JONNY’S ON SONG
Bairstow hits right notes
DAVID WILLEY took a wicket with the first ball of the match and Jonny Bairstow smashed 60 not out as England caned South Africa by nine wickets in the first T20.
Bairstow looked in great touch and Alex Hales finished unbeaten on 47 as England reached their target of 142 with more than five overs to spare in Southampton.
England captain Eoin Morgan said: “I thought we were excellent, we took early wickets and they came back hard but we contained them.
“Our spinners were impressive and never let AB and Farhaan Behardien get away from us.
“They managed to tie down one of the best players of our generation and a very good international cricketer.”
Frustration
Willey gave England the perfect start with a good length in-swinger which JJ Smuts clipped on to his own stumps.
And he struck again with just seven runs on the board when he caught Reeza Hendricks at mid-wicket off Mark Wood’s first ball.
Wood then picked up his second wicket from the first ball of his second over when David Miller edged to keeper Jos Buttler for nine, leaving the tourists reeling at 32-3.
Spinners Liam Dawson and debutant Mason Crane each turned in an impressive spell, with South African skipper AB de Villiers looking like he was about to explode with frustration.
And at 93-3 with only five overs left Willey should have had his second wicket of the match but Crane rushed in when he could have given himself an easy chance to catch Farhaan Behardien.
The classy De Villiers brought up his 50 with three overs to go with a flicked six off Wood.
But although he ended with 65 not out – with the unbeaten Behardien one behind him – the total of 142-3 never looked enough.
Jason Roy got England off to a flying start with 28 before falling lbw and Bairstow and Hales saw England home with ease.
South Africa missed a great chance to give themselves any hope when Behardien got under a high catch from Hales.
But the Proteas star not only spilled it but dropped it over the boundary for four.