De Villiers plots SA series win
johannesburg — AB de Villiers smashed 71 off 29 balls to power South Africa to a nine-wicket win over England at the Wanderers in the second Twenty20 on Sunday and a 2-0 series sweep.
De Villiers struck the fastest halfcentury by a South African in T20s — with his 50 coming off 21 deliveries — to see the Proteas to their fifth straight win over England in a limited-overs game.
South Africa cruised to 172-1 in 14.4 overs, with Hashim Amla 69 not out to see it home, easily overhauling England’s 171 all out.
Earlier, England lost their last seven wickets for 14 runs after they had looked set to post a total in excess of 200.
Captain Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler seemed in total control, hitting four sixes apiece in a fourth wicket stand of 96 off 55 balls.
The collapse started when Buttler hit the third ball of the 17th over from Kyle Abbott into the covers where South African captain Faf du Plessis held a low catch, which had to be confirmed by the television umpire.
Buttler made 54 off 28 balls with four fours and four sixes. New batsman Ben Stokes thrashed the next ball straight back at Abbott, who deflected it into the stumps to run out Morgan for 38 off 23 balls.
Wickets tumbled, with Abbott finishing with three for 26. Chris Morris picked up two and Kagiso Rabada finished off the innings.
It is the last match of a tour during which England won a fourmatch Test series 2-1 and South Africa won a five-match one-day international series 3-2. South Africa won the first Twenty20 international in Cape Town by three wickets, scoring the winning runs off the last ball. —