Jonny Bairstow’s 86 undefeated helped England produce an impressive comeback to win the first T20I against South Africa in Newlands, Cape Town.
SCOREKEEPER
Despite Faf du Plessis’s 58, which helped the hosts score 179/6 first batting, England struggled from 34/3 to pursue their goal and take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Things started well for England with Sam Curran eliminating Temba Bavuma in the first over of the match, but Quinton de Kock and Du Plessis soon got the Proteas in motion, with the latter slapping 24 of Tom Curran’s first over that It included two big six. The first was sent to the construction site and the second was sent to the empty stands for England’s gardeners to retrieve.
De Kock landed a couple of hard shots himself, but Chris Jordan knocked out the pattern by 30, as the home team reached 86/2 after 10 overs.
Du Plessis reached his 50s before poking Jordan deep into Sam Curran’s bowling alley, and after Heinrich Klaasen threw 20 of 12 balls, the England goalkeeper caught him behind with the last ball of his spell, ending with hard-earned on March 28.
Newcomer George Linde made a brief cameo in death with 12 of six balls before Tom Curran pitched him with the last ball of innings to leave England with a goal of 180.
Linde went straight out to open the bowling alley and with only the second installment of his career in T20I, Jason Roy caught behind by a duck, leaving England 1/1 of the first over.
Dawid Malan hit multiple limits as England tried to find his way, but Jos Buttler (seven) skipped the ball to Klaasen when Lungi Ngidi hit with the first ball of his spell.
Linde came back to complete the Powerplay and it was another tremendous finish for the 28-year-old, as he eliminated No. 1 T20I hitter Malan by 19.
With the score at 34-3 when Bairstow and Stokes teamed up, the pair mended innings as they threw the ball everywhere to build up pressure on the bowling attack at home.
But Linde came to the rescue again, as she caught Stokes (37) at the Tabraiz Shamsi bowling alley to break the 85-race partnership.
It seemed like a tall order for Eoin Morgan’s men, but he and a brilliant Bairstow hit Beuran Hendricks’ last over by 28, to leave England needing only 23 of the last three overs.
Ngidi caught Morgan deep for 12, but a lustful punch from Sam Curran helped Bairstow, and the Yorkshire batsman finished the game in style when he hit a four and a six in the final to see England at home for five wickets with four balls. ample.
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