ECB announces dates for England tour of South Africa

England will play a total of 10 matches against the Proteas this winter, including four Test matches to begin the tour

England's tour of South Africa this winter will begin with a four-match Test series, the ECB has announced.

Joe Root's side, who won the Test series 2-1 the last time they toured the country in 2015/16, will kick-off the red-ball matches with a Boxing Day Test at Centurion.

The two teams will then move on to Cape Town, the scene of Ben Stokes' record-breaking 258 on that aforementioned tour, on Friday, January 3 before two further Tests in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg on January 16 and January 24 respectively.

The series will be England's second in the new ICC World Test Championships format after the Ashes series against Australia later this summer.

^{Joe Root's side will play four Test matches in South Africa}

Eoin Morgan will then take centre stage as he leads England's white-ball team in three ODIs and three T20Is in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, East London and Centurion.

The two sides are due in action against each other much sooner however as they clash next week at the Oval in the opening game of the World Cup.

England tour of South Africa 2019/20

December 17-18: Two-day Tour Match (Willowmoore Park, Benoni)

December 20-22: South Africa ‘A’ (Willowmoore Park, Benoni)

December 26-30: 1st Test (SuperSport Park, Centurion)

January 3-7: 2nd Test (PPC Newlands, Cape Town)

January 16-20: 3rd Test (St George's Park, Port Elizabeth)

January 24-28: 4th Test (Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg)

January 31: One-day warm-up (Eurolux Boland Park, Paarl)

February 1: One-day warm-up (Eurolux Boland Park, Paarl)

February 4: 1st ODI (PPC Newlands, Cape Town)

February 7: 2nd ODI (Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban)

February 9: 3rd ODI (Bidvest Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg)

February 12: 1st T20I (Buffalo Park, East London)

February 14: 2nd T20I (Kingsmead Cricket Ground, Durban)

February 16: 3rd T20I (SuperSport Park, Centurion)