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Twenty20 test for England

Author: Lynda Collins
Date: 10/11/2009
Cricket betting

Following a hit-and-miss summer of cricket, England begin their winter tour against South Africa on Friday.

Andrew Strauss guided his men to Ashes glory over Ricky Ponting's Australia before succumbing to the Baggy Greens horrifically in their seven-game one-day series.

They then turned the tide and fought their way through to the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa before a Ponting-inspired Australia grabbed a nine-wicket victory.

Strauss will take the England squad to play in five one-day internationals before the four-match Castle Test series, but first of all Paul Collingwood will captain the side during their two Twenty20 internationals, which begin on Friday in Johannesburg.

With Luke Wright, Jonathan Trott, Matt Prior and Eoin Morgan in their ranks, England have players capable of wielding the willow and hitting the ball out of the park.

But the online betting favourite Proteas, armed with Loots Bosman, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel and golden boy AB de Villiers certainly have the potential to post massive scores.

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Collingwood will be without the services of the convalescing Kevin Pietersen, although he is expected to take part in the one-day games and Test series.

Much will rely on England's front line seamers and James Anderson, who has rapidly made himself the main man with the ball for his country, will be expected to restrict the hosts during his spell.

With Stuart Broad, Tim Bresnan, Graham Onions and Sajid Mahmood, who has impressed in the warm up games so far, also offering a threat, they will need to support Anderson admirably from the other end.

Graeme Swann will be the chief spin option while the promising Adil Rashid has also been selected for the tour as his burgeoning career gathers pace.

Relative newcomers Joe Denly and Morgan showed fine form at times through the summer with the bat and this will offer another opportunity for the less established duo to forge clear of their rivals in the selection stakes.

Cape Town-born Trott will face his compatriots for the face time after opting to play for England.

Following his Test debut, he propelled himself into the limelight in the summer with knocks of 41 and 119 in the Ashes series success.

It will be hoped that England can find some consistency on their travels but, against a classy South African outfit, who are overwhelming favourites to win both the one-day series and four game Test programme, Collingwood and Strauss could feel the heat this winter.

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