Seamer Lungi Ngidi defended seven runs in the final over to bowl South Africa to an unlikely one-run victory as England folded at the death in the first Twenty20 international yesterday.
England needed seven from their final seven balls with five wickets remaining, but collapsed in the face of Ngidi’s off-cutters on a slow wicket to add five runs for the loss of four wickets.
South Africa had posted 177 for eight in their 20 overs, a record score in East London, but England were cruising when opener Jason Roy blasted 70 from 38 balls with superb straight hitting that included seven fours and three sixes. and captain Eoin Morgan an excellent 52 from 34.
The visitors lost their nerve at the finish, though, in what will be a tough lesson at the start of the build-up to the Twenty20 World Cup to be played in Australia in October.
Ben Stokes made a crucial strike to slow a South African batting assault. South Africa made a competitive 177 for eight after being sent in but looked set for a much bigger total before Stokes dismissed Rassie van der Dussen for 31 after South Africa had raced to 111 for one in the 11th over.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid took the wicket of top-scorer Temba Bavuma for 43 in the next over and the innings lost momentum.
Bavuma and captain Quinton de Kock (31) had got South Africa off to a fast start with an opening stand of 48 off 26 balls and Van der Dussen joined Bavuma in a second wicket stand of 63 off 41 balls before Stokes had Van der Dussen caught at square leg. Mark Wood and Chris Jordan bowled the last two overs and conceded only a combined eight runs while four wickets fell. Jordan finished with two for 28.
BRIEFS CORES
South Africa 177-8 (T. Bavuma 43, Q. de Kock 31, H. van der Dussen 31; C. Jordan 2-28) bt England 176-9 (J. Roy 70, E. Morgan 52; L. Ngidi 3-30, A.Phehlukwayo 2-32, B. Hendricks 2-33).
South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi (left) celebrates taking the wicket of England’s Ben Stokes with teammate Dwaine Pretorius during their Twenty20 match at the Buffalo Park in East London, South Africa, yesterday. (Reuters)
