South Africa v England: Twenty20 cricket predictions, free betting tips & TV

Free cricket tips, best bets and analysis for the first Twenty20 international between South Africa and England on Friday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Cricket, 4pm Friday

Best bets

South Africa to have higher opening partnership
2pts Evs bet365, Hills

Tom Curran top England wicket-taker
1pt 7-2 general

Match preview

England nailed chases of 203 and 223 to win their Twenty20 series in South Africa in February and their batting line-up is at full strength for the rematch against the Proteas.

The series starts at Newlands in Cape Town, where South Africa have won just two of their last ten T20 internationals, and the hosts must be wary of the tourists' top order.

England are likely to cram Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan (the number-one batsman in the ICC's world Twenty20 rankings), Eoin Morgan and Ben Stokes into their top six with Moeen Ali and one or both of the Curran brothers lurking further down the order.

That batting depth means England's openers can go hard from ball one while South Africa's top two may opt for a more respectful approach, particularly against Jofra Archer, player of the tournament at the recent IPL.

England's highest opening stand in their last five T20 games against South Africa is just 18 and home pacemen Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje also had impressive IPL campaigns for runners-up Delhi.

Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock shared stands of 48, 92 and 84 in February's series against England and the hosts are worth backing to post a higher opening partnership again.

While Archer is the obvious dangerman in the England attack, Surrey's Tom Curran looks better value to be top wicket-taker in the city of his birth.

Curran returned figures of 4-25 and 2-14 in England's two intra-camp warm-up matches and he has a fine T20 record against South Africa, claiming ten wickets in five appearances.

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