end of Day 1

 

England XI 414 for 6 dec (Cook 126, Root 117, Stokes 66, Hales 56, Maharaj 4-129) beat South Africa A 136 (Cook 53*, Finn 4-34) and 187 (de Kock 53, Moeen 6-77) by an innings and 91 runs

Probably the perfect warm-up?

 

My team for the 1st Test:

Cook
Hales
Compton
Root
Taylor
Stokes
Bairstow
Moeen
Broad
Finn
Anderson