Yesterday England played the third and final match of an ODI series against South Africa. South Africa had already won the series. I missed the early part of the action due to being at a WNAG Pizza Making event at Pizza Express. This post looks back at an extraordinary day.
TWO BRILLIANT AND CONTRASTING CENTURIES
South Africa won the toss, which was about the last thing to go right for them on the day. They put England in to bat. Smith and Duckett led off with a rapid stand. Smith was second out with 117 on the board, and 16.2 overs gone. That brought Jacob Bethell, still looking for his first professional hundred, in to join Joe Root, to whom such scores are nothing new. It was this partnership that took the game away from South Africa. In 24 overs in the middle part of the innings, usually the quietest period, the pair put on 182 together. Bethell reached that first professional century off 76 balls, hitting 11 fours and three sixes along the way. He was England’s second youngest ever ODI centurion, just a few days older than another left hander, David Gower, had been when he scored his maiden ODI ton. Bethell hit two more fours after reaching the landmark, before being out for 110 to make it 299-3. Brook made an unusual contribution – he was run out for 3 off two balls to make it 302-4. Buttler joined Root, and during their fifth wicket stand Root reached a century that had rarely if ever looked anything other than inevitable. It had taken him 95 balls, and he had hit a mere six fours along the way, indicating just how large a proportion of those deliveries he had managed to score something off. This was Root’s 19th ODI ton. Root was fifth out in the 47th over, not advancing beyond 100. The score by then was 371, and with Will Jacks joining a well set Buttler England would have been seriously disappointed not to cross 400 from there. In the event they had something to spare, ending on 414-5, Buttler 62 not out off 32 balls and Jacks 19 not out off 8 balls.
A HORROR SHOW FOR SA
Jofra Archer led the bowling onslaught on the proteas, who were weakened by an injury to skipper Temba Bavuma. At one point South Africa were 24-6, with only Dewald Brevis of the top six managing double figures (C Jacks B Archer 10). Archer had four wickets and Brydon Carse two. Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj offered a little resistance before Maharaj hit one from rival spinner Adil Rashid straight into the hands of Root to go for 17 and make it 49-7. Codi Yusuf, a medium pacer who had not distinguished himself in his main department, reached 5 before Rashid got through his defences to make it 57-8. Nandre Burger joined Bosch for what was barring miracles going to be the last stand, Bavuma having said he would bat only if needed, and South Africa were so far adrift that it would have been plumb crazy, as well as plain cruel, to have sent him in to the breach in these circumstances. A catch by Carse off Rashid got Bosch for 20 and made it 72-9. Bavuma, as expected, did not emerge, and England were confirmed as winners by 342 runs, a record runs margin for any ODI. It is not the first time that this particular record has belonged to England – in 1975 a 202 run win over India in a 60 overs per side match had given them the record. That match looks bizarre to modern eyes – England scored 334-4 from their 60 overs, Amiss leading the way with 137, a scoring rate that would not be considered especially daunting these days, and India replied with 132-3, Sunil Gavaskar settling for an extended net that yielded him 36 not out from 174 balls! Scorecard for yesterday’s match here.
PHOTOGRAPHS
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