ENGLAND WIN BY 19 RUNS AND WIN THE SERIES 2-1
20th over: South Africa 162-7 (Phehlukwayo 27, Morkel 5) After a few lusty swings from Phehlukwayo, who has had a good series, Chris Jordan completes England’s victory. That’s an impressive win for an experimental side, with plenty of encouragement for England’s future in all forms of the game. Mason Crane’s dismissal of AB de Villiers was the feelgood moment of the series, while Dawid Malan batted like a veteran debutant to make 78. Thanks for your company, bye!
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19th over: South Africa 145-7 (Phehlukwayo 16, Morkel 0) Curran finishes another very impressive performance with figures of 4-0-22-1. The variety and relish of his death bowling are particularly encouraging with the 2019 World Cup and 2020 World T20 in mind. South Africa need Daan van Bunge to bowl the first over; they require 36 from six balls to take the match into a Super Over.
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WICKET! South Africa 145-7 (Mosehle c Billings b Curran 36)
Mosehle heaves a full toss to Billings at deep midwicket to give Curran a wicket with his last delivery. The third umpire checked the height but it was fine.
18th over: South Africa 138-6 (Mosehle 31, Phehlukwayo 15) Mosehle decides to pay a little tribute to Carlos Braithwaite, clouting Willey’s first two deliveries down the ground for six. Willey goes around the wicket to restore order, with four from the last four balls. South Africa need 44 from two overs.
17th over: South Africa 122-6 (Mosehle 18, Phehlukwayo 12) Tom Curran looks like a man who enjoys glory, and he’ll grab plenty of it over the next decade if he bowls like this. He beats Mosehle with consecutive deliveries, a slower leg-cutter and a fast yorker, and though Mosehle wallops a slower ball for six, England will be very happy with seven from the over. South Africa need 60 from 18 balls.
16th over: South Africa 115-6 (Mosehle 10, Phehlukwayo 12) The reliable Plunkett returns to calm things down with a canny, boundaryless over that is summed up when he sees Phehlukwayo making room and spears a wide yorker through to Buttler. Plunkett ends with figures of 4-0-22-1. He is very, very good these days.
15th over: South Africa 111-6 (Mosehle 10, Phehlukwayo 11) South Africa are going down swinging, with 18 from Willey’s third over. Mosehele flips six over fine leg and then Phehlukwayo creams consecutive deliveries down the ground for four. They need 71 from five overs.
14th over: South Africa 93-6 (Mosehle 3, Phehlukwayo 0) “And in your wisdom,” says Rob Lewis, “which of those mentioned (over 12) will go on to great things?”
There are too many variables to predict with any certainty what young players might achieve - Billy Kenny and all that - but I’d say Hameed is a banker. I really like all the others too, especially Crane and Jennings.
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WICKET! South Africa 91-6 (Behardien c Billings b Jordan 3)
South Africa are done here. Their death hitter, Morris, was pushed up the order and they don’t have the firepower to score 14 an over. They are also running of wickets. Behardien hooks Jordan’s short ball high to deep square, where Billings takes a nonchalant catch. After a bad day on Friday. Jordan has bounced back superbly and has three for 10.
13th over: South Africa 88-5 (Behardien 2, Mosehle 0) Behardien is beaten by four consecutive deliveries from Crane. That is an outstanding comeback from Crane, who turned figures of 2.3-0-34-0 into 4-0-38-1. It’s impossible not to be seriously excited about how good he might become.
“Glasto rumours,” says Ben Parker. “I heard MC Corbyn is gonna rap the whole of the Labour manifesto. Rumours, rumours...”
He should challenge Theresa May to a rap battle.
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12th over: South Africa 86-5 (Behardien 0, Mosehle 0) A superb over from Jordan - just four from it - leaves South Africa needing snookers. I know potential is often gobbled up by life, but bloody hell England have got some exciting young talent at the moment. Hameed, Crane, the Currans, Livingstone, Lawrence, Foakes, Jennings and others.
WICKET! South Africa 86-5 (Miller c Buttler b Jordan 5)
England are in charge now! Miller chases a wide, short delivery from Jordan and snicks it through to Buttler.
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11th over: South Africa 82-4 (Miller 3, Behardien 0) That was such a lovely moment. He’s 20 years old and his first international wicket is the greatest white-ball batsman of all time. That’s not supposed to happen to English legspinners.
“Still following from Glastonbury, Rob,” says Tim Woollias. “Another wait for a secret gig, this time outside the John Peel Tent, where about 15,000 people are expecting the Killers, if it’s Steps we could see a very fast exodus.”
I heard Radiohead were going to play all of Pablo Honey?
WICKET! South Africa 82-4 (de Villiers c Hales b Crane 35)
What a moment for Mason Crane! This is spine-tingling stuff. AB de Villiers walloped him for 16 from the first three balls of the over, including two huge sixes, but Crane kept his nerve and struck when de Villiers swept a flighted delivery to Hales at deep backward square. He took another beautifully judged catch to send Crane off on a celebration full of joyous disbelief. That is wonderful stuff.
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10th over: South Africa 64-3 (de Villiers 18, Miller 2) This is the key partnership, between the two best batsmen in the team. After a flurry of singles, South Africa need 118 from 10 overs.
WICKET! South Africa 59-3 (Smuts c Malan b Plunkett 29)
That’s superb bowling from Liam Plunkett. He saw Smuts moving to leg, followed him with the short ball and was rewarded when Smuts top-edged a blind hook to Malan at long leg.
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9th over: South Africa 59-2 (Smuts 29, de Villiers 15) de Villiers decides it’s time to bully Crane. Nothing personal, just business. He flashes a one-bounce four over extra-cover, is beaten on the slog sweep and then clouts one not far short of deep midwicket. Crane stood up really well to that mini-assault, inducing false strokes from the last two deliveries of the over.
8th over: South Africa 50-2 (Smuts 27, de Villiers 8) Plunkett has had a lot of joy at Cardiff this summer, particularly with the short ball. He rams one past Smuts’ attempted cross-bat clout, the highlight of an excellent over that goes for three. South Africa need 132 from 12 overs.
7th over: South Africa 47-2 (Smuts 25, de Villiers 7) The young legspinner Mason Crane is coming on. He had an impressive debut in the first match, though the dimensions of this ground aren’t so spinner-friendly. Smuts sweeps the first ball for four; that’s the only boundary of a decent first over.
6th over: South Africa 38-2 (Smuts 19, de Villiers 4) Smuts survives a big appeal for caught behind when he attempts to pull a cross-seamer from Plunkett. England were sure it was out, and there was a noise at the right time, but the umpire Tim Robinson disagreed. No reviews in DRS. Smuts certainly gets bat on the next two balls, beasting a six over long on and driving four move over extra cover.
5th over: South Africa 26-2 (Smuts 8, de Villiers 3) The new batsman is AB de Villiers, who is playing his last innings of the tour. He is taking a break from Test cricket at the moment. An AB special might be in order because, after an excellent start from England, the required rate is now above 10 an over. He cuts his first ball confidently for three.
WICKET! South Africa 22-2 (Morris c Hales b Jordan 8)
This is a big wicket for England. Morris pulls the new bowler Jordan towards the square-leg boundary, where the leaping Hales takes an excellently judged catch.
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4th over: South Africa 21-1 (Smuts 6, Morris 8) Morris clunks Curran over extra cover for three; then, later in the over, he makes room to cut over backward point for four. That was a clever stroke, and this guy is a dangerous customer. Meanwhile, on the subject of Liam Livingstone, I’m with Gazza.
3rd over: South Africa 13-1 (Smuts 6, Morris 1) If Morris bats 30 balls, South Africa will probably win this game. He has started with intent, missing an attempt to deposit Willey out of the ground.
“Let’s not forget the ODIs led to the phrase ‘Boring Middle Overs’ which may not be quite true anymore but does tell you something,” says John Starbuck. “On telling people something, I was at a 10th wedding anniversary bash yesterday and a bloke walked up to when I was not dancing to tell me I had egg on my chin. I hadn’t eaten anything remotely eggy and it took a while to figure out he meant my fly was open. Why he couldn’t say so I don’t know. We are some way on from the days when women said ‘Charlie’s dead’ to indicate an underskirt hem showing.”
2nd over: South Africa 11-1 (Smuts 4, Morris 0) That was the last ball of an excellent over. Chris Morris and his deadly long handle have been promoted to No3.
WICKET! South Africa 11-1 (Hendricks c Plunkett b Curran 0)
Tom Curran has graduated to the new ball in only his second match, and he has taken a wicket in his first over! Hendricks, who was hit in the breadbasket earlier in the over, drove tamely to Plunkett at mid-off to spark Curran’s increasingly familiar aeroplane celebration.
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1st over: South Africa 8-0 (Smuts 3, Hendricks 0) There is some early swing from David Willey, though that isn’t always a force for good: he swings one onto the pads of Smuts and away for four leg-byes. It’s a good over apart from that, with only three runs off the bat.
The consensus from the keyboard achievers, incidentally, is that Liam Livingstone should never be allowed to play professional cricket again.
South Africa need 182 to win the series. See you in 10 minutes.
20th over: England 181-8 (Jordan 0, Curran 1) Paterson doesn’t get the hat-trick but he does ends with figures of four for 31 after a fantastic last over. South Africa may have found one there; his death bowling in this series has been exceptional.
WICKET! England 180-8 (Willey b Paterson 1)
Paterson is on a hat-trick for the second time in two overs after bowling Willey with a perfect yorker. “This is an exhibition in death bowling,” says Nasser Hussain, and he’s not wrong.
WICKET! England 180-7 (Buttler c Smuts b Paterson 31)
Buttler’s cameo comes to an end when he skies a short ball to backward point. This is some very good death bowling from South Africa, and there are three balls remaining.
19th over: England 179-6 (Buttler 31, Willey 0) That was the last ball of the over. The batsmen crossed, which means Buttler won’t be on strike for the start of the final over.
WICKET! England 179-6 (Plunkett c Miller b Phehlukwayo 0)
This is a cracking little contest between Buttler and Phehlukwayo, who is going through all his variations of pace, length, line and cut. Buttler takes two off each of the first three balls and then waves an astonishing six over cover from an almost immaculate wide yorker. AB de Villiers applauds the shot, one genius recognising another.
It’s high-octane stuff, this, and Plunkett falls to the last ball of the over when he heaves to cow corner. Miller took another excellent catch.
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18th over: England 166-5 (Buttler 18, Plunkett 0) That was a great over from Paterson - five dot balls, two wickets and one six.
WICKET! England 166-5 (Livingstone b Paterson 0)
Livingstone goes first ball, bowled by a full toss when he misses an attempted ramp from outside off stump. In a sense that was admirably selfless; in another it continues an inauspicious start to his international career. We’ll see more of him, don’t worry.
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WICKET! England 166-4 (Billings c de Villiers b Paterson 12)
Billings sweeps a full toss from Paterson over square leg for six but then clonks one straight to de Villiers at extra cover.
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17th over: England 160-3 (Buttler 18, Billings 5) Billings struggles to lay wood on Phehlukwayo’s wide yorkers, taking just a single from the first three deliveries. When Phehlukwayo misses his yorker length, Buttler reminds us of his genius by launching a stunning blow over long-off. Then he swats a slower short ball to cow corner for four, and finally Phehlukwayo dupes him with a slower leg-cutter. That was a brilliant over of T20 cricket.
“It was put to Eoin Morgan that paying customers may feel hard done by not seeing the established stars of English white-ball cricket,” says Adam Roberts. “They weren’t robbed by seeing Malan, were they?”
I’ve never understood that sanctimonious argument about short-changing supporters. Rotation is a necessary part of modern sport; once you start making decisions to the detriment of the team you’re on a very sticky wicket. It’s also a bit rich of those in the media to complain about short-changing anyone.
16th over: England 149-3 (Buttler 8, Billings 5) Buttler survives a huge LBW appeal from Tahir (aren’t they all?) by virtue of being a long way down the pitch. Replays show it would have hit middle halfway up. There are no reviews in T20, at least not yet, and England get the bonus of four leg byes.
“Not liking the new 20-over shirt England are wearing,” says Dave Tole. “Anyone else think they whiff of Rugby League? Wigan maybe?”
It’s the second horizontal stripe that ruins it. The £80 price tag isn’t utopian either.
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15th over: England 139-3 (Buttler 3, Billings 4) Buttler misses an attempt to flap Morris’s short ball onto the camera gantry, like he did here against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy. An excellent, boundaryless last over from Morris, who ends with 4-0-24-0.
“Everything I write seems to make it into OBO,” says Adam Roberts. “Just the ten of us following the OBO, Rob?”
You have no idea.
14th over: England 134-3 (Buttler 1, Billings 2) A drifting googly from Tahir to Buttler beats off stump on the full and goes through Mosehle for four byes.
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WICKET! England 127-3 (Malan c Paterson b Tahir 78)
Dawid Malan’s exhilarating debut innings comes to an end when he drives Tahir to long on. He smashed 78 from 44 balls and played with exceptional control and authority. Only three greats - Ricky Ponting, David Warner and Hiral Patel - have made a higher score on their IT20 debut.
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13th over: England 123-2 (Malan 74, Buttler 1) The new batsman is Jos Buttler, who is quietly having a bit of a rough trot. Malan has moved to 74 from 41 balls.
“I see Dawid Malan was born in Roehampton, where I grew up,” says Rob Lewis. “Can’t claim to have had anything to do with it though, as I left aged 13.”
In some parts of England, that’s a sufficient age to have had plenty to do with it.
WICKET! England 118-2 (Hales c Miller b Phelukwayo 36)
Hales falls to a brilliant catch from David Miller. He smashed Phehlukwayo towards cow corner, where Miller ran in and dived forward to take a very difficult low catch with the minimum of fuss. Hales made 36 from 28 balls.
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12th over: England 116-1 (Hales 35, Malan 69) Hales is starting to loosen up - both his knee and his arms. He mows Paterson down the ground for a flat six and then takes a dodgy single to de Villiers at mid-off. He has to dive to make his ground and ends up demolishing the stumps and falling over. His innings is turning into a Charlie Chaplin sketch. Malan’s innings, meanwhile, is turning into a mini-masterpiece. He walks across to daintily scoop Paterson for four and pulls the next delivery to the same boundary.
“Which format I like to watch does depend on whether I’m at the match or not,” says Matt Emerson. “If I’m there, then it’s Test, ODI, T20 - this merely because ODIs last longer so you can spend more time eating pastry-based products, drinking pints of Shame Inducer & talking rubbish with fellow attendees. If I’m watching remotely then I’d put T20s ahead of ODIs as I’m rarely able to spend all day in front of the TV, but I may be able to sneak a whole T20 in. Clearly several overs of Test cricket beats both hands down. Also, does anyone else record an entire day’s play if at work and then watch on +30 rather than look at the highlights? No, just me then...”
I find that idea disconcertingly deviant, but you are certainly not alone.
11th over: England 99-1 (Hales 27, Malan 60) Morkel is going to bowl out here, such is South Africa’s need for a wicket. Hales snicks an attempted yorker wide of the diving Mosehle for four, then Malan thumps yet another boundary through mid-off. This is one of the more impressive debut innings for England in white-ball cricket. Since you asked, nobody has scored a hundred on their IT20 debut.
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10th over: England 88-1 (Hales 21, Malan 55) Hales monsters a full toss from Tahir over cow corner for six - and then Malan manufactures a scoop for four to reach a tremendous half-century on debut. That shot was a bit close to Morkel at fine leg for comfort, but for the most part he has played with striking authority. He’s faced 31 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes, and is the first England batsman to hit a fifty on his T20 debut.
“Rest of the world now discovering what Middx members/supporters have known for years; Morgs is not the only excellent one-day/T20 batsman in the Middlesex side,” says Ang Gilham. “Better late than never for Dawid.”
And also better because it’s late.
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9th over: England 73-1 (Hales 14, Malan 47) Malan drives Morkel for a thumping straight six to move to 47. “What a shot that was!” says Eoin Morgan in the Sky commentary box. This is exhilarating stuff, and it’s now the highest score by an England batsman on their T20 debut, beating Paul Collingwood’s 46 on a giddy afternoon in Hampshire 12 years ago.
“Heartened to see - having looked up his profile at the other place - that Dawid Malan’s nickname is ‘AC’,” says John Foster. “Class. I think I’m developing a man-crush.”
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8th over: England 65-1 (Hales 13, Malan 41) Imran Tahir comes into the attack, and Eoin Morgan comes into the Sky commentary box. “We recognise the series is a big opportunity to have a lot at our younger players,” he says. “That’s a really important part of our development. Our success in the last two years has been down to the strength in depth we have, and that’s very important for our development down the line. It’s unfortunate that I hae to miss out but this is the rotation system we have. We remain very confident we can win and put on a show with the team we have. It is a big call but we haven’t been shy in making big calls.”
The man who has replaced him, Malan, is doing just that. He pulls Tahir very hard down the ground for four and bottom edges another past short third man. He has 41 from 23 balls and is five away from the highest score by an England batsman on their T20 debut.
“I’ll often bow to the knowledge of this parish’s Gary Naylor, but I have to confess I’m really not in the know about Dawid Malan,” says Guy Hornsby. “What’s he look like so far Rob? And what’s his go-to shot? And will he stick around? There really does seem to be a cavalry charge of promising players on the fringes of the team.”
He’s been so convincing in his strokeplay, and especially good on the short ball. The next World T20 isn’t until 2020 but he’s earned a few more chances with this innings.
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7th over: England 54-1 (Hales 11, Malan 32) Morris returns, perhaps with a view to sorting out Malan. He should at least dismiss Hales - but Phehlukwayo drops an absolute dolly at mid-on. Malan bleaches the wound by helping the next ball round the corner for four to move to 32 from 19 balls.
“Morning, Rob,” says Adam Roberts. “I’m surprised you rank T20 above ODIs. I don’t mind 50-over games - they resemble the real game to an extent. I love Bumble’s unquenchable enthusiasm for everything; it livens up a Sunday morning.”
He really is a national treasure, and has a much bigger cricket brain than many recognise. As for ODIs, I think that might be scarring from the never-ending World Cups of modern times. There will never be a T20 to compare to Edgbaston 1999, but equally there are a lot of terrible 50-over games.
6th over: England 46-1 (Hales 9, Malan 27) Hales is going to continue, though he’s limping like Tony Blundetto. He winces a single to mid-on. and then Malan, who is playing majestically, walks across his stumps to drive Paterson over midwicket for four.
“I am in town for the cricket, but unfortunately it is not the same town as the cricket is being played in,” says Ian Copestake. “However the view of the motorway from my Travelodge is being transformed by your word pictures.”
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5.3 overs: England 41-1 (Hales 8, Malan 23) Paterson replaces Morkel, who bowled two excellent overs. Hales drags the ball onto the inside of his knee and collapses in a heap. “That is as sore as it gets,” says Shaun Pollock, who has clearly never been to my dentist. Hales is receiving treatment, and this might be a problem: he’s struggling to walk, and he can’t have a runner. He might need to retire hurt while his knee loosens up.
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5th over: England 39-1 (Hales 7, Malan 22) Your friend and mine, Gary Naylor, has been going on about Malan for the best part of a decade so he will be even chattier than usual today - especially if Malan carries on like this. He back cuts the new bowler Phehlukwayo’s first ball for four and wallops another pull to the fence. He has 22 from 13 balls. “I like the look of this guy,” says Shaun Pollock on Sky. This, I suppose this is the advantage of making your debut in your late 20s - you know your game like the back of your bat and are much more comfortable expressing yourself straight away.
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4th over: England 26-1 (Hales 5, Malan 12) Malan plays another confident pull stroke, this time for a couple off Morkel, before being duped by consecutive slower balls. The first went past the edge, the second hit him in the arm.
“Am I the only OBO reader who can’t get into this T20 business?” says Andrew Benton. “It’s all over far too fast - which is probably good for the telly, which I don’t have, but not so good for written or spoken commentary. Those need time to build momentum. Roll on the Test series, I say, oh yes.”
Turning the conversation towards me, they are definitely the hardest to OBO. As a fan, I would say: Tests, daylight, T20, ODIs.
3rd over: England 21-1 (Hales 5, Malan 7) Madon! Dawid Malan has hit his second ball in international cricket for six with a storming pull stroke off Morris. “World’s gone mad,” says Bumble. “It’s his second delivery!”
2nd over: England 12-1 (Hales 4, Malan 0) “Just watched the Roy interview on Sky and wondered what you thought?” says Ben Parker. “I thought his answers re: the lbw referral and his last dismissal were very enlightening.”
Ach, I missed it as I was in the kitchen, faffing doing my pre-OBO finger exercises. I have taped it though. I like Roy, and also the culture of accountability that Eoin Morgan seems to have created.
WICKET! England 13-1 (Roy c Mosehle b Morkel 8)
Morne Morkel trampolines a delivery past Hales’ attempted hoick. This is a slightly frenetic start from England, and Hales edges the next ball over the leaping slip fielder for four. And now Roy has gone! The ball after a quite gorgeous whip through midwicket for four, he tried to limbo dance and steer a short ball over the keeper’s head - but it followed him and kissed the bat on the way through to Mosehle.
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1st over: England 4-0 (Roy 4, Hales 0) Chris Morris, whose rage brought South Africa back into the series on Friday, bowls the first over. This is a fresh pitch with a striking green tinge, so this might be a decent toss to win. Crikey, Roy has been dropped third ball. He slogged the ball miles - miles - in the air towards fine leg, so much so that the cameraman had no idea where the ball was. The keeper Mosehle ran 30 yards to get there, only for it to burst through his gloves. I know this because of the magic of action replays.
Some pre-match reading
The teams
England Roy, Hales, Malan, Buttler (c/wk), Billings, Livingstone, Plunkett, Willey, Jordan, Curran, Crane.
South Africa Smuts, Hendricks, Mosehle (wk), de Villiers (c), Miller, Behardien, Morris, Phehlukwayo, Morkel, Paterson, Tahir.
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South Africa have won the toss and will bowl first
Jos Buttler captains England, with Eoin Morgan surprisingly rested. Dawid Malan makes his international debut. Craig Overton does not, despite the earlier suggestion that everyone in the squad would get at least one game. Plenty of fuel for keyboard warriordom there.
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Preamble
Let’s try that one again. England made a mess of winning the series on Friday, their complacency reacting with South Africa’s furious pride to produce an unexpected twist, so now we have a decider at Cardiff. The match does not exactly scream C-O-N-T-E-X-T, yet it’s a chance to see how England’s young players fare in the heightened circumstances of a winner-takes-all match.
A victory would take South Africa above England in the spandex-tight T20 rankings. There is also a sense that, if they win this series after such an abysmal start to their tour, it will significantly empower them going into the first Test at Lord’s next week. Never mind rankings and series wins, that’s probably the most important context of all.
The first ball will be bowled at 2.30pm.
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