South Africa eyes Champions Trophy semi-finals in clash against England: Match Preview
The Champions Trophy is certainly nearing the business end. And with just one semi-finals spot up for grabs. South Africa and Afghanistan are still in contention.
Afghanistan sharing points with Australia after their game was washed out on Friday means they are still in the race for the final four. However, South Africa still hold the advantage with a game in hand and a higher Net Run Rate (NRR).
A win against England will be enough to seal the deal for the Proteas. However, their opponents will also be eyeing to close the tournament with a win.
Having lost to Australia and Afghanistan, England arrive into their final group stage fixture on the back of skipper Jos Buttler having stepped down as white-ball captain. Here's how the two teams line up for the meeting:
WATCH: All On The Line | South Africa vs England | Champions Trophy 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Int'l Cricket Council
4 hours ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
Rabada reflects on action-packed opening day and passing Allan Donald's wickets tally
Kagiso Rabada warned Australia 'there is still a lot of cricket to be played' as he backed his South Africa side to come out fighting on day two of the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025. Rabada took five for 51 on the opening day to etch his name on to the Lord's honours board for a second time and help dismiss Australia for 212, moving above Allan Donald into fourth on South Africa's all-time list of Test wicket takers in the process. But Australia's own battery of seamers showed their mettle yet again in the evening session, reducing the Proteas to 43 for four to hold the early advantage. South Africa let the holders off the hook at times – not least when they failed to use a referral for a Rabada delivery which struck Beau Webster on the pad when the all-rounder had eight. He went on to make a top score with 72 and help Australia to a score the seamer felt was over-par. '(Bowling them out for) 212, you would take that,' he said. 'We thought 160 is what we should have had them at but that's just the way the game goes. 'At 40 for four, it's not the start we were looking for but there is still a lot of cricket to be played in this Test match so we just have to keep going for it. With this ball getting older, hopefully we can score some runs. 'Corbin Bosch came to fine leg and said it (Webster appeal) was out. I was like 'oh man'. 'It was a bit annoying. He didn't start too well and looked like he was going to get out any ball but his positive intent got him through. 'Cricket is a funny game and sometimes that is the way the cookie crumbles.' Rabada set the tone with the ball for South Africa after they won the toss and batted, taking the twin scalps of Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in his fourth over. He wrapped up the innings in a superb spell after tea, knocking over Australia captain Pat Cummins with a beauty before having Webster caught at slip and clean bowling Nathan Lyon to complete his 17th Test five-for and take his overall tally of wickets to 332. The three men above him on South Africa's all-time list – Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock and Dale Steyn – represent something of a Mount Rushmore of seam bowling and Rabada admitted he is pinching himself at being in their company. 'It's honestly very simple, I sound like a stuck record but all you do is try and improve and win games for South Africa,' he said. 'As a player, growing up and representing South Africa, I have been inspired by those who have come before and seen what they have done on the big stage. 'As a kid, I was inspired to wanting to do the same thing. To be in that list is something special and long may it continue.' Rabada's build-up to the game was dominated by off-field issues, with the paceman banned for a month after testing positive for a recreational drug. He insisted he didn't arrive at Lord's feeling like he had a point to prove but is enjoying doing his talking on the field. 'It wasn't my best moment, as I have alluded to, but life moves on,' he said. 'Every game I play for South Africa, I try and do my best. didn't try and give any more or less than I usually do in all the games I play for South Africa. That's all I tried to do today. 'It's Test cricket, there are always nerves. Dealing with it is understanding the bottom line. 'If you are a bowler, that's line and length, if you're a batter, keeping the good ball out and scoring off balls that are not quite there. Everything else is just noise.' ENDS
Int'l Cricket Council
10 hours ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
Rabada reveals key reason behind Lord's Aussie onslaught
As Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and opted to bowl in the ICC World Test Championship Final 2025 against Australia at Lord's, the onus with the new ball fell to Kagiso Rabada. And the seasoned campaigner took little time to make his mark on the Ultimate Test. Removing Australia opener Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in his opening burst, Rabada went on to claim his 17th five-wicket haul in Tests. His spell helped South Africa bundle the defending champions out for 212. But Rabada believes the Proteas could've managed to run through the Aussie batting much sooner. '212, we'd take that. We thought we should've had them at 160, but that's just the way the game goes,' the pacer told reporters at the end of the day's play at Lord's. With Australia five wickets down for 146, Beau Webster took command of the first innings with a handy knock of 72. Rabada lavished praise on the all-rounder, who shifted gears after seeing through South Africa's pace battery early on in his innings. 'Yeah, he didn't start off too well there, looked like he was going to get out any ball but I guess his positive intent got him through,' he said. Rabada five-for puts South Africa in the driving seat | Player Highlights | WTC25 Final Kagiso Rabada led the bowling efforts for South Africa with his 17th Test five-for on Day 1 of the ICC World Test Championship Final. Rabada eventually got rid of Webster, and marked his bowling figures by overtaking Alan Donald as the fourth-highest wicket-taker for the Proteas in Tests. 'To be named in that list of bowlers is special,' Rabada said on the milestone. 'As a player growing up and representing South Africa, I've been inspired by those who have come before and seen what they have done on the big stage. To be listed among those names is special and long may it continue.' Aussie pacers hit back after Rabada shines with the ball | Day 1 Highlights | WTC25 Final After Kagiso Rabada nabbed his 17th five-wicket haul to bundle out Australia, Pat Cummins and Co respond to set up an exciting Day 2. While Rabada was the pick of the bowlers for South Africa, Australia pacers also made early inroads towards the end of Day 1 at Lord's. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and skipper Pat Cummins all struck with the ball as South Africa closed the day at 43/4. 'I think the ball is nipping quite a bit, at times nipping off the slope quite a lot. But I still felt like batters could get in. If you just put more balls in the right area for a long period of time that would create chances. 'Right now, we're 43/4, not the start we were looking for but there's a lot of cricket to be played in this Test match. So we're just going to keep going for it.'
Int'l Cricket Council
10 hours ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
Australia buoyed by late wickets as Smith reveals Day 2 plan for Lord's
By Jonathan Healy, at Lord's Australia batter Steve Smith believes his team is in a strong position after the opening day of the ICC World Test Championship Final against South Africa in London . The Aussies managed to muster just enough after being sent in to bat first by Proteas captain Temba Bavuma, with Smith arguably the pick of the batters as he compiled a gritty half-century before nicking part-time spinner Aiden Markram to Marco Jansen at first slip. Aussie pacers hit back after Rabada shines with the ball | Day 1 Highlights | WTC25 Final After Kagiso Rabada nabbed his 17th five-wicket haul to bundle out Australia, Pat Cummins and Co respond to set up an exciting Day 2. A fired-up Mitchell Starc helped Australia fight back late as South Africa reached 43/4 at stumps after an action-packed opening day's play and Smith feels his side have the ascendancy due to the late wickets. "I think we're in a good spot, we've probably had a few missed opportunities with the bat to try and get a bigger total, but I think the wickets offered something all day as we've seen, and we're in a pretty good position," Smith said after play on Wednesday. "We're in a decent spot, hopefully it does a little bit in the morning like it did today. It could have been a better day, but we're still in a nice position." Smith and Webster help Australia fight back | Day 1, Session 2 Highlights | WTC25 Final After South Africa snapped four wickets in the first session, Steve Smith and Beau Webster notch half-centuries to help rebuild the Aussie innings. Smith looked the best of the Australian players on the opening day at Lord's, with the former No.1 ranked Test batter safely negotiating the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen until he was undone by Markram. "I'm still trying to fathom how I've done that," a frustrated Smith said when asked if he had any learnings from his innings of 66. During the course of his half-century at Lord's, Smith also managed to break the record for the most 50-plus scores on English soil by a visiting batter, going past fellow Aussie legend, Alan Border's long-standing record with 18 scores to his name now. Marco Jansen completes a brilliant juggling catch | Sobha POTD, Day 1 | WTC25 Final Marco Jansen juggled thrice but held on in the end to get rid of the dangerous Steve Smith on Day 1 of the World Test Championship 2023-25 Final. The Aussies will be hoping for some quick wickets when play resumes in North London on Thursday and Smith has his fingers crossed for his side to receive the same type of conditions that South Africa received on the opening day when overcast skies greeted players at Lord's. Rabada and Jansen took full advantage of the cloudy skies as Ausstralia lost four wickets during the opening session and Australia's pace trio will be licking their lips in anticipation of similar conditions in the opening session on Thursday. "When you know you've only got a couple of hours to bowl in the night, you can probably give a little bit more knowing you're going to have a break afterwards," Smith said of Australia's efforts to pick up four wickets prior to stumps. "The three (Australian quicks) have been great and hopefully they can come again in the morning and make a few early inroads." While Starc grabbed two scalps, skipper Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood joined the act as well, grabbing a wicket apiece to halt South Africa's charge with the bat.
