Proteas clinch first ODI in come-from-behind thriller

Rassie van der Dussen struck a century and then Sisanda Magala claimed three key wickets as South Africa came from behind to beat England by 27 runs in an emotional victory in the first Betway ODI at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Friday night.

When the final England wicket fell with their total on 271, the Bloemfontein crowd erupted. For so long it had looked like their team would be beaten, yet they somehow found the wherewithal to strike back and clinch a famous victory.

England, fired by a brilliant century from Jason Roy who returned from the cricketing dead after a long run of poor form, certainly looked the likeliest winners when he and Dawid Malan roared to 146 in 118 balls for the first wicket, chasing 298 for victory.

But then Magala, playing in only his fourth ODI, took a decisive hand in affairs. In his first over, the stout paceman had Malan (59 in 55 balls, 9x4s) caught at mid-off miscuing a pull, then, in his second over, he struck again, trapping Harry Brook leg before for a duck on his ODI debut.

In between, Ben Duckett was caught behind flashing outside the off-stump at Kagiso Rabada. Three wickets had fallen for six runs and England were reeling.

Roy, who struck 11 fours and four sixes in a magnificent innings, full of superb drives, pulls and clips off his legs, had for so long looked like taking England to victory.

He and his captain, Jos Buttler, added 44 for the fourth wicket but then Roy hooked Rabada cleanly to square leg only for Wayne Parnell to take a fine catch moving to his left on the boundary.

Magala wasn’t done. He was struck by Moeen Ali over mid-on for four and then responded with a rearing bouncer that Ali chipped to Rassie van der Dussen at deep square leg.

With left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi going for 55 in five overs, skipper Temba Bavuma was forced to turn to his pacemen for some sort of salvation.

Sure enough Anrich Nortje, bowling at a fearsome pace, sealed England’s doom with the wickets of Buttler, Willey and Archer as England’s tail crumbled.

Nortje, after being expensive in his first spell, finally finished with 4-62 while even Shamsi, after a poor outing, finished with the final wicket of Olly Stone.

South Africa, needing to win this series 3-0 and then beat the Netherlands 2-0 in order to be sure of qualifying for the World Cup later this year, had made the best possible start to their quest.

Earlier, Rassi van der Dussen struck 111 in 117 balls, his fourth ODI hundred, to lead South Africa to a challenging 298 for seven wickets after Bavuma had won the toss and chosen to bat first on a flat wicket that looked full of runs.

If Van der Dussen was South Africa’s rock, fabled England paceman Archer, playing his first international in nearly two years after a series of injuries, was hit for 81 in his 10 overs, his most expensive spell in the format.

Looking at his performance in context, however, England will have been pleased that he got through his allotted overs without any sign of physical discomfort.

By contrast, Sam Curran – struggling for form in the SA20 – was England’s outstanding bowler, claiming 3-35 in nine overs on a flat pitch that looked made of runs.

There was little bounce, no swing and easy pace for the batsmen and Curran was extremely accurate, giving almost nothing away, while his occasional bouncer was well directed and, in Quinton de Kock’s case, deadly.

De Kock and Bavuma started the South African innings with a rush, looking in no trouble and simply hitting the many bad balls provided by Archer and Willey for boundaries as the Proteas raced to 61 in the ninth over before Bavuma, out of the blue, slogged the final ball of Moeen Ali’s first over to Curran at mid-on who took a fine low catch diving to his left.

De Kock, who was timing the ball beautifully, was then undone by Curran’s bouncer, getting a feather of an edge through to Buttler as he attempted to hook.

After the brisk start, South Africa’s run rate was now falling, with Aiden Markram and Van der Dussen struggling to get going.

Markram had reached 13 in 19 balls when he struck a lofted cover drive to Dawid Malan at cover who scooped up a fine catch.

Van der Dussen, however, was gradually building momentum and, most importantly, not giving his wicket away as he and Heinrich Klaasen added a half-century partnership at just about a run a ball for the fourth wicket before Klaasen was leg before sweeping at Adil Rashid.

The English legspinner eventually conceded 55 in his 10 overs, but he bowled better than that, being unfortunate not to take wickets on a number of occasions.

David Miller and Van der Dussen then produced the most productive partnership – 110 in 101 balls – for the fifth wicket.

Van der Dussen struck six fours and a huge six off Archer in his innings that was ended by Curren as the centurion sliced a drive to cover.

Miller eventually perished after he had reached his 19th ODI fifty, clubbing Curran to long-on where Willey took a brilliant catch in nonchalant style, pushing the ball up in the air while over the boundary line and then hopping back into play to complete the catch.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt), Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Sisanda Magala, Tabraiz Shamsi, Anrich Nortje

England: Jason Roy, Dawid Malan, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (capt, wk), Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, David Willey, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Olly Stone