England v South Africa first T20 predictions and cricket betting tips

Free cricket tips, best bets and analysis for England v South Africa in Wednesday's first Twenty20 international at the Bristol County Ground.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event & Cricket/ BBC 2, 6.30pm Wednesday

Best bets

South Africa
1pt 11-8 bet365, Betfred

Anrich Nortje to take two or more wickets
1pt 13-8 Coral, Ladbrokes

First T20 preview

It has been an unrelenting summer of cricket for England's white-ball players but they have just one limited-overs series left to contest before the squad for October's Twenty20 World Cup in Australia is named.

After the decisive match in England's one-day international series against South Africa was scuppered by rain on Sunday, the sides now turn their attention to a three-match T20 series which begins in Bristol on Wednesday.

By the end of this series, England will have played 12 white-ball games against India and South Africa in the space of only 25 days and it has been a baptism of fire for new captain Jos Buttler.

England are around the 4-7 mark to win the opening match of the series at the County Ground but they have lost seven of their last ten T20 outings and that looks a poor price.

Since bowing out in the semi-finals of last November's T20 World Cup, England have played only two series in the shortest format, losing both of them, against India this month and the West Indies in January.

Buttler has said that he hopes the pressure of an impending World Cup will raise England's performance level in this series but the same applies to South Africa, who held India to a 2-2 draw in their most recent T20 tussle in June.

Even with white-ball captain Temba Bavuma sidelined by injury, South Africa have a strong core of batsmen in Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller and they are also expected to welcome back key fast bowler Kagiso Rabada for this contest.

England appear too fatigued and inconsistent to warrant backing at cramped odds. Pacemen Mark Wood and Jofra Archer, two of the first names on the T20 teamsheet when fit, are injured and Ben Stokes is set to be rested.

South Africa are worth a bet at 11-8 to come out on top, as they did when these sides met in Sharjah in the Super 12 stage of last year's World Cup.

Paceman Anrich Nortje was one of South Africa's more impressive players at the 2021 T20 World Cup, taking nine wickets in his five matches, and he is a decent bet to pick up a couple of wickets in Bristol.

Nortje took 4-53 and 2-53 in South Africa's two completed ODIs with England this month and can show his class in the Proteas' attack once again.

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