The three-match T20 series between South Africa and England started last night at Mangaung Oval. South Africa, the host, began the series with a comfortable victory. Last night, South Africa defeated England by 27 runs.
Match Report
Temba Bavuma, the captain of South Africa, won the toss and decided to bat first. Therefore, Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma came into the pitch to start the innings for the Proteas. The two openers were batting carefully. South Africa got 61 runs in the opening partnership, relying on these two batters.
However, English spinner Moeen Ali broke their partnership as he picked up Temba Bavuma in the 9th over. The captain added 36 runs from 28 balls before leaving the pitch. After a while, Quinton de Kock followed the captain’s steps. He lost his wicket to Sam Curran, scoring 37 runs.
After that, Van der Dussen came into the pitch and started showing his class. He played some fantastic shots in his innings. Moreover, the Protea batter scored the highest 111 runs for the team with six fours and one six. In addition, David Miller scored a crucial 53 runs in the lower order. Relying on their bat, South Africa ended their innings with 298 runs.
Chasing the target, England had a flying start. Jason Roy and Dawid Malan literally ruled the Proteas bowlers. Both openers kept hitting boundaries and picked up the half-century for each. Roy and Malan were heading towards chasing the target. But Sisanda Magala brought a breakthrough for the Proteas. He picked up Dawid Malan to break a 146-run partnership between the two batters.
Although Malan departed with 59 runs, Jason Roy didn’t miss the century. He scored the highest 113 runs before losing the wicket to Kagiso Rabada. England seemed the ruling party in the first 20 overs. But South Africa eventually took control of the match. After picking up two of England’s openers, South African bowlers became ruthless.
Protea pacer Arnich Nortje along with Sisanda Magala destroyed England’s batting lineup. Nortje picked up four, while Magala got three wickets. Due to their aggression, the remaining batters of England failed to contribute much to win the game. They became all-out in 271 runs. As a result, South Africa won the match by 27 runs and have taken a 1-0 lead in the series.
