The Proteas picked up a thrilling one-run win over England in a superb opening KFC T20 International series match at Buffalo Park on Wednesday night.
KFC man-of-the-match Lungi Ngidi bowled a brilliant final over to defend seven runs and leave England just short of the Proteas competitive 177/8 batting first.
Ngidi claimed the wickets of Tom Curran (2), caught on the boundary off the second ball, Moeen Ali (5) bowled by a superb yorker off the penultimate delivery and then Adil Rashid (1) was run out off the last ball trying to scamper back for the second run that would have tied up the game and sent it to a super over.
“I think it kind of played into my game plan, them having a lot of left-handers and hitting towards the bigger side and obviously taking the ball away from the bat, so that kind of helped me a lot,” explained Ngidi after the match.
“It gave me a lot of confidence knowing that I had that in the bank if I was going to bowl from the end that I did, and I did know that the game speeds up a lot at the back end here.
“So even 10 runs can seem like a lot once it is becoming a nail biter of a game, so that did play a massive role today.”
ROY LEADING THE CHARGE
England initially matched the Proteas first innings blow for blow in theirs, with opening batsman Jason Roy leading the charge as he powered to 70 off 38 balls (7x4, 3x6).
That laid the platform from which visiting captain Eoin Morgan almost finished from as he cracked a fine 52 off 34 balls (7x4, 1x6) but he fell in the penultimate over with seven runs still needed.
At the start of the innings Jonny Bairstow (23) and Jos Buttler (15) got off to good starts but key wickets from Dale Steyn and Andile Phehlukwayo respectively didn't allow them to kick on.
However, England were well-placed on 95/2 at the halfway point and despite Hendricks removing the free-hitting Roy they still looked on course for the win.
But with Joe Denly (5), Ben Stokes (6) falling cheaply it ended up leaving the finish to the tale which they were unable to do, finishing on 176/9.
Ngidi with 3-30 stood out, while Phehlukwayo (2-32) and Hendricks (2-33) backed him up well.
OFF TO A FLIER
At the start of play, England won the toss and opted to bowl and although the Proteas set a new T20 record score at the ground, it was a topsy-turvy innings saw them get off to a flier in the first 10 overs, before England fought back admirably to keep them below 200 in the end.
It was a brilliant display of death bowling over the last three overs that limited the hosts as just 17 runs came off them while four wickets fell.
Three of those wickets came off a fantastic last over from Chris Jordan, as he bowled Dwaine Pretorius (1) and Beuran Hendricks for a duck off the first two balls and Andile Phehlukwayo was run out for 18 off the last ball.
At the start of the chase, the hosts got off to a flier, with captain Quinton de Kock leading the onslaught as he took to the England quick bowlers with aplomb, launching Tom Curran and Mark Wood all over the park.
Moeen Ali opened the bowling and bowled well from the other end with his first three overs going for 17 runs, but Curran bowling the second over was deposited for fours over mid-on and mid-off, while De Kock launched a six over mid-off as well with the over going for 15.
POOR START FROM WOOD
Wood's first over, the fourth of the innings, started poorly as an over waist-high full toss was called a no-ball and under edged by De Kock for a boundary, while the free hit, also a full toss on the hips was marmalised back down the ground for six, with a couple of twos and a four following as the over cost 20.
De Kock's fun came to an end when he was caught in the fifth over for 31 off 15 balls (3x4, 2x6) off the bowling of Ali with the score 48/1.
Temba Bavuma, who was a spectator for most of De Kock's innings, then picked up the pace with Rassie van der Dussen and they took SA to 68/1 at the end of the powerplay, as Jordan's first over went for 14, including England losing their review on an LBW shout against Van der Dussen.
Adil Rashid then joined the attack and largely kept the Proteas in check, also trapping Van der Dussen LBW, only for it to be referred and him reprieved on 29.
By the 10th over the Proteas were cruising at 105/1 with 200 a real possibility.
However the second half of the innings started badly as Van der Dussen (31) and Bavuma (43) were both caught in the 11th and 12th overs off the bowling of Stokes and Rashid, which slowed the scoring rate right down.
David Miller (16) and Jon-Jon Smuts (20) both tried to consolidate but fell without firing as the home side stumbled to their total in the end.
Jordan (2-28), Ali (1-22) and Rashid (1-23) were the pick of the bowlers.
SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (capt & wk), Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Jon-Jon Smuts, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Beuran Hendricks, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Lungi Ngidi
ENGLAND: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (wk), Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (capt), Ben Stokes, Joe Denly, Moeen Ali, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood