England lead 2-1 with two to play, but South Africa will be able to name Maurice Mentum in their XI for the fourth ODI on Friday. England had a bad day, but they still have plenty of credit in the bank after the last nine months. Thanks for your company, goodnight!
SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY SEVEN WICKETS WITH 22 BALLS TO SPARE
46.2 overs: South Africa 319-3 (du Plessis 33, de Villiers 0) A high, wide full toss from Stokes to du Plessis is slapped towards short cover, where a very sharp chance is put down by Morgan. Not that it matters as it was a no-ball. The resulting free hit is smashed down the ground for six by du Plessis to take South Africa level with England, and he wins the match with a single off the next ball. They have slaughtered England, and in doing so have kept the series alive.
46th over: South Africa 311-3 (target 319; du Plessis 26, de Villiers 0) This has been, in the parlance of Ryan Giggs, a doing. But, as Duncan Fletcher said after Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs added 800 on the first day of the Test series between these sides in 2003, good players are allowed to score hundreds. There shouldn’t be too many recriminations from England.
WICKET! South Africa 311-3 (Amla c Buttler b Jordan 127)
Amla has gone, caught behind off Jordan. He chased a wide one and got a healthy snick through to Jos Buttler. That ends an innings of enormous class: 127 from 130 balls, with 13 fours and two sixes.
45th over: South Africa 301-2 (target 319; Amla 127, du Plessis 21) Amla cuts Stokes for four to bring up the 300, both on the scoreboard and the Stokes funk-o-meter, as well as the fifty partnership. This isn’t good for England. But it could be worse: remember this almighty shellacking in 2006, to complete a 5-0 series defeat?
44th over: South Africa 292-2 (target 319; Amla 118, du Plessis 21) Chris Jordan is the new bowler, and England have decided to pepper Amla and du Plessis from around the wicket. They are also going to bark at the moon, just in case that brings a wicket. The fourth ball of the over is pulled confidently for four by du Plessis.
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43rd over: South Africa 281-2 (target 319; Amla 118, du Plessis 12) Not even Ben Stokes can save this match. He’s going to try, because he’s Ben Stokes and he probably thinks he could take Keyser Soze, never mind turn this game round. But he can’t, and du Plessis makes the point by clubbing Stokes down the ground for four. South Africa need 38 from 42 balls. England need, in ascending order of important: snookers, a miracle and Joel Garner in his pomp.
“At this moment in time it’s a game of two halves,” says Austin Baird. “The boy done good but the skipper needs to roll the dice and the dominoes will fall. The rub of the green is going with the doughty opponents but our boys from Blighty can still pull the fat out of the fire. In a manner of speaking.”
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42nd over: South Africa 275-2 (target 319; Amla 117, du Plessis 7) Amla edges Moeen through the vacant slip area for four, and then drives the next ball high over extra cover for six. Beautiful shot. England have been marmalised in this game. It happens. Moeen has had a bad day and ends with figures of 10-0-75-1 – easily the worst of his ODI career.
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41st over: South Africa 262-2 (target 319; Amla 106, du Plessis 6) Rashid’s final over passes without incident, and that was probably England’s last hope. Rashid bowled well and ended with figures of 10-0-45-1.
You don't win the toss and bat first at supersport park....
— Albie Morkel (@albiemorkel) February 9, 2016
40th over: South Africa 255-2 (target 319; Amla 104, du Plessis 3) Four from Moeen’s penultimate over, so South Africa need 63 from 60 balls. It’s a formality.
“My doctor once told me I had Horror Listicles,” says Mac Millings, and you already know what the pay-off will be. “At least, I think that’s what he said.”
39th over: South Africa 251-2 (target 319; Amla 102, du Plessis 1) Rashid has a big LBW shout against du Plessis turned down. England have used their review, and Morgan has an affronted coupon. Rashid has been England’s best bowler today.
“Rob, at work so can’t watch,” says Adam Roberts. “How is Amla playing? My impression of him has always been that he just plays as he always does, with great class and elegance, whether it’s Test or 50-over.” Yes, exactly. He would be be the same soothing sight in a One1 game.
38th over: South Africa 249-2 (target 319; Amla 100, du Plessis 0) “Wicket!” sniffs Ian Copestake. “Roaarr! We can do this. Stuff your positive negative energies and such. Heads will roll if we don’t pull this onion bag out of the fire.”
Updated
WICKET! South Africa 249-2 (Wiese b Moeen 7)
Amla is stumped off a no-ball, a bizarre looping beamer from Moeen. You can be out stumped off a wide but not a no-ball. Amla reaches a masterful century later in the over, his 22nd in ODIs and another demonstration of his enormous class.
A highly eventful over continues with Wiese driving six down the ground; then he misses a reverse sweep and is bowled. Well that was fun.
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37th over: South Africa 239-1 (target 319; Amla 98, Wiese 0) The new batsman is David Wiese. With that wicket, are England back in this game? Clue: no.
“It’s an OBO thing,” writes Cara Delevig John Starbuck. “You know England are doing badly when Millings comes up with one of his Horror Listicles.”
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WICKET! South Africa 239-1 (de Kock c Root b Rashid 135)
Quinton de Kock’s glorious innings comes to an end when he drives the new bowler Rashid to mid-off, where Root takes a good leaping catch. It was a sensational performance: 135 from 117 balls, with 16 fours and four sixes.
Drinks break
“I’m at home for the day, tending to my sick daughter, so I thought the best use of my time would be to avoid her by spending a moment putting together my All-time Vomitus XI,” says Mac Millings. “Enjoy. (Warning: may include footballers.)
Alec Spewart
Pray to the Porcelain Hutton
Kim Barfnett
Hurl Barrett
Sicky Ponting
Puke Wright
Upchuck Fleetwood-Smith
Ralph Milne
Maurice Regurgi-Tate
Vomitchell Johmnson
Technicolour Yawne Morkel
36th over: South Africa 237-0 (target 319; de Kock 135, Amla 96) Moeen replaces Willey, whose five overs have transmogrified into 40 runs. de Kock skids back in his crease to flash a wonderful back cut between two fielders for four. South Africa are marginally ahead of Duckworth/Lewis.
South Africa's highest partnership for the opening wicket in ODIs is currently 247 (Amla/Rossouw v West Indies, Jo'burg, 2015)
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) February 9, 2016
35th over: South Africa 230-0 (target 319; de Kock 129, Amla 95) Topley continues, and so does Amla with a flashing cover drive for four. There’s nothing England can do except take their medicine. Amla makes it consecutive boundaries with a swat through midwicket.
“Is it Sanath Jayasuriya?” says Ranil Dissanayake. “I remember Upul Tharanga and he putting England through hell in the 2006 series.” It’s not, which means it must be Tharanga – there were more Upul fruits in the World Cup quarter-final of 2011.
34th over: South Africa 219-0 (target 319; de Kock 127, Amla 86) That’s a remarkable shot from Amla, a deliberate flicked six over fine leg off a full delivery from Willey. Defeats like this aren’t an entirely bad thing for a developing side. They provide an important reminder that the article has not been finished, and a humiliating defeat should provoke an anger that can be turned into energy in future matches.
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33rd over: South Africa 207-0 (target 319; de Kock 126, Amla 75) An attempted yorker from Topley is timed supremely for four by de Kock to bring up the 200 – only the third opening partnership of that size against England in ODIs. A penny sweet and my eternal respect to the first person who can name which batsman was involved in the two other 200 partnerships. Two balls later, de Kock clatters another boundary to cow corner.
32nd over: South Africa 196-0 (target 319; de Kock 117, Amla 73) A dismal short ball from Willey is swivel-pulled gloriously over backward square for six by de Kock. It’s worth dwelling on de Kock’s statistics in this series: 277 off 233 balls with 29 fours and 10 sixes, and he’s been dismissed only once. He is almost out a second time later in the over when a miscued swipe lands short of long-on.
31st over: South Africa 185-0 (target 319; de Kock 110, Amla 69) This is a massacre. de Kock flogs Stokes’s short ball over midwicket for four, and then Amla flips another boundary through midwicket. Since you asked, the highest score to win an ODI by 10 wickets is 236. For at least another hour or so. At the end of the other, Stokes pollutes the stump mic with a bit of Anglo-Saxon discontent.
“Intelligent use of the review earlier,” says Jascha Elliott. “Just cancelling out a wide may seem like small beer compared to taking a wicket at the moment but when England eventually win by a single run...”
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30th over: South Africa 174-0 (target 319; de Kock 105, Amla 63) After another forgettable over from Jordan, in which de Kock scrunches a boundary down the ground, South Africa require 145 from the last 20 overs.
“Hi there Rob,” says Finbar Anslow. “I have a couple of questions for you: Is Morgan deliberately putting Buttler in fourth when England are batting first and then lower down when they’re batting second? Is there any difference between a donkey drop and a wrong ‘un?”
No, yes, sorry.
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29th over: South Africa 166-0 (target 319; de Kock 100, Amla 62) de Kock, on 99, digs out an excellent yorker from the new bowler Ben Stokes. But the next ball is steered for a single to bring up another wonderful hundred: 96 balls, 11 fours and three sixes. He is so good.
That’s his 10th ODI century. His conversion rate of fifties-to-hundreds is a mighty 67 per cent. Here’s how remarkable that is: no other player with five or more ODI centuries has even a 50 per cent conversion rate. In fact the next best is Hashim Amla on 42 per cent.
Youngest to reach 10 ODI centuries:
— Andrew Samson (@AWSStats) February 9, 2016
Q de Kock 23 yrs, 54 days
V Kohli 23 yrs, 129 days
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28th over: South Africa 162-0 (target 319; de Kock 97, Amla 61) This is now South Africa’s highest opening partnership in an ODI against England, beating the record set by Gary Kirsten and Andrew Hudson during that fiasco of a series in 1995-96. The only thing that gives England a bit of hope is that the required rate is now above 7 – no problem at all for these two, but it might be for batsmen at the start of their innings. Probably not. To be honest, if I were you I’d shut the laptop down and put Pointless on. de Kock reminds us of the essential futility of life hoping for an England win by pulling Jordan sweetly for four. That takes him to 97.
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27th over: South Africa 156-0 (target 319; de Kock 92, Amla 60) “In the kitchen, happily feeding my one yr old son and listening to TMS and really hoping it’s having an effect on him,” begins Jack Kettlewell. “Then Simon Mann slightly sours it all by suggesting ‘we need to get de Kock out’... It’s not even 6pm.”
That is disgraceful: a BBC reporter said ‘we’!
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26th over: South Africa 154-0 (target 319; de Kock 91, Amla 59) It seems like the wide was overruled by DRS, which is sensible. “This is comfortingly old school,” says Tom Hopkins. “England post what appears to be a respectable score, the opposition then go about proving it’s anything but. Really should be Sanga and Mahela to give the full, silky, death by a thousand beautiful cuts effect though.
REVIEW! South Africa 154-0 (de Kock 91)
Quinton de Kock flicked at a leg-side delivery from the new bowler Jordan, and there was a noise as it went through to Jos Buttler. Was it bat on ball or bat on pad? In fact it was neither, it was ball on pad and that was the right decision. Apart from the wide, which was the wrong decision, but anyway.
ENGLAND REVIEW! de Kock not out 91
Is this out? We’ll soon see!
25th over: South Africa 149-0 (target 319; de Kock 91, Amla 54) The spinners have combined figures of 11-0-61-0. Rashid carries on regardless and serves up a scrumptious full toss that is waved down the ground for six by de Kock. He pulls another boundary to move into the nineties. What a beautiful player he is. His current series average of 251 is the third highest against England, behind Viv Richards in 1984 (of course) and Martin Guptill in 2013.
24th over: South Africa 137-0 (target 319; de Kock 80, Amla 53) This is surprisingly passive captaincy from Morgan, who is watching his spinners get picked off by Amla and particularly de Kock. When Moeen drops short, de Kock hoicks him round the corner for four more. He has 80 from 76 balls and is not remotely flattered by such impressive numbers.
23rd over: South Africa 129-0 (target 319; de Kock 74, Amla 51) Amla reaches a classy, comfortable half-century from 63 balls. He really does like this ground: he averages 68 in one-dayers here and 88 in Tests.
22nd over: South Africa 126-0 (target 319; de Kock 73, Amla 49) After a long run of ones and twos, Quinton de Kock pulls out the slog-sweep to effortlessly dump Moeen into the crowd. Two balls later he heaves a short ball for four more. This is wonderful batting. He is averaging 233 in this series, with a strike rate of 117.
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21st over: South Africa 114-0 (target 319; de Kock 62, Amla 48) South Africa are milking the spinners with minimal fuss and even less risk. I’m surprised Morgan hasn’t asked Stokes to raise hell for a couple of overs.
20th over: South Africa 110-0 (target 319; de Kock 60, Amla 46) Amla, skidding back in his crease, is beaten by a faster ball from Moeen. Four singles from the over. The required rate is creeping towards seven an over, though that won’t worry South Africa while these two are at the crease.
"At this stage South Africa are in complete control" - 17th over. So England have the Saffers exactly where they want them? @robsmyth0
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) February 9, 2016
19th over: South Africa 106-0 (target 319; de Kock 58, Amla 44) This is easy for South Africa at the moment. Amla opens the face to drive Rashid behind square for a couple.
Now, England are due to announce their World T20 squad tomorrow. Will Vince Wells and Ian Austin make the cut?
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18th over: South Africa 103-0 (target 319; de Kock 57, Amla 42) It might be time to give Stokes the ball and tell him to get angry, because England are in serious need of a wicket. It’s drinks.
17th over: South Africa 99-0 (target 319; de Kock 55, Amla 40) de Kock steers Rashid for three more. At this stage South Africa are in complete control. And, as Nick Knight says on Sky, de Kock has a staggering conversion rate in ODIs: nine centuries and now six fifties. It could be ten and five soon enough.
“We’re buggered here aren’t we?” high-fives Guy Hornsby. “It was bound to happen at some point though. If we’re going to attack with a youthful, fresh team then sometimes it won’t work out, but the potential upside for this lot is huge. But this brave new world is a million times better than 245-9 and losing with 11 overs to spare. Even I can’t get nostalgic about those days. Only Bob Willis can.”
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16th over: South Africa 92-0 (target 319; de Kock 51, Amla 37) That’s fifty for de Kock, at exactly a run a ball and with seven fours and a six. It’s been a brilliant performance, highly aggressive but controlled at the same time.
“Emails please?” sniffs Ian Copestake. “Are you doubting our commitment to Sparkle Motion?”
15th over: South Africa 88-0 (target 319; de Kock 49, Amla 35) Spin from both ends, with Rashid replacing Stokes. de Kock, on 48, heaves a single to Willey at deep square, one of four runs from the over. South Africa are miles ahead on the Lewis Method.
“I don’t want to kick a man while he’s down but why oh why do England continue to pick Chris Jordan despite so much evidence to the contrary?” writes Rich Ibbetson. “That one super over apart in the T20 he just really doesn’t seem up to standard. With Stokes now developing as a better one day bowler surely the time has come to say bye bye to Jordan? It’s not like his county stats are even any good. I understand England like to pick on potential but Jordan has had a lot of chances already (he’ll probably get a hat-trick now).”
I know what you mean but, as Bayliss said of the Test team, he’d rather give someone one cap too many than one too few. They like his death bowling, and he’s possibly the greatest fielder England have ever had. That said, I wouldn’t expect him to be in the 2017 or 2019 squads.
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14th over: South Africa 84-0 (target 319; de Kock 48, Amla 32) de Kock greets the new bowler Moeen with a pleasant late cut for four, and helps himself to a pair of twos later in the over. England need a wicket here; de Kock and Amla are playing beautifully.
“Best use of Tears for Fears over a montage in a film ever?” wonders Jason Deans. “If we’re doing Donnie Darko references...”
There’s so much in that scene that it could function as an entire short film
13th over: South Africa 76-0 (target 319; de Kock 40, Amla 32) “My law lecture has turned into analysis of the Duckworth Method...” says George Maughan. “Please don’t let there be rain.”
You are bang out of order ostracising Lewis like that.
12th over: South Africa 72-0 (target 319; de Kock 38, Amla 30) de Kock picks up a length delivery from Jordan and times it sweetly over midwicket for six. He is a glorious talent, this lad.
Anyone out there? Emails please!
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11th over: South Africa 65-0 (target 319; de Kock 32, Amla 29) Amla pulls Stokes firmly towards deep backward square, where Rashid can’t save the boundary. The umpires are looking nervously at the skies. A storm is coming, Frank said.
10th over: South Africa 57-0 (target 319; de Kock 30, Amla 23) Chris Jordan replaces Reece Topley, who bowled a modest spell of 4-0-24-0. Amla times a fine cover drive for four to bring up the 50, and then premeditates a lovely clip through deep backward square for four more. This is a bit ominous for England.
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9th over: South Africa 46-0 (target 319; de Kock 29, Amla 14) A good bouncer from Stokes beats Amla’s premeditated hook. South Africa are ahead on Duckworth/Lewis at the moment, and the commentators are pretty sure that be an issue later in the day. Michael Fish has put his feet up for the full 100 overs.
8th over: South Africa 45-0 (target 319; de Kock 29, Amla 13) Topley gets one to burst at de Kock, who recoils as the ball hits high on the bat. He is not particularly unnerved, however, and pulls the next ball smoothly round the corner for four. Two balls later he plays the shot of the innings so far, a gorgeous drive down the ground for four. He is a serious talent, and already has nine ODI centuries at the age of 23. He might have 10 ODI centuries by sundown. Only Kohli and Tendulkar have made more ODI hundreds before their 24th birthday.
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7th over: South Africa 34-0 (target 319; de Kock 20, Amla 12) Ben Stokes replaces David Willey. With every passing match, Stokes becomes an ever more significant bowler for England. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he ran through Sri Lanka and Pakistan more than once in this summer’s Tests. Three runs from his first over.
James Smith points out that Simon Brown and Alan Mullally played against Pakistan at Lord’s in 1996, though from memory Mullally didn’t take the new ball. In other, marginally more exciting news, here’s this week’s Spin.
6th over: South Africa 31-0 (target 319; de Kock 19, Amla 12) “Didn’t England open with two left-armers a few days ago?” says Seth Ennis. Yeah, yeah, very smart. Let’s see how smart you are with my foot up your a- anyway, before Willey and Topley, the last time two left-arm quicks shared the new ball for England was back when Bumble wore short pants: the Lord’s Ashes Test of 1909.
5th over: South Africa 25-0 (target 319; de Kock 13, Amla 12) That’s a lovely shot from Amla, a flowing drive to continue South Africa’s decent start. Sky are having technical problems, which means we’re having technical problems.
4th over: South Africa 17-0 (target 319; de Kock 13, Amla 4) de Kock is almost ran out in bizarre circumstances. He turned Topley to Rashid at short fine leg, wandered out of his crease and was still out of his ground when the throw went past his stumps.
On reflection it seems de Kock may have seen Rashid’s throw was missing, as he made no attempt to dive. He plays a similar shot later in the over, this time dragging it squarer and well wide of Rashid on its way to the boundary. There’s an optimistic LBW appeal against de Kock off the last ball. It was going down.
3rd over: South Africa 13-0 (target 319; de Kock 9, Amla 4) There’s a forecast for thunder later. It’s important you know this. Willey’s second over is a good one; just a single from it.
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2nd over: South Africa 12-0 (target 319; de Kock 8, Amla 4) Reece Topley from the other end. When did England last open the bowling with two left-armers? Was it when Mike Smith and Simon Brown won the Ashes on that extraordinary day at Trent Bridge in 1997?
Back in real life, Topley’s fourth ball is too wide and Amla flails it through point for the third boundary of the innings.
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1st over: South Africa 8-0 (target 319; de Kock 8, Amla 0) The bowler’s Willey and the batsman’s holding a willow. YES OKAY IT’S WILLEY BOWLING TO DE KOCK, GET YOUR ROFLS WHILE YOU CAN. There’s a bit of swing for Willey, though not nearly enough to preclude two delightful cover-driven boundaries from de Kock. We are going to see a lot of the Quinton de Kock cover drive in the next 10 years.
“Amla looks like the main man at Centurion,” writes Matt Emerson. “No-one else has got three centuries in ODIs and he averages over 60 here.” I love it when a stat comes together.
Hello, Rob here, and I’ve left my dignity behind. Buy buy buy! Pre-order pre-order pre-order!
If you're into the whole pre-order thing, you can get I'll See You Out There here: https://t.co/8RIZDzH9rK
— Rob Smyth (@robsmyth0) February 6, 2016
Innings break – South Africa need 319 to win
South Africa will not be too displeased, but England’s total is enough – with the pitch occasionally unreliable, and the floodlights about to be turned on – to give them a fine chance of completing a series win tonight. Rob Smyth will be here shortly to take you through the second innings – you can get ahead of the game by emailing him now, here. Bye!
50th over: England 318-8 (Willey 13, Rashid 13)
Willey scores two off each of Abbott’s first couple of deliveries – getting a warning for running down the middle of the wicket on the way – and then pulls the next high over deep square leg for six. A single then brings Rashid on strike, and he’s flummoxed by a slow, wide yorker before heaving the last past square leg but to a fielder for one. A fine total from England, but not as fine as they’d have hoped, with 10 overs to go.
49th over: England 306-8 (Willey 2, Rashid 12)
Rashid takes England to 300, pushing square and hard for four, and the last ball of the over is a full toss, which he hammers over extra cover for six. No team in the history of international one-day cricket has chased down a 300+ total on this ground, but that is the size of South Africa’s task.
48th over: England 293-7 (Willey 1, Rashid 0)
Abbott’s been the pick of the bowler’s by a distance, and this is an excellent over, varying his line and his pace and getting massively rewarded. His first eight overs cost just 35 runs, and his ninth consisted of two singles, two wickets, two dots and a wide. From 269-4 and 284-5 to 291-8.
WICKET! Jordan c Duminy b Abbott 3 (England 291-8)
Two in two balls for Abbott! Jordan tries to heave a wide one over cover, but this too goes straight to a fielder!
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WICKET! Stokes c Behardien b Abbott 53 (England 291-7)
Stokes goes, trying to smash the ball over long off but he gets too much up and not enough oomph, and Behardien takes the catch a couple of yards from the boundary!
47th over: England 290-6 (Stokes 53, Jordan 2)
My colleague Rob Smyth, sitting to my left and readying himself for the second innings, reminds me of an interview with Rabada in which he says, of Stokes and Root, that “I don’t like seeing them at the crease scoring runs, that’s as much as I’ll stay”. Suggesting, in short, that he doesn’t much like them. Rabada’s back with a ninth over here, and though Root’s no longer scoring runs, Stokes very much is. He doesn’t do a lot of scoring here, mind – six runs from the over, five singles and a leg bye.
46th over: England 284-6 (Stokes 50, Jordan 0)
Morkel’s now bowled out. Another quiet half-over brings two singles, before Stokes cracks a full toss down the ground for four, but he can’t make the most of another full toss next up, sending it skidding through midwicket but straight to a fielder for one. He’s furious himself, as well he might be – not only did he not score as many runs as he might have done, he also left Moeen, fatefully, on strike.
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WICKET! Moeen Ali c Amla b Morkel 3 (England 284-6)
A nice shot, this, flicked off his hip but in the air by Moeen, very picturesque. Only problem is that when it comes back to earth Hashim Amla’s standing underneath it.
45th over: England 277-5 (Stokes 44, Moeen 2)
Wiese’s last over is a game of two halves, the first three deliveries bringing a single each, the last three all dots. “Do you never learn?” asks Andy Pechey. “A mere mention of Root closing in on a record, and he’s out in farcical circumstances.” It’s been a curse-packed innings really – I consider myself personally responsible for three of the five wickets to fall so far.
44th over: England 273-5 (Stokes 42, Moeen 1)
So an ugly end to a handsome innings from Root, and Behardien sneaks in in the immediate aftermath, the batsmen sneaking the odd one or two here and there.
125 - Joe Root's score of 125 goes down as his best ever in ODI cricket. Contribution. pic.twitter.com/eeCG8ioFow
— OptaJim (@OptaJim) February 9, 2016
43rd over: England 269-5 (Stokes 38, Moeen 0)
Wiese’s back, but it’s Abbott who gets a workout, running to his left from long on to field Root’s straight drive, and to his right in a vain attempt to cut out Stokes’ cover drive. Nobody even tries to stop Stokes’ next shot, though, sent way over cow corner for six. Then a single, and a run out.
WICKET! Root run out 125 (England 269-5)
Root’s innings ends in chaos, as Root’s drive clatters into the stumps at the other end, confusing everyone. He sets off on a run anyway, Stokes doesn’t, and it’s all a massive muddle until the ball is tossed to de Kock and he removes a bail, with no Englishman in shot.
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42nd over: England 257-4 (Root 124, Stokes 27)
Behardien gets a bowl, and Stokes gently reverse-sweeps fine to third man for four. A single later Root tries to emulate him, but misses. Root is 14 runs away from a place in England’s all-time top 10 ODI innings.
41st over: England 249-4 (Root 122, Stokes 21)
Rabada’s back, and his first ball is despatched by Stokes to the midwicket boundary, just wide of a sprawling fielder. Later, after the failed review, he bangs one shortish and Stokes heaves it over deep midwicket for six. Just a hint here, and not a particularly subtle one, that, unless this partnership is broken, the next few overs could get brutal.
Joe Root now has as many ODI hundreds in the last 12 months as Ian Bell got in 161 ODIs.
— Charlie Reynolds (@cwjreynolds) February 9, 2016
Not out!
The ball did indeed pitch outside leg, and it wasn’t particularly close either. South Africa’s review is gone.
REVIEW! Is Stokes out lbw here?
The umpire didn’t think so, but South Africa do. Perhaps it pitched outside leg? Only one way to find out!
40th over: England 236-4 (Root 121, Stokes 10)
Another not-quite-six from Root, who goes on one knee to convince the ball over cover, and it was that far from the rope when it came back to earth. Seven runs off the over, keeping up Imran Tahir’s average.
39th over: England 229-4 (Root 116, Stokes 8)
Another six for Root, hoisted over point, and he’s inches away from another moments later, hoisting the ball over midwicket but the ball landing just short of the rope. Root’s been excellent again (clearly), a little fortunate on occasion, particularly early in his innings, but so classy.
38th over: England 218-4 (Root 106, Stokes 8)
Root takes two balls to get the single he needs to go to triple figures, his century coming from 100 deliveries, and then thunders a full toss over midwicket for another six – a poor delivery, deservedly punished. Imran Tahir has been the most expensive bowler by a distance, his seven overs costing on average seven runs each.
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37th over: England 209-4 (Root 99, Stokes 6)
Morkel returns for an eighth over, which starts frustratingly for the bowler with a wide, and continues frustratingly for the batsman with a single – Root wanted two, which would have taken him to his century, but Stokes was too slow to finish the first to go for a second. Still, Stokes takes advantage of being on strike, sending the final ball of the over down the ground for four.
36th over: England 199-4 (Root 95, Stokes 1)
A third six for Root and for England, Imran Tahir’s penultimate delivery flying over midwicket and straight into the hands of a fielding fan, sat on the grass bank. The ball went straight to him, but nevertheless a fine catch, deservedly celebrated.
35th over: England 190-4 (Root 84, Stokes 0)
Clearly it’s not a totally straightforward batting surface, and England have been becalmed – of nine overs since Hales got out (including that one), four have gone for two runs, three for three and one for four. England still have batsmen, and 15 overs, in hand, but certainly haven’t looked comfortable for a while.
@Simon_Burnton I'm much preferring Gower, Bobby Key and the like chatting from some shed in west London to the usual commentary.
— James Walsh (@jamesofwalsh) February 9, 2016
Key’s an excellent broadcaster, isn’t he? Very natural, quite insightful, always a pleasure.
34th over: England 187-4 (Root 84, Stokes 0)
Morgan attacks again, rushing down the wicket to hit Wiese’s delivery at shoulder height, but he doesn’t get hold of the ball, runs two and is out next ball, the last of the over.
Updated
WICKET! Morgan c Amla b Wiese 8 (England 187-4)
Morgan’s uncomfortable, scratchy innings is over, as he mistimes his shot again and sends the ball straight to Amla at midwicket!
Updated
33rd over: England 184-3 (Root 83, Morgan 6)
The power cut seems to have affected not only Sky’s cameras – their commentary team remains silenced – but also Eoin Morgan’s radar, and there’s another massive but misdirected swing here as the ball flies unmolested through to de Kock. He’s faced 21 balls for his six, Root 80 for his 83.
Updated
32nd over: England 181-3 (Root 81, Morgan 5)
Six runs! From one delivery! Root it is, who lofts the ball over mid-on and over the rope – just – for his and England’s second six. Nine off the over, and England need to average just under seven from each of the 18 remaining overs if they’re going to reach 300.
31st over: England 172-3 (Root 73, Morgan 4)
Abbott’s back, and for the first time in a while England score more than two runs. Twice as many, to be precise. More signs of uneven bounce, too, with another one zipping low.
30th over: England 168-3 (Root 70, Morgan 3)
Morkel’s second delivery simply refused to bounce, shooting instead under Root’s bat and wide of off stump. Another two-run over, the batsmen snaffling a single each.
29th over: England 166-3 (Root 69, Morgan 2)
Imran Tahir returns, and Morgan sweeps his first ball into the air, but it bounces a couple of yards short of Duminy on the boundary. It’s a single, and Root immediately gets one of his own, allowing Morgan to make several game but failed attempts to add to his total. Another two-run over.
28th over: England 164-3 (Root 68, Morgan 1)
Morkel bowls, Morgan swishes and the ball flashes past, underneath the bat. The last two overs have yielded four runs, and two wickets. “I can only apologise,” grovels Johnny Cleary.
He's ruined his stats.
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) February 9, 2016
After that duck, Jos Buttler only averages 159 in his last 5 ODIs.https://t.co/Dnss0GUXPn pic.twitter.com/1kEVtAZf5A
27th over: England 163-3 (Root 67, Morgan 0)
“Yup, thanks Johnny Cleary,” writes Jonny Mills, as two wickets immediately follow my Cleary-prompted assertion that South Africa don’t look likely to take any wickets. Bah. The second’s a good ‘un, Buttler having been so destructive in this series so far, and the positioning of the fielder surely the result of a very cunning plan.
WICKET! Buttler c Duminy b Rabada 0 (England 162-3)
Buttler goes first ball, a brilliant, sharp catch at leg gully!
Updated
WICKET! Hales c Morkel b Rabada 65 (England 161-2)
Hales top-edges a pull and the ball flies high in the air and straight into the hands of Morkel!
Updated
26th over: England 161-1 (Hales 61, Root 70)
Root cuts for four, “the most delightful and late deflection”, according to TMS (I’m flying blind here, Sky having once again lost visuals), the first of three boundaries from Morkel’s fifth over. It’s a shame nobody can see this, because it sounds tasty. “What’s the bowling been like? It reads like there hasn’t been much quality served up so far?” asks Johnny Cleary. It’s been mediocre – the fact that the wicket was a run out, and the closest South Africa have come to adding to it have been when the batsmen nearly played on, sums up how unthreatening they’ve been.
Updated
25th over: England 147-1 (Hales 56, Root 61)
Oooh! A flukey four for Root, who inside-edges just past the stumps and to the fine leg boundary. That excluded, it’s all singles and wides – two of them. The highest first-innings score that has not brought victory was 297, scored by South Africa against West Indies in 2004. Everything better than that has been enough to win the game, but anything lower is dangerous – of eight first-innings scores between 250 and 297, six have ended in defeat.
24th over: England 137-1 (Hales 54, Root 55)
Root’s cover drive doesn’t go entirely as planned, though the thick outside edge brings the four runs he was hoping for anyway. Later Wiese hits Hales on the front pad, turns and leaps in the air, screaming an appeal that is ludicrously optimistic, the ball heading way down leg side. Hales is considerably closer to getting out off the next and last delivery, which catches a leading edge and loops just short of the fielder at cover.
23rd over: England 131-1 (Hales 53, Root 50)
The inevitable bowling change sees Rabada return, and both batsmen complete half-centuries – Root’s off 53 balls, Hales’ from 60. No boundaries – largely thanks to Behardien’s one-handed stop on the rope that saved a couple of runs – but six runs scored.
Updated
22nd over: England 125-1 (Hales 49, Root 48)
Wiese’s first delivery is lashed over midwicket by Root, the ball flying flat and long, over the rope for the day’s first six! Later he tries to tickle the ball to third man, edges and de Kock can’t quite get down fast enough to catch or even touch the ball, which rolls away for four. Not much of a chance, but certainly a chance. The last two overs have brought 26 runs.
21st over: England 113-1 (Hales 48, Root 37)
Hales hits into the ground and du Plessis misjudges the bounce – more of a leap, really – and the ball flies past his head and away for a couple. Then Hales top-edges the next, but it flies over his shoulder and safe for three. The over starts, then, with a couple of unconvincing shots from Hales, but it ends with a couple of emphatic ones, a drive through the covers – in the air but safe – and a sweep, both for four. A deliberate acceleration, it seems.
Updated
20th over: England 99-1 (Hales 35, Root 36)
It would be hard to overstate the sheer violence with which Hales swings his bat at Wiese’s opening delivery here. It’s an absolutely wild shot, and misses the ball entirely. He calms down enough to take a straightforward single off the next delivery, and Root later dispatches a ball pitched a little short past square leg for four, nicely timed and sent just wide of a fielder in the deep who even so had no hope of getting to it.
19th over: England 92-1 (Hales 33, Root 31)
Imran Tahir bowls to Root. Dot. Dot. Dot. Clobber over midwicket for four. He tries to repeat the shot immediately, but miscues it square for a single.
Are our batsmen slowly moving to a square that's covered in molasses @Simon_Burnton? Or did someone just put the record onto 33 1/3?
— Guy Hornsby (@GuyHornsby) February 9, 2016
They have indeed been looking a little treacly. Still, the foundations have been built. Now for the gilded palace that’ll go on top of them …
18th over: England 86-1 (Hales 32, Root 26)
Wiese bowls, and Hales tickles the ball to short fine leg and sets off for a run; Tahir collects, throws, and hits the top of the stumps! Root is well in, but still, flashing bails! Later Root tries to smash the ball through the covers, and misses it completely. Instead he takes a single to midwicket off the final ball of the over, making this partnership worth 50 runs so far, from 73 deliveries.
17th over: England 83-1 (Hales 31, Root 24)
Five of the last seven overs have yielded precisely three runs, and this is another of them. The other two cost six runs apiece, so they’ve been dealing entirely in multiples of three since the end of over 10. OK, as statistics go it’s hardly groundshaking, but it’s what I’ve got. What the players have got, right now, is some drinks.
16th over: England 80-1 (Hales 30, Root 22)
Wiese bowls, Hales cuts and du Plessis at backward point fields with one outstretched hand. Later in the over the same fielder dives to field a slower but awkwardly bouncing ball. England would probably be at least five runs better off from this over alone if a lesser, or for that matter shorter, fielder had been stationed there.
15th over: England 77-1 (Hales 29, Root 20)
A change of pace now, as Imran Tahir does some bowling. And Hales gets a boundary now, stepping back to work some space and then spanking the ball through cover.
14th over: England 71-1 (Hales 24, Root 19)
Oooh! David Wiese bowls, and Hales tries a late cut, bottom-edging the ball into his pads. That was not very far away from taking out his stumps. He survives, scrambles a single from an inside-edge, and then Root hits between mid-on and midwicket, just past a diving fielder and away for four.
13th over: England 65-1 (Hales 23, Root 14)
Three more runs, and a third successive over without a boundary. Right now they’re batting a little bit like an FM radio that’s not quite tuned to the right station, and is getting some background noise from a pirate reggae station.
12th over: England 62-1 (Hales 23, Root 11)
Abbott’s fifth over features a steepling, looping bouncer that flies way above Hales for a wide, and a couple of singles.
Updated
11th over: England 59-1 (Hales 22, Root 10)
Three singles from Morkel’s over. “It’s clear that Roy didn’t make his ground partly because he was obstructed by the bowler standing at the crease,” writes John Starbuck – Roy had to swerve around Rabada on his way back for the second run – “Can the batsman, on being given out, not appeal to the umpire on these grounds? How far does it have to be deliberate?” I haven’t located precisely the right section of the laws, but certainly I saw nothing to suggest any deliberate obstruction on the bowler’s part.
10th over: England 56-1 (Hales 20, Root 9)
Abbott returns after a change of ends, and England immediately score their 50th run. Not without drama, though – Hales pushes to de Villiers at mid off, whose throw narrowly misses the stumps with the batsman well short of his ground. Root, later, clobbers the ball over mid on for four.
Updated
9th over: England 49-1 (Hales 19, Root 3)
On Sky there’s much discussion about Hales’ running during the Roy run-out. He appeared to run diagonally so as to block the stumps, so the wicketkeeper couldn’t collect a throw from deep and run him out at the other end. As it happens de Kock tried to do just that, after first taking off the bails at his end. The ball was missing the stumps, and clipped Hales’ bat after it was grounded in the crease, but he could still have been given out for covering the stumps. Anyway, it didn’t happen, and Hales adds to his score here by top-edging a wild hook shot over de Kock.
8th over: England 43-1 (Hales 14, Root 2)
Rabada continues, and it’s a calmer over, just a couple of singles from it, as England resettle after the wicket. At the end of the over, Root beckons someone from the dressing room to apply some bonus tape to his bat.
7th over: England 41-1 (Hales 13, Root 1)
Morkel, buoyed by his role in that run-out, gets a near-instant opportunity to further influence the action by doing a bit of bowling. “A really pedantic point,” writes Krishnan Patel. Often the best kind of point, “but the fact that De Kock didn’t go up straightaway indicates that he’s not quite there yet as a wicketkeeper. The very best know immediately when they have their man.” Nobody seemed very excited initially, even though Roy always looked short.
6th over: England 36-1 (Hales 9, Root 0)
Ooooh! Rabada’s opening delivery straightens and flies just past the shoulder of Roy’s bat. Unperturbed, he clubs the next through midwicket for four. A fine shot, but the last we’ll see from him, as a couple of dots later he tries to turn an easy single into a tough two … bad call. Root comes out for the final delivery.
WICKET! Roy run out 20 (England 36-1)
Roy, having started the day excellently, has surrendered his wicket here. Morkel gathered the ball slowly but his throw was bang on the money, and the wicket is his reward!
Updated
Has Roy got himself run out here?
Morkel fields on the boundary, half-fumbles, and Roy heads back for a second run – but did he complete it in time? It’s very close!
5th over: England 31-0 (Roy 15, Hales 9)
There are more cameras coming online all the time, but no more microphones. And more boundaries: Hales edges wide of the two slips for four, and then stretches to clobber a ropey wide delivery from Abbott past point for four more.
4th over: England 23-0 (Roy 15, Hales 1)
An excellent start from Roy, who pulls smartly for another four. And Hales finally gets off the mark with a single to cover (Roy, to be fair, has faced precisely three times as many delivieries with 18).
Updated
3rd over: England 16-0 (Roy 9, Hales 0)
There are, it seems, local “power issues” as a result of which only one camera is operational, and the commentators’ microphones also seem to be out. Anyway, I can tell you that Abbott bowled this third over, and that Roy smacked one ball over mid-on for four.
2nd over: England 12-0 (Roy 5, Hales 0)
Rabada’s first ball, a bit too full, is smashed through the covers by Roy, cries of “catch it!” fading as the ball flies nowhere near any fielder. The last also heads to the boundary, a bouncer that flies over both batsman and keeper. In between, however, the TV screen goes black, and Sky’s coverage eventually returns with no sound or indeed live images from the ground, before cutting to the studio. TMS to the rescue!
1st over: England 2-0 (Roy 1, Hales 0)
A promising opening over, with a bit of movement as the first couple of deliveries swing wide – the first is an actual wide – before the next couple pass much closer to Roy, who first makes a last-minute decision to pull out of his shot, and then plays and misses. The last two he actually lands bat on, though without any great conviction, and he gets a run from the last.
The anthems have been sung, the preamble ambled, and the players are on the field, pulling on gloves and performing last-minute visualisation techniques. Action!
It’s anthem time! Personally, I think this should be Britain’s sporting anthem. There’s no words, but then it doesn’t need them.
The teams in full:
South Africa: Amla, De Kock, Du Plessis, De Villiers*, Duminy, Behardien, Wiese, Rabada, Abbott, Morkel, Imran Tahir.
England: Roy, Hales, Root, Morgan*, Buttler, Stokes, Moeen Ali, Rashid, Jordan, Willey, Topley.
According to Sky 60% of ODIs at Centurion have been won by the team batting first. I haven’t checked that, but I can tell you that in the last 10 years at Centurion, the team batting first in ODIs has won nine and lost 12. The team winning the toss has won nine and lost 12. Teams winning the toss and batting first have won two and lost five.
South Africa would have bowled first. Dave Wiese comes in for Rossouw. AB de Villiers talks very rapidly and enthusiastically. He says “there’s some weather about” – potential afternoon rain, in other words – “and it’s good to control things batting second.”
We can win here. Always enthusiastic and full of optimism about what we can achieve. We know we’re 2-0 down but we’re hoping to make it 2-1 today. It’s important to focus on today and then we can look at the other games.
Unchanged @Englandcricket opt to bat first in 3rd #SAvENG ODI. SA pick Wiese for Rossouw. https://t.co/1Sh70JIgNQ pic.twitter.com/tiI7YOzq0C
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 9, 2016
Eoin Morgan says:
The surface looks really good. It’s quite a high-scoring ground here, so hopefully we’ll get the best out of it first up.
I think we could make changes to the side and we’ll still have bases covered and that’s the most exciting thing about the squad.
Jos Buttler, to have a guy with the potential he has is great. A lot of players look up to him. To have him come out and perform the way he has at the start of the series is exceptional.
It’s an opportunity to win the game. We’re focused on the process of what we do best.
England win the toss and bat first
Quotes and team news as I get it.
England have won the toss & decided to bat first in 3rd ODI vs #Proteas at Centurion @TheCapeArgus @CapeTimesSA @IOL #SAvsENG
— IndyCapeSport (@IndyCapeSport) February 9, 2016
Updated
Hello world!
And so, here we are. England, 2-0 up with three to play, can win the series today. The first two games have been pleasingly diverse in character, and this third episode at Centurion could well run to another new script, rather than repeat a familiar one. Some of you may be celebrating pancake day today – hopefully the pitch won’t be flat enough to invite easy comparisons.
Traditionally a fast pitch here at Centurion, would you bat first on this if you were @Eoin16? Toss/teams coming up. pic.twitter.com/QtaGcuTdkF
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) February 9, 2016
Updated
Simon will be here soon enough. In the meantime, read Vic Marks’s report from Saturday, when England raced into a 2-0 series lead over South Africa in Port Elizabeth:
Since the last World Cup we have marvelled at the derring-do of England’s one-day cricketers. They have played technicolour cricket, self-destructing occasionally, but always aggressive.
But here, until an astounding little cameo from Jos Buttler, who batted like a millionaire, it was their discipline and calm assessment of the conditions that ensured a fine five-wicket victory over a bruised South Africa side, who now trail 2-0 in a five match series.
“That was hugely satisfying,” said Eoin Morgan. “We’ve only played on a surface like this once recently and it shows we’re not just a crash bang wallop side. We can play proper cricket.”
