What a finish to a hitherto poor game. England looked to have blown it with the bat. They looked to have brought it back with some outstanding bowling. They looked to have blown it when Chris Morris, dead eyed and cold blooded, smashed 10 from two balls at the death. They looked to have pulled it back with a fine return throw from Joe Root to the bowler with Abbott well short. Then Reece Topley, who had bowled so well, fumbled the throw badly and let South Africa sneak it at the death.
“Oh boy. Forget the cocktails,” says Simon McMahon. “I need a straight whisky.”
See you all Sunday. Bye!
Updated
South Africa win by three wickets!
19.6 overs: South Africa 135-7 (Abbott 2, Morris 17) Smeared to Root at deep mid off and the return throw is fumbled by Topley! They get back for the two!
Updated
19.5 overs: South Africa 133-7 (Abbott 2, Morris 15) 2 to win Chipped back down the ground and Root cuts it off on the straight boundary. They get through for two though.
19.4 overs: South Africa 131-7 (Abbott 2, Morris 13) 4 to win Straight back to the bowler, dot ball.
19.3 overs: South Africa 131-7 (Abbott 2, Morris 13) 4 to win Low full toss and Morris clears mid on with a huge slog sweep! Six! What a shot that was.
19.2 overs: South Africa 125-7 (Abbott 2, Morris 7) 10 to win The dangerous Morris on strike. Full, wide of off and driven hard over extra cover for four.
19.1 overs: South Africa 121-7 (Abbott 2, Morris 3) 14 to win Topley, with 0-12 from his first two, is going to bowl. Full and driven straight to mid off by Abbott.
19th over: South Africa 120-7 (Abbott 1, Morris 3) target 135 Morris comes in with a massive task on his hands: South Africa have blown what should have been an easy run chase, albeit in the face of some outstanding bowling from Topley, Jordan and Stokes. And as I write that, Topley drops Morris at third man when the batsman gets a thick leading edge down to that region. Probably should have been taken but instead it’s two runs. Another single then Wiese pulls out to deep midwicket for a well-run two. Sixteen needed from eight balls... and Wiese goes from the first of those! This has been such a good, confidence-boosting performance from Chris Jordan. Abbott is in for the final ball of the over and he can only clump it down to mid on for one. 15 needed and we’re going ball-by-ball.
“I’m chilling my Gimlet’s right now, Dan,” writes Simon McMahon.
Seconds later, John Starbuck writes: “Dan, Super over time! Are you thirsty too?”
Wicket! Wiese b Jordan 2
Full and just outside off. Wiese backs away and looks to smear it through the off side but can only get the inside edge back on to his stumps!
Updated
Wicket! Miller c Root b Jordan 13
Gone first ball! Full from Jordan and Miller apes Duminy by lifting it straight to Root on the long-on boundary!
18th over: South Africa 114-5 (Wiese 0, Miller 13) target 135 Big call from Morgan to stick with Moeen and it pays off when Rossouw goes first ball of the over. South Africa decline to ask Morris to repeat his heroics from the fourth ODI here: Wiese is the new man. Miller hammers six down the ground, just evading the leap of Roy who had come in too far from the rope. He goes hard through extra cover next for four more then sweeps round the corner from a single from the last ball. South Africa need 21 from 12 balls.
Wicket! Rossouw c Rashid b Moeen 18
Rossouw goes! He tries to sweep and misreads the bounce. Off the top edge, Rashid backpedals and takes a fine, confidence-boosting catch at fine leg!
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17th over: South Africa 103-4 (Rossouw 18, Miller 2) target 135 Jordan returns, Miller enters. This could either get very nasty for Jordan or he could shut up a lot of people on Twitter. Which would make him England’s greatest ever hero. He thinks he has Rossouw lbw when the batsman falls over trying to play off his pads but that pitched a long long way outside leg. South Africa can once again only deal in singles and the required rate is up above 10. Jordan has bowled very well for his one for 17; he only has one over left and if he blows it from his last six balls then, well, the opprobrium will be harsh to say the least.
16th over: South Africa 98-4 (Rossouw 15, Miller 0) target 135 With 44 from 30 needed I’d say South Africa are still the very slight favourites. Rossouw gets two then one with a pair of dabbed reverse sweeps that look far more ungainly than that description makes them sound. “At this stage England were 96 for six so there’s nothing in the game,” HD Ackermann tells us, conveniently ignoring South Africa’s extra three wickets. Two more for Du Plessis when he gets away with a top edge down to fine leg but there his luck runs out – the captain goes for 25 from 30 balls, which isn’t brilliant.
Wicket! Du Plessis c Stokes b Moeen 25
Du Plessis gets down on one knee and looks to hammer a slog sweep over midwicket. Instead he sends it to mid on where Stokes takes the catch at chest height. Easy as.
15th over: South Africa 91-3 (Rossouw 11, Du Plessis 22) target 135 The required run rate is creeping up and up – a couple of dots from Rashid put it at exactly nine midway through the over. Faf takes a single to hand the strike to the big hitting Rossouw and he drives hard and high over long on for a meaty six. He tries again from the next two but can’t connect. Indeed he wears the second of those right in his, shall we say, testicles?
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14th over: South Africa 83-3 (Rossouw 4, Du Plessis 21) target 135 Moeen into the attack and you feel this could be the key period of the match. Or I might just be saying that because this entire match has been the boring middle overs of an early 2000s ODI and I want to make it sound better. Moeen very nearly has Rossouw first up actually, with a lovely flighted delivery that turns past the outside edge and just squeaks over the bails. They appeal for a run out from the final ball as Rossouw just slides home, but he’s well in. Really good bit of fielding by Ali, dragging it back in towards the stumps, but it was well recovered in the end by the batsman.
13th over: South Africa 79-3 (Rossouw 2, Du Plessis 19) target 135 Full toss from Rashid but Duminy misses out, only able to work it out to long on for two runs. He then throws his wicket away with a somewhat needless attempt at a six. Rossouw replaces him and gets off the mark with a punch to cover for one. Couple more singles and that’s a handy over for England.
Wicket! Duminy c Root b Rashid 23
Good full ball from Rashid and Duminy looks to hit him over long on. He can’t get underneath it enough though and Root holds a comfortable catch in the deep.
12th over: South Africa 74-2 (Duminy 21, Du Plessis 18) target 135 Duminy tees off, dancing down the track, backing to leg and smashing a length ball cleanly over extra cover for four. He takes a single to give Du Plessis the strike and the captain misses out trying to heave a shorter slower one through midwicket; he mistimes it and just collects the one. One more round the corner to JP then Du Plessis flicks one just short of Rashid at short fine leg. Half a yard either side it was four; a yard further and it was out. Faf pulls the last ball, a bouncer, out to deep midwicket off the top edge but again agonisingly wide of Willey. Stokes finishes with one for 19 from his four – well bowled.
11th over: South Africa 65-2 (Duminy 15, Du Plessis 15) target 135 From the first ball of the over Du Plessis runs blindly into Rashid’s elbow at the non-striker’s end. That’s the closest thing this over has to an incident. Four off it over again, again all in singles.
10th over: South Africa 61-2 (Duminy 13, Du Plessis 13) target 135 Stokes conceded just six from his first two overs so it makes sense for him to carry on. He digs one in and Duminy gets a top edge down to long leg but Ali declines to go for the catch. Moeen must be playing for his place soon: He’s not made more than 21 in his last 15 ODI innings and has now made three T20 ducks on the bounce. His bowling has been OK but he’s a poor fielder and Liam Dawson could get a look in in the T20. Four from another fine over by Stokes.
9th over: South Africa 57-2 (Duminy 11, Du Plessis 11) target 135 Anything Tahir can do, Adil Rashid can do better. Or so England hope. He starts with a short bit of dross on middle stump that Duminy smites dismissively wide of deep midwicket for four. Three singles and a dot, then Faf is mightily miffed that a ludicrous wide outside off stump – beginning a couple of feet wide of the stumps and turning away – isn’t called. He’s right to be annoyed.
8th over: South Africa 50-2 (Duminy 5, Du Plessis 10) target 135 Couple of singles, a wide down the leg side, a couple more singles then Willey can’t quite take what would have been a stunning catch. Duminy skies one straight down the ground and Willey turns and dives, but can only get his fingertips to the ball coming down over his shoulder. The final ball brings an lbw shout but it’s a full toss that hit Duminy outside leg.
7th over: South Africa 43-2 (Duminy 2, Du Plessis 8) target 135 This is a lovely shot from Du Plessis, leaning into a slightly too full one outside off and driving between extra cover and mid off with perfect placement for four. He’s such an underrated T20 batsman – averaging nearly 40 at a strike rate of 135 in internationals in the format. As long as he’s there I make South Africa favourites. Jordan has a shout for lbw against Duminy but it’s pitched outside leg by inches.
Updated
6th over: South Africa 35-2 (Duminy 0, Du Plessis 2) target 135 It’s a double change for England as Stokes replaces Topley. It’s an excellent decision too as Amla plays out a couple of dots then loses his wicket! We’re going to check with the third umpire that it carried but there’s not much doubt there on the replay. The batsmen crossed, so Du Plessis is on strike, and he’s beaten by a beauty from Stokes that straightens off the pitch and moves away from the outside edge. Wicket maiden.
Wicket! Amla c Willey b Stokes 22
Amla looks to turn a quicker one into the leg side and gets a leading edge. Willey comes charging in to short mid on to take the catch and took an excellent low catch!
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5th over: South Africa 35-1 (Amla 22, Du Plessis 2) target 135 First change of bowling for England: the maligned Jordan on for Willey. It works straight away, too, as De Villiers gets carried away going after him! Cap’n Faf is the new batsman and Jordan thinks he has him trapped lbw straight away with one that nips back off the pad. It looks good but when the ball runs down to third man the umpires gives runs. Or rather run, as the first is short. Well spotted. Jordan goes short and Amla pulls elegantly for one but that’s a very good over from Jordan.
Wicket! De Villiers c Hales b Jordan 7
Short from Jordan and De Villiers lines up the big swish over square leg. It takes the top edge and Hales runs round to take a good catch.
Updated
4th over: South Africa 31-0 (Amla 20, De Villiers 7) target 135 The clouds are building up around Table Mountain, giving it a very eerie look in the twilight. We need to have at least five overs of this innings for DL to come into play. Three singles from the first four balls then Amla is dropped by Buttler; he goes hard at a short one outside off and Buttler can only fingertip it down to third man for four. Amla edges the final ball too, sending a thick one down to backward point for two more. Nine off the over and that seems harsh on Topley.
3rd over: South Africa 22-0 (Amla 13, De Villiers 5) target 135 Better line from Willey. Amla rocks back and punches hard off the back foot to the fielder at extra cover and has to be very quick to dash through for one. He offers De Villiers a bit of width and the batsman slashes it up and over backward point, where Topley makes a quite outstanding diving stop on the boundary to save two. One more out to midwicket then the last ball is chipped marvellously over mid on by Amla for four. How those wrists haven’t earned him a watch sponsorship deal is beyond me.
South Africa miles behind on the “At this stage” count.
2nd over: South Africa 14-0 (Amla 8, De Villiers 2) target 135 Topley from the other end. His first ball is lovely: on a length and just swinging back in from off towards Amla. The bearded wonder nudges a couple into the on side but can’t get anything else from the first five. One more to square leg off the last ball. Another 18 overs like that and England will be home and dry.
1st over: South Africa 11-0 (Amla 5, De Villiers 2) target 135 Willey to open up for England, over the wicket to Amla and his first ball swings down the leg side via the pad and down to fine leg for four leg byes. The next ball is on the pads again and clumped nicely to long leg for four more. That’s not an idea start for England. One more off the pads to square leg. Amla was a bit dodgy at first in the ODIs against deliveries on his pads; not so De Villiers and Willey angles the ball across him with the first two. Straighter to finish and nudged to midwicket for two easy runs.
Here we go
This shouldn’t be too hard for South Africa. England were 36-0 after three overs and 50-1 after the powerplay, then chucked it away with some dodgy shots. South Africa fielded well but England made life easy for them by hitting a lot of shots straight to fielders in the circle at very catchable heights. And they got completely bamboozled by Imran Tahir.
England will need to bowl tight and full and hope that South Africa and their plethora of big hitters get carried away trying to win this quickly.
End of innings England 134-8
20th over: England 134-8 (Buttler 32, Willey 7) Rabada comes back for the final over and Willey chops the first ball to backward point for one. He has a bouncer out the back of the hand called wide but comes back with a yorker that Buttler can only scuff away through midwicket for a single. Back of a length to Willey, who smears it out to his own, left-handers’ midwicket for the same. Three balls left and Buttler digs out another good yorker, running hard and getting two well-earned runs for it. He pulls out the reverse scoop and keeps it on the ground, but short fine leg is up and keeps him to one. Willey smears the final ball out to mid off for two.
19th over: England 125-8 (Buttler 28, Willey 3) Rashid follows the groundskeeper’s instructions and makes way for Willey.
The batsmen work five singles from the next five balls, which probably won’t be of much use in a couple of hours’ time.
Wicket! Rashid c Amla b Abbott 2
Wide outside off and Rashid just drives to Amla at backward point. The former Test captain takes it above his head on the jump with ease.
18th over: England 120-7 (Buttler 26, Rashid 2) Morris into his last over now and he begins by whanging a massive wide down the leg side. He comes back with a yorker that Buttler digs out well and Rossouw makes a fantastic diving stop on the point boundary to save two. It doesn’t excuse this rubbish batting from England, but South Africa have been outstanding with their ground fielding today. We’ve even seen throws from the deep hitting the stumps on a few occasions. Another wide then Buttler pulls a straight one square for four precious runs. Just two singles from the remaining four balls but England have picked up 10 from the over.
17th over: England 110-7 (Buttler 19, Rashid 1) Abbott, who went for 22 off two overs at the start of the innings, is back. He starts with yet another one on leg stump that Jordan flicks round the corner for a well-run two. It might have been four if not for a very neat sliding stop by Morris. That’s him done and Adil Rashid, perhaps surprisingly, comes out ahead of Willey, who has a 40-ball T20 hundred at No1 to his name. Which Adil Rashid does not. From 52 for one this is a pretty sad effort from England.
Wicket! Jordan c Miller b Abbott 15
Short and slow and Jordan mows it at head-height to midwicket. Miller juggles the catch but holds on at the third attempt.
16th over: England 106-6 (Buttler 18, Jordan 13) Back comes Morris and Buttler chips him over mid off for one. Just one boundary in the last 42 balls now for England. Then, no sooner have I written that than Buttler backs away, opens the face and smears a lovely one behind square on the off side and along the grass for four. A single, then Jordan gets his second top-edged boundary when he swipes at one that wasn’t there to be swiped at. Twelve off the over for England and they won’t sniff at that however ugly they might be.
Breaking news: Quinton de Kock won’t play in Sunday’s second and final T20 either.
15th over: England 94-6 (Buttler 11, Jordan 8) You won’t be surprised to hear Tahir is going to bowl his fourth over here. He’s nearly not needed as Jordan and Buttler hesitate, but the fielder in the deep – Morris, I think – fumbles his pick-up and they survive. Four singles and a wide mean Tahir finishes with four for 21 – his joint-best figures in T20 internationals.
“You cut me real deep, Dan,” complains Simon McMahon. “As though I’m some sort of snake oil salesman who is disingenuously offering to buy cocktails merely in order to be published on the OBO. A trip to Eden Gardens for the World T20 Final if England win this.”
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14th over: England 89-6 (Buttler 9, Jordan 6) It’s fair to say England might struggle from here after smashing the first three overs to all parts. Buttler has to go hard soon you would think with wickets running out. Tahir’s figures are all the more astonishing when you consider 10 of the 16 runs against his name came from two consecutive balls.
Jordan gets four with a woolly top edge that drifts beyond fine leg, who is up, and spins down to the rope at long leg.
@DanLucas86 Speaking of Stephen Malkmus... https://t.co/BHPME14tns
— Matt Emerson (@Mattemerson) February 19, 2016
13th over: England 81-6 (Buttler 7, Jordan 0) Tahir comes back for his third over, knowing another wicket would really suff- oh there it is. And another. Tahir has two in two and four for 16. Tahir on a hat-trick and how on earth has this missed! A googly turns through Jordan’s defence and just brushes the pad, passing millimetres over the stumps. Tahir was off celebrating. What an over that was from Tahir.
Wicket! Moeen c Du Plessis b Tahir 0
First ball and Moeen goes for a duck. He slaps it straight to mid-off, where Du Plessis flings himself to his left and takes a fine diving catch.
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Wicket! Morgan c Wiese b Tahir 10
A googly and Morgan looks to smear it high over extra cover. He gets a thick edge and sends it spirally up in the air; down it comes and Wiese takes it easily.
12th over: England 80-4 (Buttler 6, Morgan 10) So how long do these two need to concentrate on staying in before they can go after the bowlers? I’d say at least another two overs after this. One from the first three balls of this one then the microphones pick up a well-lubricated man in the crowd singing “Warwickshire la la la”; he’s about as in-tune as Stephen Malkmus’s guitar. One more single from the last three balls.
11th over: England 78-4 (Buttler 5, Morgan 9) Morris comes back into the attack. He bowls one of those overs you forget as it’s happening. Four singles off it again.
John Starbuck’s attention has been piqued: “Dan, that’s a generous offer from Simon McMahon (9th over). Mine’s a Gimlet - but it has to be Plymouth Gin and Rose’s Limejuice. It must be annoying when you offer to buy a round and people come up with really specific requirements, but these things are important.”
After six Six Nations liveblogs with cocktails offered he’s still not bought me one, John, so don’t get your hopes up.
10th over: England 74-4 (Buttler 3, Morgan 7) Morgan guides nicely down to wide third man for a single. Buttler dabs into the off side for the same. Ooh and then Morgan, with soft hands, edges one just short of De Villiers and sees it bounce through the gloves and away for one more. A sharp single to finish. I’ll level with you: I probably put too much effort into describing that over for all the entertainment it provided.
John Starbuck is not happy with England’s crass approach: “That’s the thing with T20, there’s so little time that you have to be really organised to succeed - shirts in the laundry included.”
9th over: England 70-4 (Buttler 1, Morgan 5) Full outside off from Tahir and Stokes slams it through extra cover for four easy, but nice looking, runs. He goes big next, clearing mid on with the slog sweep and picking up six more. This is a typically Ben Stokes counterattack but a disappointingly brief one. A couple of singles mean 12 from the over, but South Africa will take that for the prize of Stokes’ wicket.
“Afternoon Dan. To be honest, I don’t think you can ever have enough ELO inspired cricket concept albums,” writes Simon McMahon. “By the way, cocktails on me if we get a super over.”
Wicket! Stokes st De Villiers b Tahir 11
A beautifully drifted googly gets past Stokes’ attempted push into the off-side. The batsman overbalances and, in a flash, De Villiers has the bails off.
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8th over: England 58-3 (Stokes 1, Morgan 4) Wiese now into the attack and he strikes with his first ball. After a flying start England are reeling with two batsmen on nowt at the crease. Stokes corrects that with a gentle push to mid off for one. Morgan then gets his first runs with a streaky-ish boundary: short, wide, slow and cut hard through the hands of the leaping Rossouw at backward point. Technically a drop, I guess.
Sad news: I’ve just been told by Robert Wolf Petersen that Andy Ganteaume has died.
Updated
Wicket! Root c Rossouw b Wiese 8
England are collapsing magnificently here. It’s slow, wide of off and there to be hit. It is hit... straight into the midriff of backward point.
7th over: England 53-2 (Root 8, Morgan 0) With the powerplay done South Africa go to spin and Imran Tahir. Two singles and a dot precede the wicket, which has left Rabada clutching his shoulder after pretty well rugby tackling Duminy. Just one more from the over.
Wicket! Hales c Duminy b Tahir 27
What an effort this is. Hales top-edges a slog-sweep and Duminy and Rabada converge at deep backward square leg. The former holds on to the catch moments before the latter crashes headfirst into him. Somehow, Duminy holds on to it as he crashes to earth.
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6th over: England 50-1 (Root 6, Hales 26) Again short from Rabada and this time Hales, who has seemingly got his own shirt back, misses it and gets clumped painfully in the midriff. He pushes to extra cover for a single then Root misses out on a pretty ordinary full toss outside off, driven to cover on the bounce. Root then bottom edges an attempted pull: it’s fair to say, I think, that this is the format that comes “least naturally” to Root but you’d certainly want him in your team. Just as I write that he gets his first boundary, reading a slow short one out the back of the hand and cutting hard through backward point. That’s the 50 up too.
5th over: England 45-1 (Root 2, Hales 25) Morris comes into the attack for Abbott and nearly gets Root straight away – the batsman pulling round the corner and just short of Rabada at a sort of fly-leg-slip. Root slogs and misses, then gets one off his pads out to midwicket. Hales does better though, flicking a yorker off his toes, round the corner, past Rabada and bobbling down to fine leg for four. He goes after a short one off the last ball and skies it to Duminy a few in from the midwicket fence, but the fielder misreads it and drops a low catch tumbling forward. He should have taken that.
Alex Hales failed to put his shirt in the laundry in time so is wearing Woakes' 19 shirt for this innings. #washingfail #inthedryer
— Dean Wilson (@CricketMirror) February 19, 2016
4th over: England 39-1 (Root 1, Hales 20) This is better from Rabada, taking the pace off it and getting it on a good length. Hales backs away and looks to hit it through the on side but can’t beat the fielder as he bottom edges it, then Miller makes an excellent sliding stop coming round to mid on to save three off Hales. That brings Roy on strike and he perishes for 15 from 10 – another failure to cash in on a fast start from the man whose top score remains 29. Root gets off the mark with a back-foot punch down to third man for one.
Wicket! Roy c Amla b Rabada 15
Rabada rolls his fingers over it and sends down a lovely slow bouncer. Roy doesn’t pick the pace of it and pulls it off the top half of the bat to midwicket, where Amla takes a comfortably catch leaning forward.
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3rd over: England 36-0 (Roy 14, Hales 19) Short again from Abbott and Roy clubs him flat and hard over mid on for the first six of the innings. Superbly taken in the crowd too. Short again next and it’s pulled from outside off through the same region, this time along the floor and fizzing away for four. A wide and England are on course for around 280. Roy then works a straight one through midwicket for a couple. Abbott is varying his pace nicely but his line and length are a mess – the last ball is a leg-stump full-toss that Roy knocks away for one more.
2nd over: England 22-0 (Roy 1, Hales 19) Dark, ominous clouds hovering just beyond the boundary and I’ll be surprised if we go through uninterrupted. Anyway it’s the brilliant Kagiso Rabada with the new ball from the other end and he too bowls short and straight, again hooked behind square for four by Hales. Two balls later he overcompensates and Hales picks it up off his knees, flicking it square for a lovely boundary, bouncing just inside the rope. Attempted yorker and it’s driven exquisitely along the ground to long on for a third four of the over. It’s almost a fourth next up but Rabada gets his boot in the way of another firm straight drive. What talents these two young players are.
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1st over: England 10-0 (Roy 1, Hales 7) Here we go, Kyle Abbott opens the bowling to Roy who clips it off his pads and through a misfield at midwicket for one. Hales, with his shirt number masked with tape, gets a loose bumper to begin with and pulls it hard behind square for four. Down the leg side next and Hales gets that round the corner for a couple of leg-byes. That’s a rather inauspicious first half of the over from Abbott. The bowler gets away with another poor, short one when Hales toe-ends one, then yet another is hooked up high in the air and plugs out at deep midwicket for another two. It’s a slow wicket so surely they have to bowl fuller? Yep, the last one is, outside off and guided down to third man for a single.
@DanLucas86 I would have had Billings in for Roy. But thats just me.
— Josh Coe (@joshcoe80) February 19, 2016
Hmm I don’t know about that. He’s probably in better form but Vince has earned his right to be the next man at the top, no?
The players are out for the anthems. I don’t know about you, but after two weekends of watching the Six Nations cricket’s efforts feel a touch anaemic.
“Interesting to see Dernbach was his usual economical self in that T20 final,” notes Kevin Wilson. “Zafar Ansari must have wondered what he did to annoy Solanki to only get the one over.”
I was actually at a festival in Wales with no internet during that match, so I don’t know. I did see Willey giving Dernbach some verbals in the highlights though, then saying he just doesn’t like the Saj Mahmood of the 2010s.
South Africa’s women made a small piece of history today with their first ever T20 win over England. Vic Marks watched the whole thing.
An email from Rich Ibbetson: “Is there a case for David Willey to open the batting in T20s for England? He’s shown how destructive an opening batsman he can be for Northants, so if he’s going to be in the side it could be worth giving him a go. It would certainly give England a lot of flexibility if one of their main bowlers was also opening the batting.”
It would and he has played some outstanding innings for the mighty Northants at the top of the order, not least in their FLT20 final win in 2013. England are pretty well stocked when it comes to openers with Hales, Roy and Vince the first three cabs off the rank, but in the event of an injury crisis I’m sure he could do a fine job there.
The teams
South Africa
HM Amla, AB de Villiers*†, F du Plessis, JP Duminy, RR Rossouw, DA Miller, D Wiese, CH Morris, K Rabada, KJ Abbott, Imran Tahir
England
AD Hales, JJ Roy, JE Root, EJG Morgan*, BA Stokes, JC Buttler†, MM Ali, CJ Jordan, AU Rashid, DJ Willey, RJW Topley
The toss
After hearing a lot about KFC – god I want a KFC now – Eoin Morgan calls heads. It’s tails. South Africa win the toss and will bowl.
Quinton de Kock has a knee niggle so is rested and AB de Villiers takes the gloves. Morris, Wiese, Miller, Roussow and Amla all play for the hosts.
Morgan says he would have bowled with rain around and the prospect of DL coming in later on. Root, Stokes and Ali come into the England team.
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“Even in T20s if Stokes/Ali/Rashid are three of your bowlers, you need six,” writes Kevin Wilson, not unreasonably. “Roy, Hales, Root, Morgan, Buttler, Stokes, Ali, Rashid, Willey, Finn, Topley.”
Yes I’d somehow forgotten Finn, god knows how. Your team is better than mine.
Another weather update
The rain appears to have blown over, according to my sources in South African cricket the internet.
So an obvious riff for the day: what’s England’s best T20 side? With Roy in dodgy form there’s a strong case for James Vince to open the batting. Personally I’d go with Vince, Hales, Root, Buttler, Morgan, Stokes, Billings, Moeen, Rashid, Willey, Topley.
Weather update
It fairly belted it down at the end of the women’s T20 on this very same ground, giving South Africa the win on Duckworth Lewis. There’s no sign of what it’s doing now as Sky are showing some retro highlights so, speaking of Duckworth Lewis, here is some music for you to enjoy. Hope you’re into ELO*.
*If not I feel sorry for you.
Preamble
Afternoon, folks. On to the important stuff then.
OK I’m being slightly facetious, but only slightly. The World T20, the second-most prestigious event in the ICC calendar (sorry, Champions Trophy) is a mere month or so away and for England this is very much the last chance to get things right.
Obviously conditions here in Cape Town are going to be nothing like those in India but I’d argue that in the shortest form of the game conditions affect the game far, far less. After all, if last year’s IPL is anything to go by then the most effective wicket-taking delivery is the low full toss with a man stationed on the long-on boundary. I’m serious when I say England could win the whole damn thing; I’m kinda joking when I say Chris Jordan could be their most destructive bowler.
Both sides have momentum coming into this. South Africa won the last three limited-overs matches to come back from 2-0 down to win the ODI series, while England are unbeaten in this format since the last World T20... which only goes part-way towards making up for the shambles they were in the last World T20, but it’s a start.
This being last-chance saloon for England expect them to field their strongest side: similar to the ODIs only James Taylor, Jonny Bairstow and Stuart Broad have all gone home with James Vince, Sam Billings and Liam Plunkett entering in their stead. It will be interesting to see who England go with at the top of the order as James Vince, expected to miss out today, was their man of the series in the 3-0 win over Pakistan last winter.
South Africa on the other hand have a bit more time to experiment, as they play a couple of warm-ups against Australia at the beginning of March. Hashim Amla, therefore, might miss out in order to have a look at AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock as the opening pair.
Play begins at 4pm GMT, or 6pm local time in Cape Town. Toss and team news in half an hour or so.
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