Morgan finds his mojo
CAPTAIN Eoin Morgan and Alex Hales starred with the bat to guide England to a comprehensive 44- run win against South Africa A in this T20 warm- up match at Boland Park.
The runs were fl owing as liberally in the Cape winelands as the local tipples in the nearby vineyards as the tourists piled up 202- 6 batting fi rst. Hales, who hit fi ve successive 50- plus scores in the one- day series against South Africa, threatened to score his second T20 hundred in an England shirt before falling for 78.
But it was the spectacular cameo of 42 from 13 balls from Morgan that was perhaps the most signifi cant contribution for England ahead of the two- match T20 series against South Africa starting in Cape Town tomorrow.
Morgan was in woeful form during the recent one- dayers, scoring just 64 runs at an average of 12.80 across fi ve innings.
Yet the 29- year- old, who will be so important to England when they get their World T20 campaign under way in India next month, hit his way out of that slump during an explosive innings that included fi ve sixes and a four.
Morgan came to the crease when Hales was dismissed in the 16th over, caught in the deep off left- arm spinner Aaron Phangiso.
Hales hit England’s only hundred in this form of the game during the last World T20 in Bangladesh two years ago. And although he was not able to reach three fi gures this time, his 52- ball knock laid the foundations for a huge total. England, who rested Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali for this match, were 138- 3 when Hales departed and Morgan provided a turbo- charged fi nale to the innings in which 67 runs were plundered from the fi nal fi ve overs.
That was despite a disappointing fi nal over as England were restricted to just six as Wayne Parnell took the wickets of Morgan and Chris Woakes.
This was a strong South Africa A team containing seven men who have played international cricket, including three in David Miller, Phangiso and Farhaan Behardien who are in the Proteas’ World T20 squad.
Yet they were always up against it after England’s batting efforts, which also included useful knocks in the 20s from Jason Roy, James Vince and Jos Buttler.
Reece Topley, the leading wicket- taker in the oneday series, trapped Reeza Hendricks lbw with the fourth ball of the hosts’ chase.
South Africa A kept themselves in contention, reaching 87- 1 after 10 overs. Woakes, left out of England’s World T20 OFF TO A FLIER: David Willey was full of praise
for Morgan and Hales squad, had home captain Morne Van Wyk caught at long- on as England reduced their opponents to 91- 2 in the 11th over.
Theunis de Bruyn fell to Adil Rashid’s leg- spin in the next over for 56, South Africa A now needing 105 to win from 48 balls. Rashid had Miller stumped to fi nish with fi gures of 2- 27 and the hosts needed an unlikely 73 from 24 balls with just fi ve wickets in hand when David Willey bowled Behardien with the last ball of the 16th over.
Topley fi nished with 3- 29 as South Africa A limped to defeat.
“It’s only a matter of time before someone like Morgan comes off and when he does he can swing the game in a matter of balls,” said Willey. “Alex Hales can’t stop scoring at the moment – it’s a pleasing start to our T20 campaign.”
KATHERINE Brunt has been named in England Women’s World T20 squad, despite a back injury.
Opener Lauren Winfi eld is the only player in the squad for the upcoming T20 series in South Africa not to be chosen in the 15- strong party for the tournament, which starts in India on March 15.
Pace bowler Brunt, 30, will miss the South Africa series after suffering a back spasm in the one- day international series.
YORKSHIRE seamer Josh Shaw has joined Division Two club Gloucestershire on a season- long loan.