South Africa v England: first ODI – live!

Pre-match pluggery

Both people involved in this are great, and Pringle’s book is full of hilarious and eye-watering stories of a very different world, so this comes highly recommended. Can you recommend something that hasn’t happened yet? Whatever, don’t split hairs with me.

“It seems a strange call that Banton comes in and isn’t given the gloves over Bairstow,” says Rich. “What’s the rationale, there?”

Bairstow’s a better keeper – I suspect it’s that simple.

South Africa de Kock (c/wk), R Hendricks, Bavuma, Smuts, van der Dussen, Miller, Phehlukwayo, B Hendricks, Ngidi, Sipamla, Shamsi.

England Roy, Bairstow (wk), Root, Morgan (c), Denly, Banton, S Curran, Woakes, T Curran, Jordan, Parkinson.

They also have two debutants: JJ Smuts and Lutho Sipamla. Eoin Morgan says England would have bowled, but he doesn’t seem too fussed.

Tom Banton and Matt Parkison will make their ODI debuts for England. Don’t worry if you’re not familiar with Banton; you soon will be. Darren Lehmann, who coached him in the Big Bash, says he is the best player he has ever thrown to in the nets.

Morning. Let’s cut straight to the bit where we tell you how much time has passed since the World Cup final. It’s been 205 days since England last played an ODI: that harrowing, euphoric, unfathomable match against New Zealand at Lord’s on 14 July 2019. I don’t really understand why 50-over cricket needs to continue now that England have won the World Cup. But here we are, with a three-match series to look forward to, and an almighty hangover to avoid.

Traditionally, English sports teams don’t give very good after-the-Lord-Mayor’s-Show, and that will be the biggest challenge for Eoin Morgan before he hands over to Jos Buttler at some stage during this four-year cycle before the next World Cup in India.

England have started the unavoidable transition. Their squad for this series includes Tom Banton and Sam Curran (both 21), Saqib Mahmood (22) and Matt Parkinson (23). Those missing from the World Cup final XI are Jofra Archer (elbow) and Liam Plunkett (elbowed, with nary a soupçon of sentiment), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler and Mark Wood (all rested).

It really is a new era for South Africa, who were abysmal at the World Cup (but, lest we forget, played a big part in England winning it by beating Australia in their last game). They have a new captain in Quinton de Kock, who wasn’t doing a proper shift as opening batsman and wicketkeeper, and a number of unfamiliar faces.

They will want to forget everything about the 2019 World Cup. England, for their part, probably need to forget everything about it. Aye, good luck with that.

The match starts at 1pm in Cape Town, 11am GMT.