The first ODI between South Africa Women and England Women on December 4, 2024, promises to be an exciting contest as both teams transition into the 50-over format following their T20I clashes. It will take place at Kimberley Oval in Kimberley at 2 PM local time. Both teams want early supremacy in this three-match series.
England Women go into this game confident, with some resilience in the T20I series. With Heather Knight at the helm, there is a good blend of experienced campaigners like Nat Sciver-Brunt and Sophie Ecclestone with emerging talents like Lauren Bell. They look to be more well-balanced in their squad under the conditions, making them the team to beat in seam-friendly conditions.
On the other hand, South Africa Women, with Laura Wolvaardt at the helm, will look forward to home advantage. There’s great depth in South Africa’s bowling with the returning stars Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka in the ODI team, which further makes it more potent to beat the strong batting lineup from England. In the middle, players like Chloe Tryon and Suné Luus add considerable flexibility, important for pushing towards competitive totals.
England has an edge historically when it comes to head-to-head ODI encounters, but South Africa has shown well in surprising England, particularly at home. The game may depend on how well South Africa’s bowling can hold up against England’s aggressive batsmen and if they can cope with England’s big-hitting top order.
This is expected to be a closely contested game since both teams are vying for early momentum in the ICC Women’s Championship standings. Live coverage is available on SuperSport in South Africa and Sky Sports in the UK. Fans in other countries can view it on FanCode.
South Africa Women vs England Women 1st ODI Team Prediction:
- Captain: L Bell
- Vice Captain: M Kapp
- Wicket Keepers: A Jones
- Batters: H Knight, T Beaumont, D Wyatt-Hod, L Wolvaardt
- All Rounders: N Sciver, C Tryon, M Kapp, N De Klerk
- Bowlers: S Eccleston, L Bell