England squeeze home by two runs in Durban thriller

In the second consecutive match to go to the final ball, England roared back into the T20I series when they beat South Africa by two runs in front of a wildly excited crowd of 14 766 at Kingsmead in Durban on Friday night.

Needing 15 to win off Tom Curran’s final over, it seemed a clincher for the home team when Dwaine Pretorius hit Curran’s second ball for six, his third for four and his fourth for two. But, with two balls left, three to win and five wickets in hand, Curran somehow found it within himself to trap Pretorius leg before and then have Bjorn Fortuin caught at short fine leg by Adil Rashid. Both dismissals were tight with the lbw reviewed and Rashid’s position inside or outside the circle questioned.

In the end, however, England won an encounter that was just as thrilling as the match in East London on Wednesday. It will now be all to play for when the teams meet for the third time in Centurion on Sunday.

De Kock was gracious in defeat, saying: “It was great cricket between two very good teams. Both teams are playing really good cricket at the moment. It was just unfortunate that we didn’t quite get across the line. It sets things up nicely for Centurion where high scores are also common.”

FASTEST HALF-CENTURY

South Africa’s victory quest, chasing England’s formidable total of 204 for seven, always looked good while De Kock was at the crease. The left-hander struck the fastest half-century in a T20I by a South African – in 17 balls – beating his own mark of 21 which he shared with AB de Villiers.

The explosive De Kock struck eight sixes and two fours in his 65 in 22 balls before he was caught on the boundary in Mark Wood’s first over, the full toss being adjudged to have been a legal delivery.

De Kock and Temba Bavuma had put on 92 in 7.5 overs of superb hitting, but inevitably, that kind of momentum could not be maintained without the silky skills of their captain. David Miller was promoted to three, cracked a couple of huge sixes off legspinner Adil Rashid but then holed out to long-on in Ben Stokes’ first over.

Chris Jordan then bowled a superb over to take the wickets of Jon-Jon Smuts and Andile Phehlukwayo in consecutive deliveries before Dwaine Pretorius and Rassie van der Dussen joined forces to so nearly clinch it for South Africa. The two added 44 in 20 balls for the sixth wicket with Van der Dussen left high and dry on 43 in 26 balls, including two fours and three sixes. It was a brave effort that fell just short.

STOKES OVERSHADOWED

Earlier, man-of-the-match Moeen Ali blitzed 39 in only 11 balls to push England to their total.

It’s rare for Ben Stokes to be overshadowed, but that is what Ali did in their sixth-wicket partnership of 51 in 18 balls. Ali scored 39 in the partnership, compared to Stokes’ nine.

The slim left-hander struck some extraordinary shots, including one thick-edged jab off Lungi Ngidi that flew into the crowd over backward point. Overall, he struck four sixes and three fours in his innings as England accelerated in the latter part of their innings.

Stokes eventually finished unbeaten on 47 in 30 balls, including four fours and two sixes, the last of them a monster on-drive off Ngidi that flew into the first row of boxes in the Friendship Pavilion.

FLAT-BATTED SLAP

England’s innings was built by Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow in a second-wicket stand of 52 off 25 balls after the struggling Jos Buttler had gone early. Bairstow led the way with 35 in 17 balls, including two fours and three sixes, before he played a loose stroke to be bowled by Andile Phehlukwayo.

Roy was not quite as destructive as he was in East London, but he powered England along with his 40 in 29 balls, including a remarkable flat-batted slap over extra-cover off Beuran Hendricks who was pummelled for 45 in his three overs.

Although he played second fiddle to Ali, Stokes was there at the end with a valuable unbeaten 47 in 30 balls, including four fours and two sixes.

Although Lungi Ngidi took three wickets, he was expensive. The most economical of the Proteas’ bowlers was Dwaine Pretorius who bowled three overs for 17 and the wicket of England captain Eoin Morgan (27). It was strange that he wasn’t allowed to bowl his full quota of overs with Hendricks preferred to him.

SOUTH AFRICA: Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (capt & wk), Rassie van der Dussen, JJ Smuts, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Beuran Hendricks, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lungi Ngidi, Bjorn Fortuin

ENGLAND: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (capt), Joe Denly, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood