ENG vs SA third T20I Preview | Stage set for another high-octane clash with series on line

‌After a record-breaking display in the second game in Manchester, England will look for an encore of their batting performance when action shifts to Nottingham for the third and final T20I against South Africa. With the series level 1-1, it will be a winner-takes-all contest at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

England will look to ride the momentum of their record 146-run win at Old Trafford, where openers Phil Salt and Jos Buttler went berserk to take the home side to their highest total in T20Is. Salt scored the fastest century by an England batter in T20Is en route to making his highest individual score in the format.

Meanwhile, South Africa will look to quickly forget that outing and recover in time after their bowlers received a battering from the home side. Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Lizaad Williams all went for runs, owning a dubious record of three bowlers conceding 60 or more runs in the same innings of a T20I game for the first time.

England will also be encouraged by the showing of their bowling spearhead Jofra Archer, who picked up three wickets after being rested for the first game. With Aiden Markram coming good in the chase, the Proteas will hope for the middle order of Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, and Donovan Ferreira to fire in the clutch game.

Form Guide

ENG Form: WWWLW

SA Form: LWLWL

ENG vs SA head-to-head in T20Is

The England-South Africa duel has been a closely fought one in T20Is, with the Proteas inching just ahead with 14 wins from 28 matches. The home side has won 13, with one match ending without a result. The visitors have clearly dominated the fixture in the recent past with four wins in the last five matches.

ENG 13 - 14 SA

Pitch and Conditions

The Trent Bridge surface is expected to be flat with true bounce, allowing batters to get full value for their shots. Though five of the last seven matches have been won by teams batting first, both captains may not be hesitant to chase, given the afternoon start and the pitch easing out under lights.

It is expected to be a breezy afternoon at Trent Bridge with temperatures hovering around the 15-degree mark. It will be cloudy with chances of rain placed at 90% before decreasing substantially to 25% as the evening sets in. 

Team News

England are expected to go in with their winning combination from the last game, while pacer Corbin Bosch is expected to be back in the team for the Proteas, in place of Lizaad Williams. 

ENG Expected XI

Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (c), Will Jacks, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood.

SA Expected XI

Aiden Markram (c),  Ryan Rickelton (wk), Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Bjorn Fortuin, Kagiso Rabada, Kwena Maphaka 

Broadcasting Platforms 

The ENG vs SA third T20I match will be digitally streamed on the SonyLiv and FanCode apps and websites in India, with live telecast on Sony Sports Network from 7:00 PM IST on Sunday.