South Africa vs. England, 1st Test: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

South Africa and England begin their much-anticipated series in Durban on Boxing Day.

Date: Saturday Dec. 26—Wednesday Dec. 30

Time: 10:00 a.m. local, 8:00 a.m. GMT

Venue: Kingsmead, Durban

Live Stream and TV Info: Sky Sports 2 (UK) and Super Sport (South Africa)

Weather: When there is cricket in Durban, there will also be rain and this time it's no different. The current forecast from AccuWeather.com says to expect rain on Day 1, but things change quickly in this tropical climate and we can probably expect a bit more rain over the five days.

Overview

Of all the cricket that will be played around the world, the first Test between South Africa and England will probably offer the most intrigue. These old rivals have more in common than they would like to admit, and that’s exactly what makes the prospect so spicy.

Flaws aren't necessarily a bad thing; they add intrigue and level the playing field, but the weak spots of South Africa and England are remarkably similar.

Both teams have questions hanging over their openers. Both teams were recently undone by spin on away tours. Both teams aren’t certain of who their best No. 3 is.

On the plus side, both teams also have some incredibly talented players. AB de Villiers and Joe Root are otherworldly, while Dale Steyn and James Anderson are immensely talented bowlers. But there are even similarities here. Steyn has only just recovered from an injury which kept out of most of the India series, while ESPNCricinfo reports that James Anderson is in doubt for the Boxing Day Test.

With so many subplots cooking off the field, the cricket on it is sure to offer something quite fascinating.

Durban will have just a little bit of juice in the surface for the spinners—both part-time and front-line—but this series will be all about the quick bowlers and, of course, how well the batsmen apply themselves.

Key players

South Africa

Hashim Amla has had a bit of lean patch lately, but Durban is where he grew up playing cricket. Nobody in either team knows these conditions better than the South African skipper, and if there ever was a time to come good, this is it.

England

Joe Root has blossomed into a serious Test cricketer who always seems to be able to dig England out of whatever hole they find themselves in. It’s his first tour to South Africa as a Test player, and he will want to prove himself on foreign soil.

Squads

South Africa: Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Stiaan van Zyl, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Jean-Paul Duminy, Kyle Abbott, Dane Piedt, Dean Elgar, Rilee Rossouw, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn.

England: Alastair Cook, Alex Hales, Gary Ballance, James Taylor, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Mark Footitt, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Nick Compton, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Samit Patel.