England beat South Africa by 41 runs in the T20 opener – as it happened
England beat South Africa by 41 runs in the T20 opener : Jonny Bairstow’s outstanding season continued on Wednesday, as he scored 90 during England’s victory over South Africa by 41 runs in the first Twenty20 international match, which took place in Bristol.
Moeen Ali scored the fastest T20 fifty in history for England, doing so off just 16 balls, which was a part of the hosts’ 234/6 total, which was their second-highest total at this level, behind the 241/3 they achieved against New Zealand in Napier in 2019.
Moeen, who was the player of the match, continued by saying, “Generally, I back myself, try to see it, and strike it.” Because Jonny is so powerful, I make it a point to point out all the positive things he achieves.”
T20
But Proteas quick Lungi Ngidi took a magnificent 5/39, which is his career-best in T20 international numbers. This was despite the fact that England hit 20 sixes during their innings.
After that, England’s Reece Topley struck twice in the second over to lower South Africa to 7/2. The in-form left-arm quick removed dangerman Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw, bringing the score down to its current state.
Tristan Stubbs brought South Africa back into the game with a magnificent debut Twenty20 international fifty off only 19 balls, including six soaring sixes. At the time, South Africa was 86/4 in the 10th over, with Reeza Hendricks having struck 57 off 33 balls.
Even taking into account the fact that it was played on a good pitch and a relatively tiny venue, the 21-year-old Stubbs put on an outstanding show of ball-striking.
Chris Jordan
Chris Jordan, the South African team’s paceman, allowed only three runs to be scored while Andile Phehlukwayo was bowled out by a series of yorkers. South Africa needed 54 runs off of 18 balls.
It turned out to be a crucial over, as South Africa paid a high price for the several fielding blunders they committed earlier in the game.
“A superb over from CJ (Jordan) turned the tide of the game,” stated the commentator said, Buttler.
Stubbs brought an end to Richard Gleeson’s remarkable performance by hitting it too long off as South Africa reached their final score of 193/8. Gleeson had scored 72 runs off only 28 balls.
“We dropped four or five catches, which cost us enormously in the field, and they were able to crush us in the last 10 (overs),” “remarked David Miller, the captain of South Africa’s T20 team.
“It was a wonderful knock by Stubbsy, but the result was terribly frustrating. There are still two more (matches) to get it right.”
Helping Bairstow along his journey was the very last thing that South Africa needed to do.
On the other hand, in his first short-form appearance in eight months, he failed to make catches on 12, 57, and 72 because Heinrich Klaasen, Rossouw, and Hendricks all mishandled deep catches.
Bairstow got his first break when Klaasen missed a chance off of Tabraiz Shamsi and lost sight of the ball as it went over his head for six. This gave Bairstow the opportunity to avoid being run out.
Left-arm wrist spinner Shamsi was struck for six by both Dawid Malan (43) and Bairstow, causing him to give up 19 runs in the 10th over.
The 17th over, in which Phehlukwayo allowed 33 runs to be scored, was the point at which South Africa’s defence fell apart.
Bairstow
Bairstow smacked the first two balls for six, then he had two wides go by, and then he dropped off the third legal delivery just before Moeen hit three more sixes, much to the joy of the spectators.
However, no sooner had Moeen reached the fifty mark than he was caught behind by Ngidi, bringing an end to a fourth-wicket stand that had scored 106 runs in 37 balls.
Bairstow was ten runs short of reaching three figures with two balls left in the innings when he attempted to sky Ngidi into the legside, but Rossouw was able to hold the catch on this particular occasion.
He was presented with 53 balls, with three fours and eight sixes among them.
Thursday marks the continuation of this series in Cardiff.