ENG vs SA Match Prediction : 1st ODI, South Africa tour of England, 2025
ENG vs SA Win Probability
60%
England
40%
South Africa
England To Win, 1.60
England has won 6 of the last 8 ODIs played at this venue
South Africa has played 4 matches here and has lost all of them
England has won 5 of the last 6 ODIs played at home
ENG vs SA Betting Tips
Joe Root to score Over 33.5 runs
Joe Root is the leading run-scorer for England this year and has an average of 75.50 in 9 innings. He has scored at least 34 runs in 7 of his last 8 innings, including 3 half-centuries and 2 centuries. His record at Headingley is impressive as well, scoring two half-centuries and two centuries in his 6 innings here. We are therefore expecting a good knock from him.
Lungi Ngidi to pick up Over 1.5 wickets
Lungi Ngidi is South Africa’s best seam bowler this year. He has picked up at least 2 wickets in 4 of his last 5 matches, including a 5-wicket haul. As the pitch here does help the seamers, we are backing Ngidi to bowl a good spell in this match.
Team form (Last 5 matches)
England
N/A
South Africa
N/A
South Africa will embark on a 12-day tour of England early next month as it exclusively plays with the white ball. They will first play a 3-match ODI series, followed by a 3-match T20 series, as both teams prepare for the upcoming T20 World Cup scheduled to be held next year. The first ODI will be played on Tuesday at Headingley, Leeds.
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England vs South Africa Head-to-Head Record
The two teams have faced each other in 71 matches to date. South Africa has been the dominant side with 35 wins compared to 30 for England. 5 matches ended without any result, while one ended in a tie.
England vs South Africa Live-streaming and Broadcast
This match can be watched live on the Sony Liv app and Sony Sports Network.
You can find live odds, updated tips after every day's play, and more information about this match at ocbscores.com.
ENG vs SA Team Previews
England
After enduring a 7-match losing streak in ODIs since the start of the year, England managed to get back to winning ways during its tour of the Caribbean in May-June, when it won three matches on the trot. They will now hope to continue with the same momentum as their home season nears its end.
England has named a largely unchanged squad to the one that won in the West Indies. Harry Brook will lead a side that has a good mix of young and experienced players. Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett are likely to open the batting for England in this match.
They were pretty solid as a pair during the West Indies series and will hope to give the team a strong start here. The middle order has plenty of experienced batsmen, including Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Jos Buttler, while youngsters like Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks will add depth to the batting.
There have been some changes in the bowling department, though. Gus Atkinson and Luke Wood have been rested from the seam department, and Sonny Baker earns his maiden ODI call-up. He is likely to join Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse in the pace attack.
Rehan Ahmed also makes a comeback to the ODI squad after close to two years, as he replaces Tom Hartley.
England Expected Playing 11
Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (WK), Joe Root, Harry Brook (C), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Jofra Archer, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood
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South Africa
South Africa is coming to England on the back of an excellent performance against Australia at home, which saw them win the series 2-1. As they have retained most of the key players from there, South Africa will look to continue playing with the same momentum.
Temba Bavuma will be leading the squad in this series, but could miss at least one match to manage his workload. He, along with Aiden Markram, is the most senior player in the batting line-up. That said, there are plenty of talented youngsters, including Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, and Matthew Breetzke, who can contribute with their ability to play big shots.
South Africa has also included Lhuan-dre Pretorius in its ODI squad. Pretorius has had an excellent time in the domestic circuit but is yet to showcase his full potential in the international arena. The pace attack is pretty strong thanks to the presence of Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, and Kagiso Rabada.
Keshav Maharaj has been included as a specialist spinner. He is currently at the top of the ICC rankings in ODIs. He has the support of Senuran Muthusamy if the need arises.
South Africa Expected Playing 11
Temba Bavuma (C), Dewald Brevis, Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs (WK), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickleton, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, Keshav Maharaj
ENG vs SA Toss Prediction
It is an even split between teams batting first and those batting second at this venue in the last 10 matches. In 7 of those matches, the team winning the toss opted to bat first, and we expect that trend to continue.
Pitch Report and Weather Conditions
The pitch at Headingley is usually balanced. There is some grass on the surface that helps the new-ball bowlers get some movement off the seam with the new ball. However, once the ball gets a bit old, playing shots will get easier. The average first-inning score here is around 210, but the team batting first will look to score at least 280-290 runs.
The weather is expected to remain cloudy with temperatures under 20 degrees. However, there is no forecast for rain.
ENG vs SA: Who Will Win?
Both teams have been in good form of late, and we can expect a close contest between them. While there is no clear favorite, we feel that England has a slight edge as it has a more experienced side and is also playing under familiar conditions.
Bet on England to win.
ENG vs SA win percentage stands at 59% in favor of ENG.
Todays Match Prediction: England to Win.
