Catch me if you can...
SAVAGE: ENGLAND SKIPPER DECIMATES SA ATTACK
A pitch invader dressed in a superhero costume during yesterday’s third T20 international cricket match between South Africa and England at SuperSport Park in Centurion. England won by five wickets.
Visitors always seemed in control of the chase as bowlers erred in line and length.
England’s batsmen sat down in their changeroom during the innings break knowing they faced a monumental task chasing a score of 223, which has never been done before at SuperSport Park. But their powerhouse batting line-up finally clicked yesterday as they won the third T20 and the series against South Africa with five wickets and five balls to spare, led by their captain, Eoin Morgan, who lashed an extraordinary 57 not out off just 22 balls, with seven sixes and no fours.
On an excellent batting pitch, South Africa’s bowlers could not afford to err so badly in line and length as they did and, with wickets hard to come by, England always seemed in control of the chase. Particularly while Jos Buttler, who finally had his day in the sun on this tour with a freescoring 57 off 29 balls, and Jonny Bairstow, who bludgeoned 64 off just 34 deliveries, added 91 for the second wicket in only eight overs.
South Africa gave themselves a window of opportunity when they reduced England to 145/4, needing 78 off 36 balls. But Morgan looked like he was playing cricket in the park on a Saturday afternoon as he treated the Proteas bowlers with disdain. For a left-hander with a reputation for being a fine manipulator of the ball, he can certainly give it a good whack and his seven sixes on Sunday took him to 105 in his T20 International career, the most by any England batsman.
Ben Stokes took a while to find his range, but a couple of sixes towards the end of his innings took him to 22 off 12 balls, giving Morgan valuable support until he fell in the penultimate over. But Morgan hammered Lungi Ngidi for successive leg-side sixes to all but seal victory.
Heinrich Klaasen had been the star of the show when South Africa batted, having won the toss, and the powerful right-hander has surely resurrected his international career on his home ground as he belted 66 off just 33 balls to take the Proteas to their second highest total ever in Centurion – 222/6.
He was given a superb platform as Temba Bavuma once again fully justified his move to the top of the order, blazing 49 off just 24 balls as he and Quinton de Kock put on 84 for the first wicket off just 46 deliveries.
De Kock managed 35, including four sixes, off the same number of balls as Bavuma, but was not at his most fluent, picking out fielders with several well-struck shots.
David Miller also did his job as the finisher with aplomb, scoring 35 not out off 20 deliveries.
On a tough day to be a bowler, Tom Curran (4-0-33-2) and Stokes (4-0-35-2) shone brightly with the ball for England.