SA take 1-0 lead in T20 series against England
The Proteas sealed a breathless one run win over England to draw first blood in the first KFC T20 International of the three match series at Buffalo Park in East London on Wednesday night.
Quinton de Kock’s men posted a competitive 177/8 in their 20 overs, despite an up and down innings, with England then looking well set to chase it down, only for a superb final over from Lungi Ngidi who defended seven runs to deny them.
Tom Curran (2) was caught on the boundary off the second ball of the last over of England's reply, Moeen Ali (5) was bowled off the penultimate delivery and Adil Rashid (1) was run out trying to get home for the second run that would have sent the match to a super over.
England’s innings started much like the Proteas, as openers Jason Roy and Jos Buttler started well, while Jonny Bairstow continued the good work after the first wicket.
Returning Protea legend Dale Steyn got the initial breakthrough, as Buttler (15) toe ended a catch to David Miller in the third over.
However the fourth over bowled by Jon-Jon Smuts, his only of the match, was brutally disposed of by Roy, who hammered him for two fours and two sixes with 22 coming off of it.
Steyn, Ngidi and Andile Phehlukwayo then came in for a bit of tap, before Phehlukwayo bounced back well in his second over to get rid of Bairstow (23), trapped LBW with England 91/2 in the ninth over.
Captain Eoin Morgan then joined Roy and they confidently took the visitors past 100.
Just when it was looking like England were going to cruise home, Roy popped a simple catch to short fine leg off the bowling of Beuran Hendricks to fall for 70 off 38 balls (7x4, 3x6).
New man Joe Denly (3) then gave Rassie van der Dussen an easy catch off the bowling of Phehlukwayo in the next over to bring SA back into the game.
At the start of play England won the toss and elected to field, which seemed to backfire at first as SA captain De Kock and Temba Bavuma got the home side off to a flying start.
De Kock’s fun, however, ended in the fifth over as he was looking to hammer Ali for six he skied the ball to long on where Denly took a good catch to dismiss the captain for 31 off 15 balls (3x4, 1x6).
Van der Dussen then joined Bavuma and they continued the good work, taking the Proteas to 68/1 at the end of the powerplay.
However, the second half of the innings did not go to plan.
Van der Dussen (31) was caught trying to pull Stokes to the boundary, with Bairstow making a good catch running in off the boundary in the 11th over and in the next Bavuma was dropped by Denly and then caught by Ali.