South Africa vs. England, 4th ODI: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

South Africa clawed their way back into the five-match ODI series by notching up an impressive seven- wicket victory in Centurion on Tuesday, and they need to win again to keep the series alive.

Date: Friday, 12 February

Time: 1:30 p.m. local, 11:30 a.m. GMT

Venue: Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

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

Weather: Thunderstorms are always a threat in Johannesburg this time of year, and Friday will be no different. It's going to be hot and sticky in the mid-afternoon with temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius, according to AccuWeather.com. A thunderstorm in the late afternoon is likely, though, and should cool things down. They never last long, so there's little chance of a washout.

Overview

Prior to the third ODI, Hashim Amla said that South Africa have “three finals” left in this series. For anyone who has watched South Africa in an ICC knockout, that would not have inspired much confidence. But South Africa has a strange way of rising to the occasion when the pressure is on—something that has been forgotten in recent months.

With Amla and Quinton de Kock kicking into gear, the fact South Africa’s fifth bowler was still problematic didn’t even matter. When the Amla and De Kock show is in full swing, the Proteas will almost always come out on top.

For the third ODI, South Africa curiously opted for David Wiese over Chris Morris in place of Rilee Rossouw. It seemed strange to drop a batsman instead of either Farhaan Behardien or JP Duminy and play an “all-rounder” rather than an out-and-out bowler who can bat a bit.

Wiese, like the part-time fifth bowlers before him, also conceded over 60 runs in his allotted overs; South Africa might be forced to rethink the balance of the team yet again for the fourth ODI.

The good news is, South Africa have a very good overall record at the Wanderers, having won 21 out of 29 matches, with 13 of those victories coming while chasing.  

They will have a touch more confidence heading into Friday’s match, but they should not rest on their laurels. England’s inexperienced bowling attack copping such a beating might see them call on Stuart Broad, whose devastation at the Wanderers in the Test series possibly still haunts South Africa.

Key players

South Africa

With two hundreds in the series, Quinton de Kock is definitely the in-form player. South Africa need him to set the foundation at the top of the order so that the rest of the batsmen can launch later on. However, like in Bloemfontein, his theatrics will mean little if his teammates don’t stick with him.

England

Adil Rashid was the pick of England’s bowlers in Centurion with a miserly economy rate of just 4.50. At the Wanderers where things can get messy pretty quickly for bowlers, having a bowler like Rashid who can really hold down an end will be crucial.

Squads

England: Joe Root, Alex Hales, James Taylor, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Stuart Broad, Reece Topley, David Willey, Jason Roy, Adil Rashid, Chris Woakes, Chris Jordan, Eoin Morgan, Liam Plunkett

South Africa: Hashim Amla, David Miller, AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Jean-Paul Duminy, Kyle Abbott, Farhaan Behardien, Rilee Rossouw,Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Quinton de Kock, Chris Morris, Marchant de Lange, David Wiese

All information obtained firsthand, unless otherwise stated.