World T20 Live: England vs. South Africa
Looking back on moments that changed the game. David Willey’s first over – and the first of the game – which only went for two turned out to be very decisive
England have produced a miracle in order to stay alive in the World T20 and it’s largely down to Joe Root who was immense. Bayliss or Morgan – whoever decided the batting order deserves immense credit as well
Despite the victory England still have a lot of issues with their bowling. Topley, Jordan, Stokes and Willey were all far too expensive today, I wonder if England might consider Liam Dawson as a third spinning option?
One question I would pose to South Africa – yes he was expensive but giving only two overs to Dale Steyn??
I’ve just celebrated with a jam donut and I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a game worthy of celebration
England create the highest ever chase in World T20 history, making South Africa’s 208 chase down of The West Indies look relatively mediocre
Let’s not forget Jason Roy’s blistering 43 off 16 balls at the start of the innings though – that really did set the tempo
A stunning 83 from Joe Root really made the difference – what an incredible knock it was!
South Africa really will wonder how an earth they lost that
The reaction of the England bench at the end said it all – they went bananas!!
Quite simply amazing
England stay alive in the tournament having produced the second highest ever chase in T20 history
What an unbelievable game
Moeen smacks one over mid-off and England win by two wickets!!!
ENGLAND WIN!!!
This is incredible tension… credit to Abbott, they need a wicket maiden and he’s halfway there…
Moeen can’t beat the infield – One from three…
Dot ball.
Rashid has to appear
Without facing a ball Willey goes. England eight down
WICKET – Willey – 0
He has, can you believe this?
I think Willey’s been run out?
Confusion here, is it another wicket??
Moeen on strike…
Oh England, you don’t make it easy do you? Jordan hoiks one up in the air and it’s well held by Duminy in the deep
WICKET – Eng – 229-7 – Jordan – 5
Here we go then…
Over 19 – Eng 229-6 – Swatted away by Jordan and he brings the scores level. England about to produce the greatest run chase in World T20 history
Four! Full toss from Rabada and put away to the boundary. England have produced a miracle
Jordan facing the strike for the first time – six from eight needed
Moeen pulls to the deep for a single
Seven from nine now for England – a mere doddle?
Four! – Moeen has hit a boundary – what a time to do it
What a brilliant knock from Joe Root though
Can you believe this?? Root has nailed one off Rabada and it looks like it’s going for six but it just reaches De Villiers on the rope. A penny for Chris Jordan’s nerves as he comes to the crease.
WICKET – Eng 219-6 – Root – 83
Dot ball to mid wicket – 11 from 11 now
Rabada is back for a final over – they have to get rid of Root
Over 18 – Eng – 219-5 – Three fours from Root in the over. And now another!! Very unlucky for Morris as Moeen hits an inside edge onto his pads and it runs away to teh boundary. I’m not sure why Morris got the nod ahead of Steyn but England don’t care.
Dot ball. Moeen can’t quite squirt it away
Joe Root is on for a knighthood after this
Single – 15 from 14 needed
FOUR – Top edge from Root flies over De Kock for a third in a row. Root punches the air in delight. 16 from 15 now.
Eng – 210-5 – Morris is the surprise choice to come back. Poor first ball on leg stump is clipped away by Root for four. The second falls just short of six – England in the driving seat now. 78 off 40 from Root!
Over 17- Eng – 202-5 – Moeen’s job is surely to get Root on strike. That six was straight back over Abbott’s head. It was clean, pure and needed. If England can pull this off, it will be the second highest run chase in T20 international history!
A quite ridiculous catch by what looks like a steward from that six. One handed leaning back – impressive to say the least.
Eng – 199-5 – Abbott is returning for SA. He bowled well earlier picking up two wickets, but his economy was an issue at 13’s. Root whips four off his pads first ball and then hammers a bruising SIX off the second – fantastic!
Over 16 – Eng 188-5 – Big over from Tahir, just five from it and the priceless wicket of Butler. 42 now needed from four – England will probably need Root to be there at the end to do it
I said Tahir might turn out to be crucial and he’s just got rid of England’s big hitter. Moeen Ali comes to the crease. Good luck Mo, good luck
Wicket – Eng 183-5 – Jos Bulter – 21
He looks very much out…
What’s happened here?? Is it a stumping? A run out? Butler missed on the leg side and appeared to be stumped but did De Kock forget the ball?
Eng – 186-4 – Root’s touch play at four against spin has really worked. The decision to have him in ahead of Butler was a good one.
47 now from 30 required. Tahir prepares for his final over. Root takes a breather. Everyone holds their breath.
Over 15 – Eng – 183-4 – The men who set the platform – Roy and Hales applaud from the sidelines – could this really happen? Morris delivers yet another wide before there’s two singles to end the over.
SIX – WOW! What a way to bring up a wonderful 50 from Joe Root. A mesmerising reverse scoop that goes all the way
Eng – 173-4 – De Kock is certainly earning his match fee today. A brilliant performance with the bat and he saves Morris again as he spreads one down the leg side.
Chris Morris is back and can ill afford an over as expensive as his first which went for 13. This could be a grand stand finish folkes
Over 14 – Eng – 170-4 – I’ll happily admit I gave England diddly squat chance of chasing this down at the interval. It would comfortably clear the tournament record chase of 208 by Australia, but with 60 needed from 36, who knows?
Eng – 166-4 – You get the feeling if South Africa dismiss either of these two they’ll have a great chance of winning. A wide from Tahir is not what The Proteas doctor ordered however
Tahir returns and his two overs left in the tank may prove vital
Over 13 – Eng – 160-4 – Poor from Steyn as he gives Root easy pickings with a leg side full toss which is put away for four. The last is driven for a single.
Eng – 151-4 – Looks like Steyn is after yorkers – Root squeezes the first out for two and is unlucky to bludgeon one to Miller off the third.
Dale Steyn is back. If you missed it earlier his first over went for 23. No really, it did
Over 12 – Eng – 148-4 – Sensational fielding by Amla on the deep square leg boundary prevents another Root four, Butler swats the last one away for SIX – shocking long hop!
Eng – 139-4 -The first ball is rightly put away for four by Root who quietly has 30 off of 17 now. England add two further singles.
Duminy continues – 97 off nine overs needed
Over 11 – Eng – 133-4 – Morris sprays a loose one down the leg side and De Kock does brilliantly to prevent an extra four being added to the total. Four is added nonetheless as Butler brilliantly places one through backward-point.
Eng – 126-4 – Chris Morris enters proceedings for the first time. He’s previously hurt England with the bat but Joe Root crunches a six off of his second delivery
Over 10 – Eng 118-4 – England needing 115 to be on course with the run rate after ten have Joe Root to thank for taking them there as he dispatches a needed SIX off the final ball of the over
Morgan is deceived by Duminy as he’s clean bowled trying to cut. Jos Butler enters and with it, potentially England’s last hope
Wicket – Eng 111-4 – Morgan – 12
Duminy continues and at the moment SA are wrestling back the momentum. England in need of a boundary
Over 9 – Eng 109-3 – Despite a wide it’s another good over from Tahir – just six from it as Root scampers home off the last ball
How has that missed? Tahir’s already off on his lap of honour but it just evades Morgan’s off stump
127 from 72 balls the requirement – England have at least given themselves a fighting chance
Over 8 – Eng – 103-3 – I feel as though I may have been proved right that over – Root only claims one from a terrible half tracker and England can’t find the boundary rope
Duminy is the new bowler – One wonders whether Butler might have been better facing his leg spin
Over 7 – Eng 96-3 – Tight stuff from Tahir as you’d expect – only seven from it. Root unlucky not to get a boundary for a deft scoop though, only denied by excellent fielding from Rabada.
Imran Tahir enters the fray – he could decide which way this goes
Over six – Eng – 89-3 – Rabada to his credit responded brilliantly to the six. England have started well minus the wickets – Morgan the new batsmen
More problems for England. The scoring’s good but the loss of wickets is looking like their downfall. Stokes looks to bury a full toss from Rabada over square leg for six but can only find Chris Morris. Stokes, distraught, is left on his haunches – think Brett Lee at Edgebaston
WICKET – 87-3 – Stokes – 15
SIX – Take that! Rabada gets belted into the second tier by Stokes
Over 5 – Eng 79-2 – Joe Root is not England’s biggest striker of the ball but perhaps the way he’ll play the dangerous Tahir after the powerplay is part of the decision to put him in ahead of Butler.
Eng 76-2 – Shocking bouncer from Abbott flies about six years over de Kock for a boundary. A bonus
Oh dear. Jason Roy with a tremendous 43 from just 16 balls tries the ramp again but can only top edge it to de Kock behind the stumps. Root and not Butler in at four
Wicket – Eng 71-2 – Roy 43
SIX – It’s brilliant from Jason Roy who swoops down and produces a terrific ramp shot which flies over Tahir for a maximum
Over 4 – Eng 65-1 – Better from Rabada, but Stokes is still able to put away a boundary. The response – a throat tickler
Eng 59-1 – Let’s remember that England have a top six to rival anyone. If they get into a groove, who knows?
Over 3 – Eng – 56-1 – The fast start from England might wake South Africa up – they haven’t won this game yet. Jason Roy is a man possessed though and pulls Abbot for another maximum.
Abbott comes into the attack for SA and does the trick with a yorker which traps Hales on the crease. Ben Stokes inventively in at three
Wicket – Eng 48-1 – Hales 17
Over 2 – Eng 44-0 – Roy a tad away from a sixas he clubs Steyn down the ground. Doesn’t matter though because next ball he does clear the ropes. England needed a fast start. Think they’ve delivered one.
Eng 33-0 – Hales survives!! Miller drops a sitter at short fine leg and it trickles away for four. The opener then clips away two more!
England need 11 an over and will have to make the most of the powerplay. Steyn to Hales. Seatbelts.
Over 1 – Eng 21-0 – What a start! An absolutely gorgeous stroke from Roy gives him 16 off six as he measures a straight drive back past Rabada
*or great fun even
England having great fin here. Roy’s biffed three boundaries and Rabada sent a wide for four. 17-0 off four balls!
Well that’s a start. Roy pummels the first delivery over long off for four – it’s on!
Roy and Hales trudge to the crease like lambs to the slaughter. Rabada, ball in hand, prepares to do the slaying
As i said at the start, the equation is simple – England need to win. The fact they need to achieve the fifth highest T20 international score ever to do so is a small stumbling block
And to think A B De Villiers was their lowest scorer with 16. Goodness gracious.
What really hurt England was overs 2-6. In those five, SA piled on 81 runs. For the record, 229 is the sixth highest in T20 internationals ever
For all of England’s lack of quality with the ball, South Africa certainly made them pay – De Kock, Amla and Duminy were blistering in their 50’s
Either way, England need someone to grab the bull by the horns. Butler, Morgan, Stokes, Hales?? Who’s going to save England from this mess?
Trevor Bayliss chats to Jos Butler as England retreat up the stairs, perhaps he was telling him to get on the protein shakes during the changeover
The 229 posted by South Africa is the second highest in World T20 history, only behind that incredulous 260 posted by Sri Lanka – England need a miracle
The bowling figures are about as neat as a student’s digs – Jordan 3-49-0 and Topley 2-33-0 both particularly messy
Over 20 – 229-4 – The innings comes to an end. Miller crashes a four through cover to finish proceedings as South Africa celebrate a ridiculous total
SIX – David Miller sends another into the crowd. Again too full from Jordan.
19.4 – SA 219-4 – They squirm one and bring up the 50 partnership from 26 balls
50 and SIX – Full toss from Jordan rightly gets the treatment from Duminy as he becomes SA’s third half-centurion of the innings
19.1 – Clubbed by Miller down the ground for one
Jordan to bowl the last. Wicket maiden would do nicely.
Over 19 – SA 211-4 – Ben Stokes shakes his head. Don’t we all. A poor throw leads to a misfield from Moeen and SA sneak an extra. Topley ends with 2-0-33-0. Horrid.
SA 206-4 – It’s poor bowling from Topley. The first is a full toss outside off, the second is the juiciest of half volleys in the same area
SIX – And again. Duminy back to back, get behind the sofa England fans
SIX – And now six is smacked off the first ball of his second
Topley to bowl the penultimate over – 15 was smacked off his first
Over 18 – SA 193-4 – England had just stopped the flow of boundaries so that six is a killer for them. WIlley finishes with 1-40 – those four deliveries in the second over the difference.
SIX – I told you he wouldn’t be shy. Just the 96 meters from David Miller as he picks out the second tier
SA 185-4 – De Kock and Rabada giggle away to themselves up in the stands – perhaps they’ve just seen the distressed look on Eoin Morgan’s face
Over 17 – SA 182-4 – A fumble from Jordan gives SA an easy single, nine from the over. England can’t really let The Proteas get too many more than 210 – even then it’s a thankless task
SA 179-4 – Jordan can’t get his lengths right and Miller clips one off the pads for four more
SA 173-4 – Jordan to return for England. Interestingly, I was wrong on the LBW – Hawkeye suggests that it was cannoning into leg stump. Just not England’s day so far
Over 16 – SA 173-4 – Miller survives a big LBW shout first ball, was probably sliding down anyway but strangely given as runs
This time it is out as Roy takes an easy one at deep mid-wicket. South Africa just going for it now and new batsmen David Miller certainly won’t be shy in trying to clear the ropes
Wicket – SA 169-4 – Du Plessis – 17
SA 169-3 – Willey unlucky as Du Plessis splices one up in the air but it lands between three England fielders
Willey returning for England. His first eight balls went for two – fantastic. His last four balls went for 20 – not so fantastic
Over 16 SA 166-3 – Too easy from Ben Stokes who bowls a full toss on leg stump which is gleefully flicked away for four by Duminy. He then proceeds to bowl a wide. Fair to say England are on the end of a whooping here
SA 159-3 – Stokes returns and is met by a tremendous ramp shot from Du Plessis. Butler then fumbles a straight forward one for two more.
Over 14 – SA 152-3 – Root is fuming as Alex Hales misjudges the bounce in the deep and allows a Duminy heave to go for four. The misery is compounded as Root shanks one down the leg side for Duminy to pounce upon, leading to another boundary.
SA 141-3 – Such is the desperate nature of England’s seam attack, Morgan takes a punt on Joe Root to continue the spin options. If that doesn’t tell you something’s not quite right with England’s pace bowlers, nothing will.
Over 13 – SA 139-3 – It’s beginning to dawn on England fans just how big the Windies game was. Of course, there’s a long way to go here but can you see Steyn and Rabada receiving the same treatment as Jordan, Willey and co?
Over 12 – SA 134-3 – Moeen finishes with 2-34 from four overs which considering what’s happened elsewhere is pretty good going. Duminy the new man for SA
Correction – Amla scored 58
WICKET – Moeen does the trick as Amla misses a straight one and is absolute plumbage LBW
Wicket – SA 132-3 – Amla 55
SA 132-2 – Moeen and Amla face off in the latest installment of battle of the beards and Boom…
Over 11 – SA 128-2 – Better from Rashid who limits the scoring, spin is working okay for England but you fear for them when the seamers come back on
SA 127-2 – If England can keep SA down to anything around 200 it will be remarkable. The Proteas look in great shape. In contrast England’s bowling attack looks feable
Over 10 – SA 125-2 – Amla brings up his 50 with a SIX over deep square leg
SA 117-2 – A B goes for another big heave but can only sky it in the air. Morgan takes an easy catch
WICKET – SA 115-2 – De Villiers 16
SIX – there she goes. De Villiers clearly angry at Rashid’s appeal for LBW the ball before replies by sending two consecutive deliveries into the stands
Over 8 – SA 100-1 – De Villiers brings up the century for Australia with a single to deep mid-wicket. A good over from Moeen, England need more wickets though
SA 97-1 – Enter A B
SA 96-1 – Hales catches comfortably in the deep off Moeen. De Kock’s terrific hitting comes to an end
WICKET – SA 96-1 – De Kock 50
Over 7 – SA 96-0 – As if things weren’t bad enough for England, Rashid serves up a freebie which Amla gleefully puts into the crowd, 86 meters back
SA 89-0 – De Villiers hasn’t even come to the crease yet
50 – Quinton de Kock raises his bat. 21 balls was all that it took as he swishes Rashid through mid wicket for four
Over six – SA 83-0 – The end of the powerplay is signaled by further punishment from De Kock. South Africa could not have asked for a better start. They’ve whacked 81 in five overs
SA 78-0 – The highest ever score by an international side in T20 is 260 by Sri Lanka in 2007, but they were playing Kenya.
SA 72-0 – Morgan doesn’t know what to do, he makes yet another bowling change as Stokes enters the lion’s den. Thank god it’s the last over of the powerplay
Over 5 – SA 72-0 It’s quite frankly embarrassing so far from England. 22 off the over from Jordan. South Africa splendid though
SA 68-0 – The beard to be feared. Another four and then a SIX from Amla
SA 58-0 – Jordan into the attack. Amla greets him with two boundaries
Over 4 – SA 50-0 – Two boundaries from Amla and another from De Kock make it 13 from the over. England have got to find a solution or face chasing down well over 200
SA 45-0 – DROPPED CATCH – Things not going Reece Topley’s way. Should have held a relatively straight forward one at mid-on off Amla but shells it
SA 37-0 England have got to sort themselves out here, De Kock has started like a train and seam is causing more problems. Moeen Ali deemed the man to try and fix things
Over 3 – SA 37-0 De Kock is motoring here, he’s got 36 from 15 having dispatched Willey for 20 in the last four balls.
SIX – De Kock is prancing around his crease as he plays and misses at two from Willey. But he creams this one back over his head for six bits
SA 17-0 Topley incensed over the decision, the double teapot his appropriate pose as he retreats to the boundary rope
Over 2 – SA 17-0 De Kock biffs two consecutive fours through the covers before Amla survives a big shout for LBW – height saved him I reckon
SIX – De Kock crushes one through the cover regions off Topley’s first ball
Reece Topley – all cheekbones and tattoo sleeves – partners Willey with the new ball
Over 1 – SA 2-0 – Positive start from Willey, De Kock unable to get beyond England’s circle on the off side
England gearing up here then, need a good start in the powerplay, Willey to start…
Earlier on today, New Zealand picked up their second big scalp of the tournament with an eight-run triumph over Australia. They sit pretty at the top of group B with four points having already beaten pre-tournament favourites India
Need a reminder of why England are in such a precarious position?? A certain C.Gayle
South Africa gave England problems recently in T20 contests. Today they name a side full of familiar faces – De Kock, Amla, De Villiers, Rabada, Tahir and Three Lions tormentor Chris Morris. They’ve also added someone else… Dale Steyn.
The news from Mumbai is that England have won the toss and opted to bowl first. They’re also unchanged from the side that lost to the West Indies on Wednesday so David Willey continues to be preferred to Liam Plunkett. Billings, Dawson and Vince also miss out
Afternoon, the equation is simple for England – win. A defeat to South Africa today leaves them staring down the barrel of another early tournament exit only 12 months on from their humbling in the World Cup.
Anyway, that’s all from us this evening. What a day it has been! England casting all the doubters aside, including myself, to produce the greatest chase the World T20 has ever seen