SA vs Eng 1st ODI - South Africa Seek to End Losing Streak

Johannesburg: South Africa will seek to end a five-match losing streak when they meet England in the first One-Day International at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday.

South Africa were beaten 4-0 by England, with one match abandoned, in a One-day series in England last year. When the two sides met again in the Champions Trophy in Centurion in September, England's 21-run win meant the hosts failed to reach the knockout stage.

England have injury concerns going into the start of the five-match series but despite being down to 11 fit men they pulled off a morale- boosting win over a strong South Africa A team in Potchefstroom on Wednesday.

The injury situation was so bad that bowling coach Ottis Gibson had to go on as a substitute fielder.

Most of the injuries were said by coach Andy Flower to be short-term but Durham fast bowler Liam Plunkett and James Tredwell were called up as cover after three bowlers, James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, were ruled out of the Potchefstroom match together with all-rounder Paul Collingwood and batsman Alastair Cook.

Captain and opening batsman Andrew Strauss, who did not play in the 20- overs games, has been in outstanding form, with scores of 72, 117 not out and 65 in his three innings on tour.

South Africa were ranked number one in One-Day Internationals ahead of their failure in the Champions Trophy, which has caused a revamp of what had been a settled team.

Veterans Herschelle Gibbs and Makhaya Ntini have been dropped from the squad, while the addition of Ryan McLaren and Charl Langeveldt has added strength to the team's seam bowling.

All-rounder Jacques Kallis is set to open the batting, with young guns AB de Villiers and JP Duminy set to fill the crucial three and four batting positions.

Left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell, who missed South Africa's recent matches against Zimbabwe as well as the Twenty20 internationals against England, has recovered from an ankle injury but is not expected to play until he has spent more time bowling.

Squads

South Africa: Loots Bosman, who last week came within a six-hit of the second century in Twenty20 history, has not even been selected for the ODI squad, which can be taken either as an oversight or a show of South Africa's strength in depth. Instead, Jacques Kallis is expected to partner Smith at the top of the order, with AB de Villiers handed a new slice of responsibility in the No. 3 slot.

Squad (likely): Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Albie Morkel, Ryan McLaren, Roelof van der Merwe, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Dale Steyn, Charl Langeveldt, Alviro Peterson.

England: Strauss's return will provide some timely solidity, while Alastair Cook's back problems could allow Joe Denly another chance at the top of the order. Paul Collingwood hopes to be fit to break Alec Stewart's England record of 170 ODI caps.

Squad (likely): Andrew Strauss (capt), Joe Denly, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Matt Prior (wk), Luke Wright, Tim Bresnan, Sajid Mahmood, James Anderson.

Stats and trivia

• In 2004-05, Pietersen racked up 454 runs in five innings, including three centuries, at an average of 151.33, and a strike-rate of 105.58.
• Despite their recent 22-run victory in the Champions Trophy, England's record in ODIs in South Africa is lamentable. In 18 fixtures prior to that one-off encounter, spanning three tours, England won just three matches and lost 13, with one tie and one no-result. In consecutive visits they lost 6-1 in 1995-96, 3-1 in 1999-2000, and 4-1 in 2004-05.

Match facts
Friday, November 20, 2009 (day/night)
Start time 14:30 local, (12:30 GMT), 13:30 EST