Match facts

Friday, November 13, 2009
Start time 18.00 (16.00GMT)

	England's Twenty20 warm-up match didn't quite go to plan...89 all out © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Loots Bosman | Paul Collingwood | Graeme Smith Matches: South Africa v England at Johannesburg Series/Tournaments: England tour of South Africa Teams: England | South Africa

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England's two-and-a-half-month tour of South Africa begins in earnest on Friday with the first of two Twenty20 internationals at the Wanderers as both sides look to make an opening statement. Having the one-day leg of the tour first means it won't be buried after the main event of the Tests and should retain importance.

The winners will say Twenty20 allows them to build momentum, while the losers will quickly brush off the significance of the matches ahead of the one-day series next week. However, there is still a sense, outside of the World Twenty20, that internationally this format is still the third priority.

England's preparations were going well until their defeat against South Africa A when the batting subsided for 89 all out, while injuries haven't helped the planning. Paul Collingwood takes the reins for the Twenty20s before Andrew Strauss returns for the one-dayers which also creates a slightly disjointed feeling about the tourists' line-up.

South Africa, on the other hand, were hitting their stride against Zimbabwe with a crushing 212-run victory in the second ODI at Centurion. The home side will use the Twenty20s as a chance to give all the players in the squad a run, with the exception of the injured Wayne Parnell, but there is also the need to prepare for next year's ICC World Twenty20. For both teams the next two matches could be the only Twenty20 games they play before that global event in West Indies.

Form guide

South Africa - LWWWW
England - LWLWL

Team news

Loots Bosman returns at the top order to partner Graeme Smith with Jacques Kallis rested. Dale Steyn is also back after missing the second one-dayer against Zimbabwe, while both frontline spinners are selected. Albie Morkel will provide the power in the middle order.

South Africa 1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Loots Bosman, 3 AB de Villiers, 4 JP Duminy, 5 Albie Morkel, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Ryan McLaren, 8 Roelof van der Merwe, 9 Johan Botha, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Charl Langeveldt.

England's fast-bowling department has been stretched so far and Stuart Broad will miss this match and probably the second one as well. However, James Anderson is available after resting a sore knee, but the lack of action for Graham Onions could count against his selection despite his back problem clearing up. Alastair Cook is an unconvincing option as opener, but with Kevin Pietersen not yet quite ready to return and Strauss opting out of Twenty20 he is there by default, although a throat infection could keep him out.

England (possible) 1 Joe Denly, 2 Alastair Cook, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Paul Collingwood (capt), 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Matt Prior (wk), 7 Luke Wright, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 Sajid Mahmood, 11 James Anderson

Watch out for

AB de Villiers has been given extra responsibility with a move up the order to No. 3 and will be aiming to build on a Twenty20 average of 22.62. His strike-rate of 127 shows he can push the score along, but de Villiers can also be a match-winner in the field where he is one of the best backward points in the world. The time may come soon when he has to take the wicketkeeping gloves, but for now England must beware his prowling presence around the infield.

Welcome home Jonathan Trott. So far his return to South Africa has been a fairly comfortable journey, but a packed house at the Bullring is unlikely to be so forgiving. Four years ago they gave Pietersen a heated reception and anything less for Trott would be a surprise. However, Trott has shown he can handle himself and his main job is to block out any distractions and give England's batting line-up some much-needed impetus in Twenty20.

Stats and trivia

• This will the third Twenty20 between these two sides, but the first outside of ICC World Twenty20 events (the scheduled match at Chester-le-Street in 2008 was called off a day early due to rain). South Africa have won both previous meetings, most recently a convincing seven-wicket victory at Trent Bridge in June.

• South Africa had gone seven Twenty20 internationals unbeaten before their defeat in the ICC World Twenty20 semi-final against Pakistan at Trent Bridge

• England's most recent Twenty20 action was a damp affair, with the two-match series against Australia in August ending nil-nil after the first match was rained off mid-way through and the second completely abandoned at Old Trafford.

• Graeme Smith has scored 276 runs at 55.20 in seven Twenty20 internationals at the Wanderers.

Quotes

"We've trained well. We see it as the start of the summer - it's an 11-game summer against England and we want to start well."
Graeme Smith aims to hit the ground running

"He's made the decision a while back. He's always said that he doesn't enjoy Twenty20 cricket, probably because of the fact that he's never done that well in Twenty20 cricket."
Paul Collingwood backs Andrew Strauss's decision to step aside for the Twenty20 matches, even though he has score 72 and 117 on the tour so far.