Tue, Feb 11, 2020 page16

• England survive collapse, tie series

  • AFP, JOHANNESBURG
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  England on Sunday survived a late collapse to square the series by beating South Africa by two wickets in the third and final one-day international at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

  England were cruising to victory at 232-4 after leg-spinner Adil Rashid and his fellow slow bowlers restricted South Africa to 256-7 after they were sent in to bat, but fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, who had endured a horror start to the innings, struck three times in quick succession as England lost four wickets for 20 runs before Moeen Ali got the winning runs.

  “We bowled really well today,” England captain Eoin Morgan said. “We probably had the best of the conditions. It was our best performance in the field and with the ball.”

  

  England’s Moeen Ali plays a shot against South Africa in the third one-day international at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Sunday.

  Photo: AP

  Morgan said that he would have liked to finish with a “commanding” win.

  “It was disappointing to limp over the line like that,” he said.

  South Africa captain Quinton de Kock praised the energy his inexperienced team had shown in the two completed matches, which were shared 1-1.

  “We had a bit of a sniff, but it was still a loss,” De Kock said of Sunday’s game. “But it was pretty cool to make it tough for the English side.”

  Man-of-the-match Rashid, playing in his 100th one-day international, but his only appearance of the series, took 3-51, including the key wickets of Temba Bavuma and De Kock, who made 69.

  “It was a nice wicket, with a bit of turn and bounce,” Rashid said.

  England complete their tour with three Twenty20 internationals, starting in East London tomorrow.

  PAKISTAN V BANGLADESH

  AFP, RAWALPINDI, Pakistan

  Pakistan yesterday completed a crushing innings-and-44-run victory over Bangladesh on the fourth morning of the first Test to take a 1-0 series lead.

  Bangladesh were bowled out for 168 in their second innings after resuming the day on 126-6 as Pakistan’s pace and spin attack was too hot to handle, despite a flat pitch.

  Paceman Naseem Shah, who at 16 years, 359 days became the youngest bowler to take a Test hat-trick on Sunday, finished with 4-26 and was named Man of the Match.

  Despite Naseem being unavailable to bowl with rib pain, Pakistan mopped up the final four wickets in 90 minutes, inflicting their 10th defeat on Bangladesh in 11 matches, with one draw.

  Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali said home wins were important to boost confidence.

  “It’s an important win, and home wins always increase confidence within the team,” Azhar said. “We have to play important away series, including one in England [in July and August this year], so we will carry this confidence. Naseem and the other bowlers bowled superbly and it was an outstanding batting display, so all in all it was a complete team effort.”

  Bangladesh skipper Mominul Haque rued Bangladesh’s low first-innings total of 233.

  “Disappointing batting on a flat wicket and no team can come back from such situations,” said Haque, who has now lost all three Tests as skipper by an innings. “Pakistan bowled superbly and exploited our weaknesses, and that hat-trick changed the game completely to open Pakistan’s victory path.”
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