Jason Roy’s bizarre dismissal turned the second Twenty20 international South Africa’s way as the Proteas won by three runs in Taunton on Friday.
The narrow victory at Somerset’s headquarters saw South Africa level the three-match series at 1-1 as bounced back from a nine-wicket defeat by England in Southampton two days earlier to set-up a winner-takes-all clash in Cardiff today.
England were on course for an unbeatable 2-0 lead while Roy (67) and Jonny Bairstow (47) shared a second-wicket stand of 110 chasing 175 to win.
Photo: AFP
However, when Roy was given out obstructing the field — the first time this had happened in a T20 international — the innings fell away.
A target of 12 off the final over became four off the last delivery after Liam Dawson hit Andile Phehlukwayo for a boundary, but he could not repeat the trick and South Africa had a morale-boosting victory to follow their first-round exit at the 50-over ICC Champions Trophy, with this win achieved despite the absence of coach Russell Domingo, who had flown home after his mother was involved in a traffic accident.
Durban-born Roy, dropped from England’s Champions Trophy semi-final loss to Pakistan after a run of low scores, was in superb form.
He struck nine fours and went to 50 with a six against spinner Tabraiz Shamsi.
Bairstow’s dismissal ended the partnership when he chipped man-of-the-match Chris Morris (2-18) to mid-on.
Then came the turning point.
Roy veered dramatically off a straight course, with the result he placed himself between the incoming throw from Phehlukwayo — which hit him on the heel — and the stumps.
South Africa appealed and, after on-field umpires Rob Bailey and Michael Gough referred the decision, Roy was given out by TV umpire Tim Robinson.
Roy was clearly aghast, but Morgan insisted it had been a “50-50 call.”
“Everyone in the changing room thought it could go either way, so it’s not massively controversial,” Morgan told reporters.
“You can see why the umpires gave him out,” he said.
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