Klaasen is Player of the Match
"Up there with my best, it was brutal out there... proper heat," says the man of the match, Heinrich Klaasen. "It sapped all the energy out of you. It was a tough loss against Netherlands, but one bad performance doesn't make us a bad team. The boys had some hard chats and we bounced back." And how!
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Well, gosh
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Wood, Atkinson show what might have been
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It's an absolute road out there... still. And Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson are thrashing with glorious futility to massage the extent of England's loss. The ninth-wicket stand is currently 70 from 34 balls, with Wood on course for a lightning-quick fifty... but nope, back goes Atkinson's middle stump, and the fun comes to an end! Atkinson wouldn't have been on strike but for a brilliant boundary save from Rassie van der Dussen at long-off, which in turn denied Mark Wood a shot at an 18-ball fifty, the joint-fastest in World Cups. A bit more of that at the top might have helped England's cause.
Reece Topley will not bat, and so that is that... South Africa win by a massive 229 runs, England's heaviest defeat in men's ODIs. Over to you, Springboks...
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Topley isn't padded up ...
... one more wicket and it could be all over... and it might have been already if Reeza Hendricks had clung onto a lusty pull from Mark Wood at midwicket, a life sandwiched between two futile sixes. Never mind, I suspect there'll be another chance soon.
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Rabada goes flying, England eight-down
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A beautiful leap from Kagiso Rabada at mid-on, as David Willey splices his pull to Lungi Ngidi's shorter length, the hundred has just come up with a length-ball slotted for six but that's as good as it gets. Rabada slides on the sandy outfield, no doubt sandpapering his chest as he does so, but South Africa don't care. This is a statement for the ages!
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England's dismal night deepens
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Width outside off, Adil Rashid has a thrash, a flying edge is plucked at slip. Coetzee has his third and England haven't got a prayer. This tournament is threatening to become an even greater embarrassment than even 2015... than even 1996, and that's saying something!
Matt Roller's gloomy tweet is already out of date.
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Like a house of cards!
Gerald Coetzee with a terrific comeback. Conceded 16 in his first over, returned with a length ball that had Jos Buttler nicking behind. "Unbelievable from South Africa," exclaims Nasser Hussain as the hairband-loving Coetzee celebrates with vigour. England 67/5 in 11.1.
This a game about saving the NRR now, surely? More so with Coetzee also trapping Harry Brook lbw in the same over. England 68/6 in 11.3 now
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Stokes can call it a night
c and b Rabada for only five runs, and that means England are 67/4 after the first powerplay. What does Forecaster say? Oh, 0.96% chance for an England win from here.
Interestingly, South Africa only managed 59 in their first ten.
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England in tatters
Marco Jansen makes it two wickets in two balls after starting his fresh over with the wicket of Dawid Malan. It was caught-behind, but wasn't given out originally by the umpire. Good thing, then, for South Africa's sake that DRS exists.
Stat alert: The 18 runs by England's top three today are the second fewest by them in a men's ODI World Cup game, behind the 16 runs vs Australia in the 1975 semis. (England were all out for 93 that day). Is Jansen doing a Gary Gilmour?
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Root’s powerplay struggles continue!
Joe Root is gone, and England are surely going with him! He’s closed the face on a leg-stump inswinger, from Jansen, and David Miller is lurking at leg slip to bag him! He’s gone for 2 from 6, and that’s Root's 6th dismissal in the 1st Powerplay since the start of 2022 - has only faced 61 balls in that phase.
“Looking increasingly like a complete howler at the toss from Buttler,” says Matt Roller. “Batters who are exhausted after four hours in the head and humidity having to deal with new-ball swing under lights.”
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Too manic from Bairstow
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The end of a pretty terrible innings from Bairstow. He was manic from the outset, and did pick off a second boundary through midwicket. But his obsession with picking off the leg-side is his downfall as a top-edge plunges to van der Dussen, set back on the fence.
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Bairstow goes soft to go hard
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A dirty hack across the line, then a casual flick off the hips for six. Bairstow gets an early sense of what this pitch has to offer. Less might yet be more.
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The Master on the Master
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England will need 400 to win!
Crumbs. What a formidable display. And to think England put them in. Now then, world champions, what have you got?
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Klaasen falls for magnificent 109
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Klaasen finally goes for 109 from 67 balls, yorked by Atkinson as he walks across his stumps one last time, but not before the 150 stand with Jansen has come up from a preposterous 80 balls! Just look at those numbers!
He barely has the strength to wave in acknowledgement as he drags his carcass from the crease. Sensational innings.
Over to Matt Roller for his verdict on what he had been witnessing prior to that moment:
"David Willey has been calling himself England’s “donkey” of late because of his workhouse qualities. The sight of him barely able to run into bowl due to cramp sums up what has been a horrible few hours for them in the Mumbai heat.
Jos Buttler’s decision to bowl first may yet prove to be a masterstroke if England romp home under lights with South Africa unable to grip a dewy ball. But as things stand, it looks like a call made with too much focus on the past rather than the here and now: four hours in the field were always going to be seriously hard work in these conditions, and so it has proved.
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Jansen crashes to 35-ball fifty
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... perhaps this is why Atkinson won't bowl out. Back he comes for his eighth over, and away he flies! Six, four, six ... every shot a coconut as Jansen nails the full length twice, then pings the shorter ball high over midwicket. From a near standing start, 15 from 22 balls at one stage, Jansen has bashed 36 from his next 13!
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Klaasen's 61-ball century!
100 from 61 balls, 9x4, 2x6
Matt Roller notes that Atkinson, arguably England's most reliable seamer in the innings, won't now bowl out, "which seems odd".
Instead, it's Wood, and despite his tough day, he serves up a superb yorker, tailing into Klaasen's toes, and plucking him off his feet. He's going to need significant treatment before he can get back up! Buttler grins sympathetically as he leans his bat against the stumps.
But up he gets, and away he goes! A low full-toss, mashed high over long-on, then another full-toss into the pads, and whipped behind square! It's a 61-ball century in the most oppressive conditions imaginable! What a sensational display!
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He keeps the hammer down with a whip off the toes behind square... Wood's day is getting worse and worse - 76 runs off seven overs! But having realised he got a bit in Wood's face with his hundred celebration, he apologises with a punch of the fists at the end of the over. Fair play.
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Willey struggles with cramp
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After his treatment for cramp, David Willey can barely get his limbs to function as he creaks to the crease for his ninth over, and fires in a wooden-actioned full toss outside off that Klaasen slams for six over point. It's a free hit coming up, but Klaasen is creaking too, and settles for the single as his shot plugs at long-off. And then, after a further exchange of singles and another stiff-limbed wide, Jansen leans back for another massive smack back over the bowler's head for six.
"The crowd has filled up nicely through the innings, now over 90% full I would estimate," adds Matt Roller. "Mexican wave made it around the ground a couple of times during the break between overs."
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Klaasen the key as the endgame nears
Klaasen spoke to ESPNcricinfo earlier this week about his career, including how he recovered from long Covid, during which time his heart rate would peak at over 200 beats per minute within a few minutes of starting exercise. He considered quitting the game but said he had nothing to fall back on and instead turned to working on his swing so he could hit more sixes and the proof.... well here it is.
I think he's enjoying himself rather more right now... the cramp notwithstanding... he's down for treatment as the game pauses for the final push.
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The 300 comes up in a rush
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Klaasen is making his move now. After a low full-toss gives Jansen a timely boundary, a next-ball single brings Topley into the main man's sights. He batters a length ball clean down the ground, then carves a hint of width through cover to bring up the South Africa 300. And then the best of the lot, a massive smack inside-out over long-off as Topley strays into his arc with a cutter. The big finish could get vast at this rate... but he is visibly struggling in the heat. Huge effort.
Firdose Moonda adds: "Klaasen's been out there about 90 minutes and seems to be really struggling with the heat. He just went down on his haunches and had to have a pep talk from Marco Jansen. Interestingly, nothing has come out of the changeroom - no electrolytes or jelly babies or anything - and he is running like someone who has had enough." Boundaries it is then!
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Klaasen shows his class!
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With Jansen struggling to get going, it's all on Klaasen to kick South Africa's innings along, and he's doing a mighty job, even though he's visibly struggling in the heat and humidity. A brace of boundaries off Reece Topley take him through to a 40-ball fifty, and though the rest of the over passes without drama, he's quickly onto the attack in Rashid's final over, rocking back for a trademark launch up and over deep midwicket for six.
Rashid does close out his over without a further boundary, and retreats to the outfield with figures of 2 for 61 in ten, which are much, much better figures than they look. "This might be the first over in the whole innings that England have had all of their starting XI on the field..." Matt Roller notes. "Livingstone and Curran finally both back in the dugout."
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Enter the final powerplay, enter Sandman
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Into the final powerplay we go. Willey is back on after an attack of cramp, and is so vigorous after his rub-down that he nearly gives away four overthrows with an urgent shy at the non-striker's stumps. Harry Brook does well to slide and intercept, although his knee does briefly jar in the sandy outfield. I'm sure it's only a coincidence that Metallica's "Enter Sandman" plays over the PA at the end of the over. Another tidy over from Rashid, who has one more left in an outstanding spell.
Matt Roller adds: "This is the first passage since the first six overs where England have had a semblance of control, getting through four straight overs without conceding a boundary since David Miller's dismissal. South Africa's balance meant that they were always vulnerable in the event of a couple of quick wickets, with Marco Jansen at No. 7, and he has started slowly, reaching 11 off his first 19 balls."
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Rashid, Atkinson keep SA in check
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We're still in the second powerplay, but Jos Buttler isn't concerned about the fielding restrictions for his main main, Adil Rashid. He trusts him to pick up where he left off in his seventh over, and he duly does, just five singles in another superb over, full of flight and guile, including a sharp googly to Klaasen. Jansen miscues a pull down the ground that falls just short of Sam Curran at long-on.
South Africa are being kept in check for now, with Gus Atkinson turning in a very calmly economical spell - seven overs for 35 so far, just focussing on hitting a length that keeps the stumps in play with a hint of nip back into the batter. Jansen can do little more than block him back down the line, but Klaasen's still there for those crucial final ten overs.
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Miller holes out!
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First Adil Rashid, now Reece Topley. England's walking wounded are putting in a shift here, to keep their tournament hopes alive! Another worry arises as David Willey hobbles off with a painful attack of cramp at the end of his eighth over, but Topley fronts up to bag his second in as many overs since returning to the game.
David Miller drags a drive through long-on for four off a miscued inside-edge - it's a lightning-quick outfield - but before he can get fully into his work, he's holed out to Stokes at mid-off, a bullet drive off the full length that embeds in the Spiritual Leader's breastbone for a vital fifth breakthrough. Klaasen remains, and we all know what he can do in the final ten overs, but Marco Jansen at 7 is a place higher than ideal for South Africa. England, of course, may have similar issues with Willey at 7, but at least they'll know what they need by then.
Topley to left-handers in this campaign: 26 balls, 6 wickets
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Topley strikes in comeback over!
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Every wicket feels like a massive moment in this contest, and this one feels doubly so ... for the identity of both the outgoing batter, Aiden Markram, he of the World Cup-record 49-ball hundred against Sri Lanka, and for the identity of the bowler, with Reece Topley capping a tidy comeback over with his second wicket of the innings.
It was a tentative start from Topley, with his heavily strapped finger, a loosener looping down the leg side. But after keeping it tight from round the wicket for his next five balls, he dropped in a shorter length, and Markram took the bait. Bairstow at deep midwicket tracked the chance well, running round from square leg, but then lost his footing on the sandy outfield, and had to struggle to stay in play as he twisted and fell awkwardly. But a double fist-pump confirms he did the needful. And once again, with 42 from 44 balls, a South African batter departs somewhat against the run of play.
Meanwhile, with 35 overs gone, it's Miller Time.
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Wood's woes continue
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He was taken to the cleaners in New Zealand's victory romp at Ahmedabad - five overs for 55 - and Mark Wood is tracking in the wrong direction once again. His first five overs have gone for 53 this time, with scarcely a threat beyond his raw speed, and barely so much as a dot-ball either. His one-dimensional whanging has been meat and drink to Heinrich Klaasen in particular, who has met full and short length with equal disdain.
Back comes Reece Topley, from round the wicket, with his finger heavily strapped. This could be a pivotal reintroduction.
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South Africa march ever onwards
How much will South Africa finish with?
39.0K votes300-325
326-350
351-375
375+
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Matt Roller on Rashid's heroic spell
Our man in Mumbai with praise where it is due
This is a remarkable effort by Adil Rashid, who is clearly struggling physically. He has been doubled over on the deep third boundary between overs, still suffering after spending much of the initial Powerplay off the field with an upset stomach, but has dug deep and picked up two vital wickets for England.
He has been trying to defend a very short leg-side boundary – it’s only 61 metres square of the wicket – and has varied his pace much more than usual, tossing one up above the eyeline to get Rassie van der Dussen and inducing a chop-on from Aiden Markram with a wide googly which was fired through.
Both sides today have picked six specialist batters and have an allrounder at No. 7 who they would probably rather push down a spot or two (Jansen and Willey) so if Rashid can make one or even two more breakthroughs in the second half of his spell, England will be able to bowl at the lower order at the end of this innings.
For the time being however, he's off the field again. Back comes David Willey.
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Topley is back on the field
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Promising signs for England... they need a few, as Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen make light of the Hendricks wicket with an authoritative start to their fourth-wicket stand. Rashid continues to gulp air between deliveries, but he's tossing the ball up gamely, tempting Klaasen in particular to come after him... 71kph deliveries in his seventh over, that's barely quick enough to stay aerodynamic. Just three runs come from it, as he continues to be the stand-out of the attack.
Next over, a drop by Malan at short cover, although that's being unkind. The ball, full length from Mark Wood, was utterly blazed towards his teeth by Klaasen, and in the end he did well to get his hands up and parry the chance. Saved either his features or a four...
Massive googly, massive wicket!
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Adil Rashid makes another vast breakthrough, and it's a big-ripping googly against the run of play! Reeza Hendricks hangs back on his stumps, primed for the cut, fails to read the turn back into his body and is cramped by the leaping turn and bounce. An inside-edge cannons onto his middle stump, and a superb innings ends at 85 from 75.
For a guy who didn't know he was playing until minutes before the toss, that is a fine performance, but like van der Dussen, he'll be kicking himself for not going on. Credit to Atkinson too, his previous over went for just two singles, to ramp up the pressure a touch. It's all relative, but on this surface, even a brief string of dots is an opportunity lost.
Meanwhile, Topley is strapped up and attempting some warm-up deliveries on the edge of the field. It's a promising sign, but the proof will be in his release point.
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Reeza feels the breeze
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A huge pair of sixes from Reeza Hendricks, in-to-out, opening his body on impact but with eyes down and firmly on the prize. They go soaring over deep cover into the stands, as South Africa put the hammer down on Joe Root, who has bowled pretty well up to this point, with his first 31 balls going for 32. With Topley still off the field, there's a juggling act for Buttler to get through the 50 overs without too many more lumps being taken out of his sixth option. Root and Topley have now bowled 10 between them, so England are just about covered if he doesn't come back (which seems increasingly likely), but Wood looked ineffective in his first spell. Atkinson is back.
Rashid makes the breakthrough!
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A huge relief for England as a threatening stand ends, and it's England's main man Adil Rashid who prises out Rassie van der Dussen. His arrival for the 18th over didn't go to plan - two loose deliveries got the treatment through midwicket as both batters latched onto his short balls, but he got his pace and his length much better second-time around, slowing the ball up and demanding that the batters put the humpty through the stroke. Van der Dussen leant into a swipe to leg, not balanced as his blade came across the ball, and Jonny Bairstow at mid-on called early to cling onto a steepler close to his chest. Rassie goes for a well-made 60 from 61, but he'll know he left a fair few out there.
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Hundred comes up in style
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Real worries now for England, with Mark Wood looking a bit lost for answers on this surface. He's been pounding the ball in, mostly back of a length, with his usual wholeheartedness but Hendricks in particular is utterly unfazed. When the variation finally comes, a full-length cutter, right up to the toes, he's onto the front foot to lump his first six, clean down the ground, to bring up South Africa's hundred at the end of the 16th.
One ball later, van der Dussen taps Root off the pads to reach a 49-ball fifty; two balls after that, Hendricks has his own landmark from 48. Into the fray comes Adil Rashid, and it feels like a lot rests on his ten overs now.
Hendricks, van der Dussen step up tempo
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Safe to say, this is a fantastic batting surface, and South Africa are cashing in very nicely all of sudden. With Reece Topley still off the field with his finger injury ("continues to be treated - no update as yet," say the ECB), Joe Root has returned to the action for his first full over, ahead of Adil Rashid, which is an indication that England might need to burgle a few overs from their sixth option.
Root has started tidily enough - seven balls, seven singles in all - but the pace of Mark Wood is in danger of working against his best interests on this pitch. Reeza Hendricks in particular seems keen to trust the bounce with two lusty pulls for four - although a third attempt is brilliantly gathered on the half-volley by Harry Brook at deep midwicket.
It's hot out there too, and there's a revolving door of England sub fielders. Livingstone and Curran both on, with Willey the latest to make way. He's eating a banana in the dugout, according to Matt Roller. Rashid also left the field with a stomach complaint.
The runs are coming at a steady clip now, with this stand building to 79 at the end of the 14th over.
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Topley's going off!
This is yet another huge worry for England, from a player who just attracts bad luck like a moth to a flame. Reece Topley has left the field with a finger injury, and Joe Root completes the final ball of his over. The issue occurred as he dived to intercept a full-blooded drive back down the ground from Rassie van der Dussen. Replays showed the ball flicked the end of his finger, near the nail, and though he did bowl one more ball, that was also clubbed for four as he overpitched on van der Dussen's pads.
And so, off he goes for treatment, and though Root completes the over with just a single coming off it, van der Dussen has sensed the moment. Two more boundaries follow in David Willey's next over, hauled out through the leg-side as he loses his full length, and after an anxious opening gambit, South Africa are just beginning to show their teeth. Gus Atkinson takes over where Root left off, but his first World Cup over goes for 10, as Reeza Hendricks finds the boundary twice. From 20 for 1 in 6.3 overs, South Africa have rushed along 49 for 1 in the next 15 balls.
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For Topley though... what horrors he goes through. He didn't play for England for four years after his last appearance here in 2016 as he battled a career-threatening back injury. And more recently, he twisted his ankle on a boundary marker in Australia last year and missed the T20 World Cup, then dislocated his shoulder on his IPL debut last year. Even last week, he jarred his knee while fielding on the boundary against Afghanistan at Delhi, but fortunately was able to return after treatment. Fingers crossed, the same is true today.
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Hendricks off the mark from 13th ball
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David Willey, into the side in place of Sam Curran, has shown his experience from the outset with two excellent powerplay overs, a maiden first-up, and a further four dots in his second before Reeza Hendricks, Temba Bavuma's stand-in, finally latches onto a hint of width from his sixth ball to pound his first boundary away through the covers.
As Firdose Moonda notes, this is a "full circle moment" for Hendricks:
"He did not get a game at the T20 World Cup last year despite being in impressive form. He was kept out by Temba Bavuma, who was in poor form at the time, despite scoring four half-centuries in succession prior to the tournament. Hendricks was included in South Africa's squad as a back up batter and does not have much game time under his belt. He played two of the five ODIs against Australia in the series leading up to the World Cup and one in the ODIs against England, earlier in the year, where he scored 52 in Kimberley."
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Topley topples de Kock!
A potentially game-changing moment, from only the second ball of the match! Quinton de Kock has been South Africa's anchor and inspiration in this tournament, with two brilliant hundreds against Australia and Sri Lanka to power their opening two wins. But he's gone second-ball today and it's a brilliantly ballsy bit of bowling from the lanky left-armer Reece Topley to prise him out.
There's little wrong with Topley's first ball either, a full-length outswinger that de Kock gets on top of to drill out through deep cover. But instead of adjusting his length, Topley trusts his best ball to do the business, and next-up, de Kock drives more loosely in the channel outside off, and snicks through to Buttler. There's an anxious wait as Kumar Dharmasena initially turns down the appeal, but England are convinced, and replays show a palpable edge, just before the toe of the bat comes through to scuff the turf.
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It's a massive moment in more ways than one for Topley, whose last appearance on this ground also came against South Africa, and de Kock, back at the World T20 in 2016. On that occasion, de Kock pounded his first ball for six, as his two overs in total went for an eyewatering 33... England battled back famously to chase down a tournament-record 230... and that memory has perhaps inspired them to chase tonight once more.
Seven years later, Topley is a much more rounded bowler, and at this tournament he has now bowled 23 balls to left-handers in this World Cup and taken wickets with 5 of them, more than any other on show.
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Gus Who?
For those who don't know much about Atkinson, Matt Roller has bashed out a handy primer:
A 25-year-old fast bowler who made his international debut in September, Atkinson was the bolter in England’s World Cup squad. He has only played five List A games in his career but has shown plenty of promise in both first-class and short-form cricket, bowling with genuine pace and earning comparisons with Jofra Archer due to his action. He gained wider attention earlier this year when he was clocked at 95mph (153kph) while bowling to Jos Buttler in a Hundred match at The Oval; last month, he took 4 for 20 on T20I debut against New Zealand.
Or, you could read this timeless origin story from his former 3rd XI team-mate Cameron Ponsonby... the headline is still just about applicable.
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Matt Roller on England's team changes
Our man in Mumbai gives his verdict on a significant change of strategy
England packed their World Cup squad with allrounders to leave them covered for every eventuality but they have left perhaps their four most versatile players on the bench today in Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Chris Woakes. It is a significant departure from the strategy that they expected to use: in fact, all four of those players featured on the tournament’s opening night against New Zealand.
But Curran and Woakes have struggled badly with the ball, taking four wickets between them in England’s first three games and leaking runs. And their management clearly think that the Wankhede pitch will offer much more for seamers than spinners, in keeping with how it played during the IPL earlier this year – hence only picking one frontline spinner in Adil Rashid.
With Ben Stokes returning, but only fit to play as a specialist batter in this tournament, Joe Root will be their most viable sixth bowling option if any of their main five bowlers have a shocker. It is a bold combination – but perhaps England couldn’t afford to keep things as they were after the manner of their defeats to New Zealand and Afghanistan.
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Stokes, Willey, Atkinson in, England bowl
Jos Buttler wins the toss and chooses to bowl, "generally a good ground for chasing so that's the reason behind it ... We're very forward-facing, try to impose ourselves on South Africa."
Stokes is back, and Willey and Atkinson are both in, as Matt flagged earlier. Buttler admits it's down to a combination of form and health. "Everyone's had a few days off and keen to get going."
Reeza Hendricks is in for Bavuma. "Happy to bat first," says Markram. "Look to apply ourselves and set up a good game. Not focussing too much on who we are up against, but about operating at the right standards."
England: 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Dawid Malan, 3 Joe Root, 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jos Buttler (capt/wk), 6 Harry Brook, 7 David Willey, 8 Gus Aktinson, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Mark Wood, 11 Reece Topley
South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Heinrich Klaasen, 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Gerald Coetzee, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi
Have to admit, it seems odd for England to chase in these circumstances. That line-up seems primed to come out swinging and hang the consequences. Besides, England have lost six of their last seven when batting second...
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Bavuma out, Markram leads South Africa
South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of match against England due to illness. Aiden Markram will captain the side in his absence. Big drama before the toss!
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Match Day Live with Bond and Pujara
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Stokes could be back ... gamechanger?
There's no doubt England need his never-say-die influence out there in the middle ... the last time he played in a World Cup fixture, he did this... the last time he played in an ODI, he did this. In his absence, the team has been listless. All signs point to his return today, after a hip injury. We shall see...
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Roll up for 'Super Saffaday'
One way or another, it promises to be an epic day of England-South Africa sporting rivalry - "Super Saffaday", to borrow Firdose Moonda's phrase. The Rugby World Cup semi-final begins shortly after this one ends. How will it all finish: 2-0, 1-1 or 0-2?
How will "Super Saffaday" pan out?
7.8K votes2-0: South Africa win both the cricket and the rugby
1-1: England win the cricket, SA win the rugby
1-1: England win the rugby, SA win the cricket
0-2: England win both the cricket and the rugby
In the USA, the England vs South Africa match is LIVE on ESPN+
Do-or-die in Mumbai
It's Match #20 of the ICC Cricket World Cup, and it promises to be one of the most no-holds-barred contests yet. England and South Africa have already suffered two huge setbacks in their qualifying campaign with their defeats to Afghanistan and the Netherlands. Now they come together in Mumbai - the scene of their epic World T20 tussle in 2016 - in a bid to right those wrongs and get their tournaments back on track. But one of these teams will have lost two in a row by this evening. Which will it be? The 2019 World Champions, or Temba Bavuma's quietly confident contenders?
We have some early indications of England's team line-up. David Willey and Gus Atkinson have marked out their run-ups. Expect them to take their places ahead of Chris Woakes and Sam Curran, with Ben Stokes also inked in for a recall after his hip problem.
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