England gets set to play a full-fledged series against South Africa starting with the first ODI in Chester-le-Street on July 19. The entire series comprises three ODIs, three T20Is and as many Tests ending in September. The ODI series is not a part of the ICC ODI Super League.

Jos Buttler will lead the England side while Keshav Maharaj will lead the Protean side who will be without their skipper Temba Bavuma. He has been ruled out of the series with an elbow injury that he sustained in the series against India.

Though this ODI series is not a part of the ICC ODI Super League, CSA Chairman of Selectors Victor Mpitsang said that it’s an important series looking forward to their 50-over World Cup preparations in India next year.

“While the ODI series is not for Super League points, the 50-over format is of vital importance as we look ahead to the 2023 ICC World Cup in India. The combinations tried and the performances we yielded will go a long way in our build-up to that tournament” he said.

Meanwhile, for England and Jos Buttler, the ODI series is an opportunity to come back to winning ways. They won the second ODI at Lord’s to level the series but then lost the decider in Manchester, the venue where the series was called off in 2021 after an Indian player contracted covid. In another big news, Ben Stokes has decided to retire from ODIs after the first ODI against South Africa in Chester-le-Street.

ENG vs SA: Weather Forecast And Pitch Report of Riverside Ground In Chester-le-Street – South Africa Tour of England 2022, 1st ODI

The 1st England vs South Africa ODI starts from 5.30 pm IST which is 1 pm local time. Rain is expected to play spoilsport as the weather is expected to remain cloudy throughout the day. The temperature will be around 18 to 20 degrees in the evening and there might also be rain interrupting the game.

So far 20 ODIs have been played at this venue with 11 matches won chasing and seven batting first. The average first innings score is close to 250 which drops down to 200 while chasing. With two power-house batting teams, plenty of runs are in store.

Also Read: Star All-rounder Ben Stokes All Set To Retire From ODIs After Chester-le-Street ODI vs South Africa