Eoin Morgan played a stunning innings of 85 not out off 45 balls as England won a rain-affected first Twenty20 international against South Africa at the Wanderers Stadium on Friday.
England piled up 202 for six and won by one run according to the Duckworth/Lewis method when rain stopped play with South Africa on 127 for three after 13 overs.
The left-handed Morgan and captain Paul Collingwood shrugged off a poor start and launched a savage assault on the South African bowlers in a fourth wicket partnership of 98 off 55 balls. South African skipper Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman batted equally aggressively in an opening stand of 97 off 55 balls, which threatened to take the game away from England.
PHOTO: AFP
But South Africa lost three wickets in successive overs as rain started to fall.
Collingwood brought on James Anderson, his best bowler, in the 13th over. AB de Villiers and Albie Morkel could manage only six runs and were one short of the par score when rain ended the match at the end of the over. Collingwood hit 57 off 32 balls, with three fours and four sixes, while Morgan slammed seven fours and five sixes, including one hit off Dale Steyn that sailed over the square leg boundary and out of the ground, landing in a block of flats.
Former South Africa under-19 player Jonathan Trott started England’s recovery with an impressive 33 off 25 balls, hitting Steyn for four successive boundaries, before he was run out.
Collingwood and Morgan then swung the game England’s way as they took advantage of an excellent batting pitch and a fast outfield. Ryan McLaren, making his Twenty20 international debut, was South Africa’s best bowler, taking three for 33 in four overs.
Bosman was the main aggressor as he and Smith got South Africa off to flying start, hitting 58 off 31 balls with five fours and four sixes. Smith took 10 balls to score his first three runs but picked up the pace to hit 41 off 23 deliveries with three fours and four sixes before he was caught at deep cover off Luke Wright.
■PAKISTAN V NEW ZEALAND
AFP, DUBAI
Pakistan overcame a rally from New Zealand to win the second Twenty20 international by seven runs at Dubai Stadium on Friday, taking the two-match series 2-0.
Teenager Umer Akmal lifted Pakistan to 153-5 before they survived a late charge by Brendon McCullum (47) and Scott Styris (43) to maintain their 100 percent record against New Zealand.
McCullum and Styris kept New Zealand in the hunt during a 66-run partnership as New Zealand needed 51 off the last five overs and 38 in the last three.
But once big-hitting McCullum holed out to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in the 19th over, New Zealand’s task of making 18 in the last over proved too difficult. McCullum hit three fours and six off 41 balls.
Paceman Umar Gul dismissed Styris off the last ball to finish with 2-29. Styris’s 33-ball knock had two fours and as many sixes.
Styris and McCullum repaired the innings after New Zealand were 66-3 after 11 overs. BJ Watling (seven), Martin Guptill (17) and Ross Taylor (13) fell in quick succession as Pakistan kept the pressure on from the start.
Earlier, Pakistan were lifted by Umer Akmal’s maiden half-century which kept his team in the hunt for a good total despite paceman Ian Butler’s 3-28.
Akmal, whose 49-ball knock included five boundaries and a six, added 45 for the third wicket, with captain Shahid Afridi (22) after Pakistan lost the quick wickets of Imran Nazir (19) and Kamran Akmal (26) to Butler. He then dismissed Shoaib Malik (7) and James Franklin captured Abdul Razzaq (0) before Umer and Fawad Alam (17 not out) added a quickfire 39 for the fifth wicket.
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