Tag: South Africa vs England ODIs

KIMBERLEY: Dawid Malan and captain Jos Buttler hit centuries to set up a 59-run win for England in the third and final one-day international against South Africa at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley on Wednesday.

Malan made 118 and Buttler scored 131 in an England total of 346 for seven. South Africa were bowled out for 287 with fast bowler Jofra Archer taking a career-best six for 40.

South Africa had already clinched the series by winning the first two matches but England captain Jos Buttler said Wednesday’s win was a reward for the hard work his players had put in during the short series.

“There’s been some really good stuff. Guys getting hundreds and Jofra Archer was brilliant. We’ve got a good thing going. We’re building nicely,” said Buttler, who was named player of the match and player of the series.

South African captain Temba Bavuma said the series win was important. “We came in under a lot of pressure. We’ve done ourselves justice and come closer to automatic qualification for the World Cup.”

South Africa need one win in their remaining two matches against the Netherlands to move ahead of West Indies into one of the eight qualifying places in the World Cup Super League, although Sri Lanka could still move ahead of them in a forthcoming series against New Zealand.

The left-handed Malan and his right-handed captain shared a fourth wicket partnership of 232 off 211 balls after coming together with their team in trouble at 14 for three in the sixth over.

A slow start to the partnership became a torrent of runs as they took command on a slow pitch.

England scored 217 runs in the last 20 overs of their innings, scoring rapidly even after the two centurions were dismissed.

South Africa opted to go into the match without their two fastest bowlers, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada, and appeared powerless to keep the scoring in check.

When South Africa batted they were 59 runs ahead on comparative scores after 30 overs. The difference was that England had more strike power in the middle overs, with Archer and leg-spinner Adil Rashid (three for 68) taking crucial wickets.

Archer, in the second match of an international comeback after a long injury-enforced lay-off, bowled consistently at speeds of more than 145km/h (90mph)

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BLOEMFONTEIN: Fast bowlers Sisanda Magala, Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada earned South Africa a dramatic 27-run win in the first one-day international against England at the Mangaung Oval on Friday.

England seemed headed for a comfortable win as Jason Roy and Dawid Malan put on 146 for the first wicket inside the first 20 overs of England’s reply to South Africa’s 298 for seven.

Roy went on to score a thrilling 113 off 91 balls but the rest of the batting collapsed.

Magala made the crucial breakthrough when Malan mistimed an attempted pull against a short-pitched ball and was caught for 59.

He followed up by trapping debutant Harry Brook leg before wicket for nought.

Magala took three for 46 and was named man of the match, while Nortje (four for 62) and Rabada (two for 46) were irresistible as the match reached a climax.

Five of the wickets fell to short-pitched bowling.

“The pitch was a bit two-paced and it made the bouncers effective,” said Magala.

England captain Jos Buttler said he was disappointed that his side had not maintained the aggressive intent shown by Roy and Malan.

“South Africa came back really well but I thought we could have kept trying to take it on and put pressure on them,” he said.

Although he finished on the losing side, Roy gave an emphatic answer to critics who have questioned his place in the team after a poor run of form since he helped England win the World Cup in 2019.

He had made only one century since the World Cup, against second-tier Netherlands, and his previous eight innings had yielded only 160 runs with a highest score of 43.

But Roy was in dominant form from the start of his innings, reaching his fifty off 45 balls and his century off 79 deliveries. He hit 11 fours and four sixes.

Rassie van der Dussen hit a contrasting century to enable South Africa to post a challenging total.

Van der Dussen made 111 off 117 balls, hitting only six boundaries.

He held the innings together as England’s bowlers came back strongly after an opening stand of 61 off 52 balls between Quinton de Kock and captain Temba Bavuma.

England fast bowler Jofra Archer was expensive in his first one-day international since September 2020, taking one for 81 in ten overs.

But the rest of the England bowlers made the batsmen work hard for their runs on a slow pitch.

South Africa’s total was only 12 runs higher than the average first innings total on a ground known for high scoring.

Left-armer Sam Curran took three for 35 in nine overs, mixing up his pace and making good use of the bouncer –- a formula which later worked well for the South Africans.

The three-match series is part of the World Cup Super League and the win was a boost for South Africa, who have yet to earn automatic qualification for the World Cup in India later this year.

Bavuma said South Africa had gone into the series determined to play good cricket, whether or not they qualified for the World Cup.

“We’re happy with the way we went about our business but obviously we need the points,” he said.

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