Podcast: South Africa v England – Wisden writers make their predictions

England and South Africa’s four-match Test series gets underway on Boxing Day at Centurion.

The Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast is available on Spotify and the Podcast app.

In the latest Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast, Daniel Gallan joined the Wisden trio of Ben Gardner, Phil Walker and Taha Hashim in predicting the leading wicket-takers and run-scorers for both sides as well as the series scoreline.

Catch up on all the cricketing action around the globe by listening to the full podcast below, on the Podcast App or Spotify.

Leading wicket-takers

DG: It’s hard not to look past Rabada and Archer. One of the most intriguing sub-plots of the series will be how Archer and Rabada go against one another.

PW: I can’t see past Rabada for all the obvious reasons. Because of Broad’s pedigree out there, because of how well he bowled over the summer and because those pitches suit him, I’ll go for Broad to be England’s top wicket-taker.

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TH: I’ll go with the obvious ones: Rabada and Archer.

BG: I’m going with the old-stagers: Jimmy Anderson and Vernon Philander.

Leading run-scorers

DG: I’ll go with Root for England. The extra pace will probably help him a little bit. Top run-scorer for South Africa… I’m gonna say Rassie van der Dussen. I’ve got a feeling he’s going to really leave a mark in this series, that we’re going to remember him by this series.

PW: With the bat, I like Aiden Markram a lot. I know he’s struggled a tiny bit of late – bagged a pair in India – but he’s only played 19 Test matches. Four hundreds already, only 25 years old. I’ve interviewed him before and he’s a really, really intelligent bloke – a captain in waiting for South Africa. If he can get through that new ball then I fancy him to have a good series. For England I always bet on Joe Root. Every series he consistently, over the years, had made me a penny or two.

Six uncapped players in South Africa’s 16-man squad for their first two Test matches against England.

Du Plessis, Bavuma, de Kock, Elgar, B. Hendricks, Maharaj, P. Malan, Markram, Hamza, Nortje, Paterson, Phehlukwayo, Philander, Pretorius, Rabada, Second & van der Dussen pic.twitter.com/SYAa8wAadT

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) December 16, 2019

TH: I always love watching Dean Elgar bat. He always comes under that bracket of underrated Test cricketers. For England, I’ll go with Ben Stokes.

BG: With the bat, I fancy Joe Denly for England. He’s looked on the cusp of a defining innings in his Test career. He’s been in good nick, getting starts and not quite kicking on. I fancy him to get a couple in this series. I’m going with Faf du Plessis for South Africa. He’s obviously a very good batsman who’s done it loads and South Africa captains have a tendency to turn up against England.