[themaclad]

Possibly if they had exercised a bit of caution may have got a slightly larger score

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Five uncapped players receive a call-up for the T20 series: Liam Livingstone, Mason Crane, Dawid Malan, Tom Curran and Craig Overton.

Full squad:

Sam Billings (Kent)
Jos Buttler (Lancashire)
Mason Crane (Hampshire)
Tom Curran (Surrey)
Liam Dawson (Hampshire)
Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire)
Chris Jordan (Sussex)
Liam Livingstone (Lancashire)
Dawid Malan (Middlesex)
Eoin Morgan (Middlesex)
Liam Plunkett (Yorkshire)
Jason Roy (Surrey)
David Willey (Yorkshire)
Johnny Bairstow (Yorkshire - first two matches only)
Mark Wood (Durham - first match only)
Craig Overton (Somerset - last two matches only)


Moeen Ali, Jake Ball, Adil Rashid, Joe Root and Ben Stokes are all rested so that they can play in the day/night round of Championship fixtures and gain experience with the pink ball before the day/night Test against the West Indies in August. Tymal Mills is ruled out with a back injury.

[jjamez]

Some of those in the t20 squad mayhave an outside chance of making the test squad, especially with woakes possibly missing it

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

1st Twenty20 International

The Rose Bowl, Southampton

The Champions Trophy ended ignominiously for both England and South Africa, and over the next few days they'll look to get it all out of their system with three slog-happy T20 fixtures.

In most respects it's a prelude to the main event of the Test series, emphasised by the fact that both sides are resting the big guns for these games and instead blooding new players.  Amla, de Kock, Duminy and Rabada are all out for South Africa, as well as Faf du Plessis (who may also miss the Test series due to the birth of his first child).  Meanwhile, for England it's Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid and Joe Root who are being rested.  In their place, Eoin Morgan has declared his intention to hand maiden caps to each of the new call-ups - Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Chris Overton, Tom Curran and Mason Crane - over the course of the series, while the Proteas may turn to left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi, right-arm paceman Dane Paterson and top-order batsmen JJ Smuts and Reeza Hendricks.

The last T20 encounter between the two nations was, of course, the record-breaker at the World T20 in India last March.  Most of the big-hitters from that match will be elsewhere, but Morgan and de Villiers both have a point to prove, especially as neither will play a part in the Test series, and the youngsters have to treat this as an opportunity to show their England potential too.  Another 28C scorcher is forecast on the south coast, and the pitch should be perfect for a bit of spin and a lot of boundaries.

Let's see what the next generation have got to offer.

Play commences at 1830, 21st June 2017

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Good bowling from England early doors, three wickets taken in the powerplay to put the brakes on South Africa from the off. It took an all-time record fourth-wicket partnership from AB de V and Behardien to drag the Proteas up to a respectable score of 142-3 off the twenty. That's their highest T20 total on English soil to date, and also the highest individual score by a South African in England (de Villiers now claims that distinction by a whisker on 65, with Behardien's 64 the second-highest).

143 needed for England to win, time for some fireworks.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

Absolute walk in the park for England. A nine-wicket victory, their highest total against South Africa on English soil, and Jonny Bairstow's 60* now the best individual score against South Africa in this country, beating Kieswetter's half-century in 2012. A measure of redemption for Jason Roy with a quickfire 28 off 14 balls to get England going, but Hales and Bairstow saw the hosts over the line against a very poor South Africa.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

2nd Twenty20 International

The County Ground, Taunton

Where now for South Africa?  Wednesday's absolute mauling at the hands of England in the first T20I was simply one more humiliation in a summer which has so far seen them go, for the most part, from bad to worse on these green and pleasant shores.  Early wickets and overly cautious batting from de Villiers and Behardien summed up their travails at the crease, while some comedy fielding during the England innings suggested that all isn't well with the ball in hand either.

Still, they have two more matches in quick succession to turn the series around, the first of which comes at one of English cricket's most picturesque grounds; a traditionalist's venue which has nevertheless proved itself ideal for T20, with an enthusiastic local crowd to boot.  Short, tempting boundaries invite the batsman to have a crack at knocking the ball out of the ground and into the River Tone, and there are plenty of players in both teams capable of that feat; not least the hometown boy Jos Buttler, who'll be looking for a triumphant return to the ground where he started his career.  With little of real importance at stake, the changes will be rung all round: Mark Wood is now unavailable for England, and Liam Plunkett is the most likely go-to option as a replacement; after Mason Crane (the cricketing detective) was granted his maiden cap in the last match, Captain Morgan has a choice of which of the remaining new boys to blood in this one, between Malan, Curran, Overton and Livingstone.  For South Africa I'd imagine it's time to bring in Chris Morris, and there has to be a question mark over the ropey JJ Smuts, whose struggle for form culminated in a laughable golden duck on Wednesday night.

The forecast isn't quite so hot, and we'll have a lot of cloud cover rolling in off the Quantocks, but there's still the potential for some serious biffing in this one.  They like their runs down in Cyderabad, as evidenced by the 834 scored during the One-Day Cup quarter-final between Somerset and Notts, and whyever not?

Gi' yurzel' a gurt big point a zoider and settle down for a tasty one.

Play commences at 1700, 23rd June 2017

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

3rd Twenty20 International

Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

A tight match at Taunton slipped away from England at the death thanks to some quality South African bowling and the controversial dismissal of Jason Roy, who looked to have played his way back into form at last.  But this at least sets up a decider for the series tomorrow in South Wales, and it could go either way.

For South Africa there's little reason to change the line-up that rose to the occasion on Friday night, but for England rotation is still likely.  Dawid Malan and Craig Overton are the uncapped players remaining, and if Morgan is as good as his word we'll see both of them feature in this one; the former will take the place of the absent Jonny Bairstow, while the latter may be preferred to an off-the-pace Chris Jordan.  But how much youth is too much?  It would be harsh to drop Tom Curran after an impressive debut, but can England afford so many young heads in a series decider?

There are a few demons to be exorcised for England on this pitch in the wake of the Champions Trophy, and the conditions should make things that little bit more interesting: it'll be a cool day, and there's an outside chance of some rain.  Perfect Cardiff weather for a Sunday afternoon's entertainment.

Play commences at 1430, 25th June 2017

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

England reach a par score with 181-8 off the twenty. Outstanding debut from Dawid Malan, top-scoring with 78, another shocker from Liam Livingstone though. 182 for South Africa to win and take the series.

[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

England cruise to victory by 19 runs and take their second series win this summer. Special moment for Mason Crane, his maiden international wicket was that of AB de Villiers, taken after getting slogged for sixteen off the previous three balls.

England have broken their record total against South Africa on British soil in each of the three matches this series, concluding with a new best of 181-8 today; their fourth-highest of all time against the Proteas. The same goes for individual scores against South Africa on home soil: Bairstow set a new record of 60* on Wednesday only to see it surpassed by Jason Roy on Friday with 67, and then both were pipped by Dawid Malan's magnificent 78 this afternoon.

A perfect starter to whet the appetite. Bring on the Test series, and let's make it three from three.