Due to the late batting collapse in England innings, the hosts South Africa won the T20I series opener by just one run and have taken the 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
On Wednesday (12th February), South Africa and England played that T20I at East London. After winning the toss, the visitors sent the home side to bat first. While the Proteas team managed to score 177/8 (20 overs) in the first innings, they restricted the visiting team to 176/9 (20 overs).
After the opener and wicketkeeper-batsman, Jos Buttler (15) lost his wicket cheaply, another opener Jason Roy provided a good start with Jonny Bairstow. Roy-Bairstow stretched their second-wicket partnership of 72 runs. During that partnership, Roy completed his 50 runs in just 22 balls.
After Bairstow’s (23) dismissal, Roy put another crucial 41 runs partnership for the third wicket along with the captain Eoin Morgan. In the crucial moment of the game (15th over), Jason Roy was dismissed on 70 runs off 38 balls (7 fours and 3 sixes). While Eoin Morgan tried hard, other batsmen failed to reach the double-digit scores.
On the final ball of the 19th over, Morgan was caught out at the wide long-on after scoring 52 runs 34 balls (7 fours and only six).
In the final over of the match, England had to score seven runs to win that game, and they had four wickets in hand. South African pacer Lungi Ngidi conceded only five runs in that over, and three South African batsmen were dismissed, including the last ball run-out. The English side failed to score three runs on the last ball.
Among the South African bowlers, Lungi Ngidi (3/30) took three wickets while Andile Phehlukwayo (2/32) and Beuran Hendricks (2/33) picked up two wickets each. The comeback man Dale Steyn (1/33) managed to claim one wicket.
South African top orders set up the firing start
South African top three batsmen provided the firing start as they scored 105/1 in the first 10 overs. However, the hosts managed to add 71 runs in the last 10 overs. Opener Temba Bavuma scored the highest runs in that innings of 43 runs (27 balls). Captain and the other opening batsman Quinton de Kock and the no.3-batsman Rassie van der Dussen both scored 31 runs each.
At the late of that innings, David Miller (16), JJ Smuts (20) and Andile Phehlukwayo (18) added some crucial runs on the scoreboard.
Among the England bowlers, only Chris Jordan (2/28) managed to pick up more than one wicket.
Some crucial stats of the match: South Africa vs England
i) Dale Steyn became the most T20I wicket-taker for South Africa. The right-arm fast bowler has taken 62 T20I wickets and surpassed the leg-spinner Imran Tahir’s 61 T20I wickets record for this side.
ii) English opener Jason Roy scored 70 runs and it was the highest individual T20I score by an England opener against South Africa. The previous record was 67 by Jason Roy at Taunton on 23rd June 2017.