Wham, bam Malan’s the key for England

DEBUTANT Dawid Malan’s thrilling 78 was the undisputed highlight of this victory, as England clinched the IT20 series and South Africa folded.

Malan’s blistering innings provided the ballast on which England’s total of 181 was built, with South Africa captain AB de Villiers providing a short cameo of his own before the tourists fell 19 runs short.

Alex Hales made 36 and stand-in skipper Jos Buttler hit a typically busy 31. England’s bowlers then got to work with young spinner Mason Crane again impressive.

De Villiers was disappointed with his side’s overall display. Some lacklustre bowling and fielding was emblematic of a poor day for the Proteas, though there were some individual flourishes with the bat.

England captain Eoin Morgan rested himself for this one. Buttler lost the toss and de Villiers opted to bowl on a green Cardiff deck.

Hales and Jason Roy, England’s recognised opening pair, were reunited at the top of the order. But it was Malan, the Middlesex opener of South African descent, who made hay in the opening stages after replacing Roy (8), the Surrey opener having nicked behind off Morne Morkel.

Malan has been playing in the Pakistan Super League and Bangladesh Premier League to hone his T20 skills.

And after being included in numerous England squads without selection, he finally got his chance. The 29-yearold pounced on anything short, while Hales was helped by a horrendous dropped catch by Andile Phehlukwayo.

The highlight of Malan’s innings was a towering six which surely landed somewhere near the River Taff. No South African bowler was spared in the onslaught, as Malan reached 50 with an outrageous scoop of Imran Tahir for four.

It was an innings rightly applauded by an appreciative Cardiff crowd and Malan showed no sign of letting up. He drilled another sublime straight boundary off Morkel, this time along the ground, before he lost Hales after a 105 partnership.

David Miller clung onto the catch at deep mid-wicket to make Hales Phehlukwayo’s first scalp.

Malan was eventually snared by Dane Paterson in the deep, bringing his innovative knock of 78 to an end.

Buttler and Sam Billings then heaved and hacked their way merrily past 150 - and at that point England still had four overs in the tank. The Cardiff pitch had been heavily derided for being too slow after England’s Champions Trophy defeat to Pakistan. But on this occasion, it was producing exhilarating cricket.