ROY IN RUMPUS
Bizarre dismissal is the turning point as T20 run chase fades
It has been 34 years since England last played at taunton but the wait proved worthwhile for an enthusiastic crowd as South Africa edged a controversial lastball thriller to level this twenty20 series with one to play.
England looked to be cruising to a second emphatic victory when Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow added 110 for the second wicket with some brutal hitting in reply to what appeared an under-par South Africa score of 174 for eight.
But the game swung dramatically when Roy, who had returned to form with his first half-century in 11 international innings, was given out in highly unusual style when he was ruled to have obstructed the field.
Roy was struck on the heel by Andile Phehlukwayo’s throw while changing direction trying to regain his ground and was furious when tV umpire tim Robinson gave him out to a chorus of disapproval from the Somerset crowd.
But Eoin Morgan acknowledged that Roy had looked at the fielder before trying to scramble back when he said: ‘It was probably a 50-50 call. You could see both sides of it. Everyone in the changing room thought it could go either way so it’s not massively controversial. they were entitled to appeal and you can see why the umpires gave him out.’
Proteas skipper AB de Villiers said: ‘We were right to ask the question and it’s up to the umpires to make the decision. It’s never easy to get out like that but maybe it was a bit of both.’
It was to prove a fatal blow to England, who collapsed from the dominant position of 133 for two to require 12 from the last over with debutant Liam Livingstone and Liam Dawson at the crease.
South Africa had gone aggressively at the combative Livingstone, with Chris Morris leading their charge both with the ball in taking two for 18 off his four overs and in their attempts to rattle England. It seemed to work as Livingstone, who had dropped a catch when South Africa batted, was run out in a dreadful mix-up with three balls remaining, leaving Dawson needing to hit eight off the last two balls.
the Hampshire all- rounder almost cleared the ropes from Phehlukwayo’s penultimate ball but swung and missed at the last to give South Africa victory.
Morgan said: ‘We were going really well for much of the chase but we lost a wicket at a crucial moment and nobody was able to take it up after that. We didn’t deserve to win because we didn’t capitalise on the start we had.’
At least England could be happy with a mightily impressive display from their other debutant, tom Curran, who took three wickets and looked totally at home. Only when De Villiers was at the crease did South Africa look like getting near the score of 200 which seemed to represent par.
When he fell for a whirlwind 46 off 20 balls his side fell away in the face of hostile bowling from Curran and Liam Plunkett, who returned and touched 90mph in taking two wickets of his own.
It looked like a match-winning bowling display but as the light faded at this floodlight- less ground, England faded away with it. So to Cardiff tomorrow with all to play for.