South Africa vs England: Who will prevail in hard fought Test series?

South Africa vs England: Who will prevail in hard fought Test series?

The winner of the ongoing South Africa vs England Test series will pick up valuable points in cricket's new World Test Championship. But forget all that. This is a series that is historic and hard-fought in any era. After two Test matches, the teams are tied at one each, going into the remaining games at Port Elizabeth (16th - 20th January) and Johannesburg (24th to 28th January). In this blog, we look at some key sports betting considerations in predicting the outcome of the series.

Who's fit?

England have suffered immensely from sickness and injuries on this tour. From bugs to knocks, niggles and long term injuries - even fielding a fit and healthy XI has been a hard task. Their all time leading wicket taker James Anderson appeared to be feeling the effects of a side strain on the last day of an epic 189 run in the second Test at Cape Town. If beloved 'Jimmy' can shake off this injury concern, England will have a lethal weapon at their disposal and the bowling attack could yet be bolstered further by the return of either Jofra Archer or Mark Wood. Watch this space - a fully fit England attack could be the key to victory.

Proteas fight back?

South Africa might not feel that they did a lot wrong in Cape Town, and in the post-match interview, captain Faf du Plessis conceded his side had simply come out on the wrong side of a titanic tussle. That means we might not see a lot of changes to the Proteas side, and if a fast bowling battery featuring the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje can blow away England's batsmen like they did in the first innings, they will fancy their chances of gaining revenge. One thing is for sure - we can expect a response.

Top run scorers

If you are weighing up who could finish as the top run scorer for England, why not take a look at Joe Root? The captain seems to have returned to consistency with the bat and took a lot of plaudits for his decisions as skipper in Cape Town. If he can carry that confidence into Port Elizabeth, look to the Yorkshireman to remind us why he is considered one of the world's best. For the Proteas, Dean Elgar might be a far less stylish batsman than Root, but he knows how to compile scores. After making 88 in Cape Town, South Africa's rock at the top of the order appears set to shine.

Those are some musings on the pivotal third Test in the ongoing South Africa vs England series. Who gets your pick?