England vs. South Africa: World Cup Match 1 Preview

England vs. South Africa: World Cup Match 1 Preview

The tournament favourites and hosts, England, take on South Africa in the opener of ICC World Cup 2019. Possessing a power-packed batting unit, England are expected to be the side to watch out for this World Cup but their modus operandi is sure to be challenged by South Africa's potent bowling attack led by Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir, two prolific limited-overs performers in recent times. 

Weather and Pitch conditions: The Kennington Oval has short boundaries but the pitch is lush green which could test England's batsmen.

Player Recommendations:

Wicket-keeper: Quinton de Kock (10.5 credits)

The South African wicket-keeper is among the highest run-scorers in ODIs since the last World Cup. A fantastic opener with a penchant for scoring at a frequent rate, de Kock will be a player to watch out for in this tournament. He can give you plenty of points if chosen in your fantasy team.

Batsman: Joe Root (9.5 cr)

Root is England's highest run-scorer in ODIs amidst the chaos their big hitting batsmen have created. In fantasy terms, consistency is reliability and Root packs a punch in this department. He can be the anchor around whom England's batsmen go berserk.  

All-Rounder: Moeen Ali (8 cr)

Ali is a handy lower order batsman and is expected to complete his quota of overs too. A go-to player for England, Ali is a great option to have in your daily fantasy contest. While Ben Stokes is the unanimous choice, Ali can be a decent differential

The tournament favourites and hosts, England, take on South Africa in the opener of ICC World Cup 2019. Possessing a power-packed batting unit, England are expected to be the side to watch out for this World Cup but their modus operandi is sure to be challenged by South Africa's potent bowling attack led by Kagiso Rabada and Imran Tahir, two prolific limited-overs performers in recent times. 

Weather and Pitch conditions: The Kennington Oval has short boundaries but the pitch is lush green which could test England's batsmen.

Player Recommendations:

Wicket-keeper: Quinton de Kock (10.5 credits)

The South African wicket-keeper is among the highest run-scorers in ODIs since the last World Cup. A fantastic opener with a penchant for scoring at a frequent rate, de Kock will be a player to watch out for in this tournament. He can give you plenty of points if chosen in your fantasy team.

Batsman: Joe Root (9.5 cr)

Root is England's highest run-scorer in ODIs amidst the chaos their big hitting batsmen have created. In fantasy terms, consistency is reliability and Root packs a punch in this department. He can be the anchor around whom England's batsmen go berserk.  

All-Rounder: Moeen Ali (8 cr)

Ali is a handy lower order batsman and is expected to complete his quota of overs too. A go-to player for England, Ali is a great option to have in your daily fantasy contest. While Ben Stokes is the unanimous choice, Ali can be a decent differential in your team.  

Bowler: Lungi Ngidi (8.5 cr)

While all the attention is on Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi is a handful on green surfaces and Kennington Oval promises to be one. The hit the deck seamer is likely to get good support from the pitch and could be a genuine threat for England's top-order batsmen. 

Captain: Joe Root

Vice-Captain: Hashim Amla

Predicted Playing XI:

England: Jonny Bairstow, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Tom Curran, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid

South Africa: Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, JP Duminy, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Imran Tahir

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rohit Sankar
A cricket enthusiast striving to convey the finer details of the game in a capsule. Rohit hopes to present a bird's eye view of the game. He has written for a handful of prestigious websites including Cricbuzz, The Independent, The Hindu, CricketNext, Firstpost and others.
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