Match report
South Africa land the first blow
Interestingly, Buttler intimated that England should have been more aggressive once they were ahead in the game. They did get bogged down, the skipper’s own knock was uncharacteristically stodgy and that seemed to take the wind out of their chase.
Congratulations to South Africa who were impressive after a lacklustre start with the ball, once they got a sniff of blood in the water they were unrelenting.
That’s it from me, thanks as ever for your correspondence. We’ll be back for the next game on Sunday. Until then, goodbye!
Updated
And a rueful Jos Buttler is disappointed:
We played some excellent cricket for the majority of the game. We were pretty happy at halfway to restrict them to 298. To have that conviction and commitment to keep taking it on has served us well for a long time and we didn’t commit enough to that. South Africa came back well and took wickets, the pitch got more difficult, it was at its best against the new ball. We are disappointed we didn’t go on to win.”
Temba Bavuma speaks:
The man of the match (Magala) that’s where the game changed for us, he got us some momentum and the guys after him rode that… We felt a little below par (with the bat) but it was enough. Magala was a threat, they haven’t seen much of him… I was expecting one of our bowlers to do something special. Anrich (Nortje) showed his quality and raw pace. We’ll take the win, we need the points.
Sisanda Magala scoops player of the match for his 3 for 46:
I’m very happy considering the position we were in. To pull off that type of win was very good for us. I tried to bowl as straight as possible, hit the length. Keep it simple. The pitch was a bit two-paced but it worked out for us. Time for rest now!”
Here’s that winning moment for South Africa:
🚨 WICKET 🚨
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) January 27, 2023
South Africa win by 27 runs after a remarkable bowling performance pic.twitter.com/7UJaC9DIOS
Jonah Finlay emails in and in all fairness he seems to be a man of exquisite taste.
“Hi Jim, loving the OBO and a MASSIVE win for SA!”
🚨 RESULT | SOUTH AFRICA WON BY 27 RUNS
— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 27, 2023
A remarkable fightback in the middle overs, led by Anrich Nortje (4/62) and Sisanda Magala (3/46), turned the match on its head after England came out firing with a 146-run opening stand#SAvENG #BePartOfIt pic.twitter.com/dEqIsxrfsa
Updated
England will be gutted at the manner of that defeat, they were 146-0 and cruising. All credit to South Africa though who came back strongly and never lost the faith. Phew, just time to catch the breath before the presentations.
Collective brainfade from England after reaching 146-0.
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) January 27, 2023
SOUTH AFRICA WIN BY 27 runs!
Tabraiz Shamsi gets the final wicket, Olly Stone pats back a tame return catch and then hangs his head as the Proteas wheel off around the outfield in raptures!
Updated
44th over: England 271–9 (Rashid 14, Stone 1) Rashid and Stone survive and eke out a few runs to chip away at the score. There are 28 runs still needed, South Africa red hot favourites now…
WICKET! Jofra Archer c Klaasen b Nortje 0 (SA need one more wicket)
Easy catch off a leading edge and Archer has to drag himself off the field! South Africa need just one more to grab the victory in this first ODI. Olly Stone, with more than a whiff of a wide-eyed rabbit in the headlights, is the last man and England’s final hope.
43rd over: England 267–9 (Rashid 11, Stone 0)
Updated
WICKET! Sam Curran ct de Kock b Rabada 17 (England 266-8)
Unequivocally out this time! Rabada removes Curran and South Africa need just two more wickets for the win! Jofra Archer joins Rashid and the tension goes up a few notches in Bloemfontein.
42nd over: England 266–8 (Rashid 10, Archer 0)
Updated
41st over: England 264–7 (Curran 16, Rashid 9) Rashid is at his perky best, picking up singles and ticking the strike over. Nortje then bounces him OUT! Hang on, nope – No Ball and Free Hit! That’s a big moment, England would have been eight down but instead Rashid survives and manages to time the undercrackers off the attempted yorker from Nortje. England need 35 and South Africa still need three wickets. Where’s your money?
40th over: England 256–7 (Curran 15, Rashid 3) Rabada comes back into the attack and his first act is a cardinal sin, he oversteps and gives away a free-hit. The crowd don’t realise and cheer gleefully as Rashid is caught on the mid-on rope next ball. Kevin Pietersen on the TV commentary finds this, inexplicably, outrageously funny and giggles his way through the rest of the over. Rabada comes back strong and gets the ball whistlin’ around Sam Curran’s ears, five runs off it.
WICKET! David Willey ct Miller b Nortje 8 (England 250-7)
Willey falls to a bit of a wild hack after being tied down by Nortje. South Africa sniff victory now. 48 needed for England and three wickets for the home side. The marvellously moustachioed Nortje spears one in at new batter Adil Rashid who does well to steer down to third for a single.
38th over: England 251–6 (Curran 13, Rashid 1)
Updated
37th over: England 249–6 (Curran 12, Willey 8) 65 runs needed from 13 overs for England and four more wickets for South Africa who have plugged away and prised a foothold in this match. Buttler must’ve whispered something to Sam Curran on his way off as the diminutive all-rounder absolutely clobbers Magala for huge six over mid-off. Get that on the highlights later on. New batter Willey then follows his lead and peels off two boundaries to make more of a mess of Magala’s figures. England hit back from the ropes and score 15 runs off the over.
WICKET! Jos Buttler ct de Kock b Nortje 36 (England
A gossamer-thin edge to De Kock off Nortje and Butter is out! Don’t go anywhere.
Updated
36th over: England 232–5 (Buttler 35, Curran 4) Sisanda Magala is keeping his side in this, he has 3-27 off seven overs so far and - an added bonus - his bustling action reminds me a bit of Mark Ealham. That run rate worm creaks upwards, not quite Cobra-like (yet) but England certainly finding things tricky at the moment.
35th over: England 230–5 (Buttler 34, Curran 3) Parnell is into his eighth over, he’s tightened things up admirably after a disappointing early spell. Just six off the over and the run rate-worm starts to rear upwards ever-so slightly.
34th over: England 224–5 (Buttler 32, Curran 1) Sam Curran, who showed all his cunning with the ball earlier, joins Buttler with a bit still to do in this game. I seem to have ‘misplaced’ an over ‘mongst the flurry of wickets. I’ll obviously try and find it. England need 75 runs from 16 overs. Definitely 16 overs.
WICKET! Moeen Ali c van der Dussen b Magala 11 (England 222-5)
…The ellipsis of doom… Moeen Ali is on his way after holing out to Van Der Dussen in the deep!
Updated
32nd over: England 216–4 (Buttler 30, Ali 6) Parnell keeps things tight, just four from the over…
31st over: England 212–4 (Buttler 29, Ali 4) Moeen Ali joins his skipper in the middle and is nearly gone straight away, a top edge flying down to fine leg where two fielders fail to lay a hand on it! The bowler looks peeved and probably rightly so, the ball was in the air for a long time. Moeen pilfers a few more quick singles off a revved up Rabada. The guilty fielders (Markram and Nortje) seem to suggest they were momentarily scuppered by the ball going into the floodlights. Hmmm, nice try.
WICKET! Roy ct Parnell b Rabada 113
Roy goes, an excellent grab by Parnell on the rope and England lose their centurion, this is now officially a ‘totter’. Buttler settles English nerves a little with another scudding drive for four.
30th over: England 202–4 (Buttler 18, Ali 1)
Updated
29th over: England 186–3 (Roy 113, Buttler 18) That’s more like it from England’s POV as Buttler finds the middle finally and strong-arms consecutive fours off Shamsi. A lot of bottom-hand in those strokes, as is the way of the Jos.
28th over: England 186–3 (Roy 112, Buttler 9) What is this? An over with just one run off it?! Rabada does well with a series of slower balls and cutters, a solitary poked single by Buttler.
Roy’s the boy (for the time being at least):
Jason Roy has always been more valuable in ODIs than T20Is, and his lack of form has been less extended in 50-over cricket too. It's entirely right that he's been given every chance to regain form, and if he is properly back, it's a massive boost for England's World Cup hopes
— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) January 27, 2023
27th over: England 185–3 (Roy 112, Buttler 8) Shamsi comes back into the attack, Roy looks to attack and mis-times a sweep for a couple before making amends by skipping down and smiting the spinner back over his head for a towering six.
Updated
26th over: England 175–3 (Roy 103, Buttler 7) Buttler is bogged down by Magala as the Barmy Army trumpeter soundtracks his stodgy innings thus far by parping a rather mournful version of ‘Radio Gaga’.
Updated
25th over: England 170–3 (Roy 102, Buttler 4) Roy let out a big swearword and a whole lot of relief after going to his eleventh ODI century. Jos Buttler embraces him warmly, the knock is good for Roy’s medium-term future. In the short-term he needs to stay there and see this game home with 129 runs still needed.
Jason Roy goes to a hundred!
A flat-batted pull shot off Nortje gets Roy to an emotional ODI hundred off just 79 balls
Massive moment for Jason Roy: a brilliant 79-ball hundred in Bloemfontein. Let’s close that debate for a little while. pic.twitter.com/EAZy7h2Pbg
— Will Macpherson (@willis_macp) January 27, 2023
24th over: England 162–3 (Roy 95, Buttler 3) Buttler gets off the mark with an inside edge that squirts away for a couple but is then clanged on the helmet by Magala. That was clocked at 89mph too, ouch. There’s a delay for a concussion test and helmet swap. England need 137 from 26 overs.
23rd over: England 157–3 (Roy 93, Buttler 0) Wheeesh. That is fast. Nortje bends his back and the speed gun whirrs round to 92mph, or 92 clicks, as the kids say. Roy does well to get a couple of twos and pinch the strike with a single.
22nd over: England 152–3 (Roy 87, Buttler 0) All eyes now on Jason Roy who has been stranded down the non-strikers end, if he goes now then South Africa are well and truly back in business. Jos Buttler scratches his guard and blocks out three dot balls. What would his old mucker Eoin Morgan have to say, eh?
"I shout at people for practicing a block. It's a wasted ball..."
— Jon Hotten (@theoldbatsman) January 26, 2023
Wait till you see me bat, m8...https://t.co/kcgv6qg1re
WICKET! Harry Brook lbw b Magala 0 (England 152-3)
Gone! Brook is pinned on the pads by Migala and he has to go! It looked stone dead and Brook must have thought the same as he chooses to depart without a review. Fate well and truly tempted and Harry Brook departs with a duck on his ODI debut.
Updated
21st over: England 151–2 (Roy 87, Brook 0) Harry Brook, currently the crown prince of English batting, joins Jason Roy at the crease. Nortje has cranked up the pace and looks to have his dander up.
WICKET! Ben Duckett ct de Kock b Nortje 3 (England 151-2)
Nortje strikes! A loose flash outside off stump does for Duckett who looked a bit out of sorts on his brief return. South Africa go ‘Bang-Bang’ and now have two in the hutch.
Updated
WICKET! Dawid Malan c Bavuma b Magala 59 (England 146-1)
South Africa finally get a breakthrough, Malan tries to clatter a BIG ONE to the fence for a maximum but mis-times his booming drive and only finds Bavuma at mid-off. Ben Duckett is the new batter and he gets off the mark straight away with a squirt behind square. I doubt South Africa are back in this, but I then again I also like tempting fate, so…
20th over: England 147–01 (Roy 85, Duckett 1)
Updated
19th over: England 144–0 (Roy 78, Malan 47) Eighteen runs off the over. Dawid Malan scythes Shamsi away for back-to-back boundaries before Jason Roy thunders one over long on for SIX off a free hit!
18th over: England 126–0 (Roy 78, Malan 47) Sisanda Migala replaces the beleaguered Nortje and it’s a decent introduction from the medium-pacer, just three runs from the over.
Jason Roy's blade is flashing once more ⚔️
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 27, 2023
📸 @photodavidson | #SAvENG pic.twitter.com/zwo3OBHzXT
This is a nice picture isn’t it?
Updated
17th over: England 123–0 (Roy 77, Malan 45) Shamsi can’t put a cork in it either and England are motoring towards this target. 13 runs in total off the spinner, two ticklish sweeps evade the keeper and bring Roy eight more runs. A well timed clip off his pads gets him two more and he moves to 77 off 56 balls.
Time for a drink.
Updated
16th over: England 110–0 (Roy 65, Malan 44) Nortje is getting some serious tap and now I feel really bad for comparing him to Lurch. His three overs have been pummelled for 32 runs – Jason Roy has taken a real liking to the pace he sends it down at. “The quicker they come…” and all that. England cruise past three figures.
15th over: England 95–0 (Roy 52, Malan 42) Time for some left-arm spin and Tabraiz Shamsi, he really does have a lovely action. A whiff of Paul Adams about it. Malan and Roy have a look at the wrist-spinner but still manage four from then over. Not enough fellas, my Friday-five-a-side dream is slipping out of reach, it’s almost as if England don’t care for my social-life/pathetic attempt at cardio-vascular exercise.
14th over: England 91–0 (Roy 50, Malan 40) Eleven runs off the over, Roy is boshing himself back into form here. He plays a stiff-armed lofted drive over mid-on and then swats a half-tracker from Lurchio Nortje through mid-wicket for another four to bring up his FIFTY.
13th over: England 80–0 (Roy 39, Malan 40) Just three off Markram who will still be licking his paws after his last.
Hello to John Starbuck, who doesn’t fancy SA’s chances:
“Jim, South Africa are on a hiding to nothing here. They didn’t top 300, which is the going rate these days, and every over England get through will add much-needed experience for them in what is a pretty short series. If they are going to win this, one or two bowlers have to come up with something pretty special, but who?”
I’m scratching my head at the minute, John.
12th over: England 77–0 (Roy 38, Malan 38) Anrich Nortje is summoned, the big lad does have something of the Lurch about him. Maybe that’s cruel. I mean it affectionately – like Jim Royle did to ‘Our Antneh’/Lurchio. Probably not one for the South African readers of the OBO that one, but I’ve typed it now. Six off the over including a lovely dink off his pads by Malan.
Updated
11th over: England 71–0 (Roy 37, Malan 33) We are going to see some spin. Aidan Markram is on for a twirl and Roy greets him with a step down the track and a bunt for SIX. Some shot that. Imperious. A genuine edge through the vacant slip region brings Malan four more and all in all it is fifteen off the over. Yikes.
10th over: England 56–0 (Roy 29, Malan 27) Rabada into his fifth over, Malan and Roy are happy to rotate the strike. Feels like a change is needed here for South Africa. Rabada and Parnell have the exact same figures at the ten over mark.
5-0-28-0 and 5-0-28-0
Spooky? Not really.
Updated
9th over: England 53-0 (Roy 26, Malan 27) The FIFTY partnership is notched thanks to a classy steer to the fence from Malan, he looked to have all the time in the world to glide the ball through backwards point.
Updated
8th over: England 48-0 (Roy 26, Malan 22) Roy is poking and prodding outside off stump and he shows his frustrations. Four dot balls weigh him down before he manages to get onto his toes and punch one through the covers. A bit feast or famine for him at the moment.
7th over: England 42-0 (Roy 22, Malan 21) Parnell sends down a miserly over that just sees a single nudge off it, the two quicks have found their spot now after those wayward early overs.
6th over: England 42-0 (Roy 22, Malan 20) Rabada tightens things up and keeps it to just two singles from the over.
Colum Fordham whangs an email in:
“It’s heart-warming to see Jofra Archer finally take a wicket for England after two years battling with injury. He’s clearly a bit rusty but there have been enough good balls, including the wicket-taking delivery, to suggest he will be a valuable asset regained, AND he got through ten overs. And what a sublimely juggled catch by Willey!”
It was great to see Archer back in an England shirt, he did get a bit of tap mind. That catch by Willey was so nonchalant, in real-time - I don’t mind telling you - it made me gasp.
5th over: England 40-0 (Roy 21, Malan 19) Parnell continues and Malan maaaarmalises him away through the covers for four. He’s excellent at that classic cover-drive. England all over South Africa like a cheap suit here.
3rd over: England 29-0 (Roy 14, Malan 15) The (oft-mentioned and I’m not helping) currently out of sorts Jason Roy is not going to let his partner upstage him - he whips Parnell away to the mid-wicket fence for two more fours and scuttles a quick single off the final ball to take nine runs from the third. It’s almost as if Buttler’s men know I’m hankering after a quick finish so I can make my Friday night five-a-side football fixture. There’s still hope with this run rate…
Updated
2nd over: England 20-0 (Roy 5, Malan 15) As expected, England have started to hunt down this target with relish. Kagiso Rabada’s first over is slapped away for 12 runs! Malan is more than happy to whip two full deliveries off his toes before following up with a crunching drive to plunder his third boundary of the over. England off to a flier at The Mangaung!
1st over: England 8-0 (Roy 5, Malan 3) Wayne Parnell starts with two dots to Jason Roy but the opener soon gets into his groove with a meaty punch through mid-on for England’s first boundary. IT WONT BE THEIR LAST. That I can almost guarantee. Malan then gets himself going with a neat flick off his pads for three.
Righto, down to brass tacks in Bloemfontein. Who’s your money on? Will England’s gun batting line-up (including ODI debutant Harry Brook) make mincemeat of this total? How tricky an ask is 299 runs in fifty overs these days? The custard-cream coloured pitch looked pretty flat to me in South Africa’s innings, I’d wager they are at least 30-40 runs short. Jason Roy and Dawid Malan stride purposefully out to the middle – let’s play.
… And here’s that Women’s U19s T20 World Cup semi-final win again, from a different angle:
The result 🔼
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 27, 2023
The reaction 🔽
😍 @HeatherKnight55 | #U19T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/3OEc8gHEnw
Updated
Thanks Tim and hellOBO everyone. We’ll come to England’s chase in this game shortly but first things first let’s give some big props to England’s U19 women who have just pipped Australia in an absolute nail-gnawer to make the T20 World Cup Final!
Here’s that winning moment:
England have beaten Australia to reach the final of the Women's U19 T20 World Cup 🏆
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) January 27, 2023
Watch the final LIVE on Sky Sports Mix this Sunday 📺 pic.twitter.com/nS3IgrGq4x
Updated
SA finish on 298
50th over: South Africa 298-7 (Magala 5, Rabada 2) Sam Curran does well again, allowing only seven runs off the final over to make 18 off the last three. He’s been England’s man of the match so far, taking three for 35 as well as the excellent catch that broke that menacing opening partnership. SA’s man of the match is Rassie van der Dussen, for his elegant hundred, although there’s a suspicion that he may have hit the accelerator ten overs too late.
At 75-0 after the PowerPlay, England would have settled for this – and for Jofra Archer coming through ten overs with, as far as we know, no setbacks bar an unfamiliar figure in the runs column (81). England are probably the favourites, given the flat pitch and their taste for the chase. But they will need to go at a run a ball and they’re an unsettled side at the moment, with a batting spearhead, Jason Roy, in no sort of form. It’s one of those situations where they could either cruise to victory or collapse in a heap. To see which, Jim Wallace will be here shortly. Thanks for your company, correspondence, and erudite references to Adam Smith.
Updated
Wicket! Miller c Willey b Curran 53 (SA 295-7)
No sooner has David Miller gone to fifty than he gets caught, quite superbly, by David Willey. It was a slower ball from Curran, bludgeoned to long-on by Miller, and somehow Willey flicked it up, stepped over the Toblerone, came back and caught it, all with the air of a person posting a letter.
Updated
49th over: South Africa 291-5 (Miller 49, Magala 4) Here comes Sisanda Magala, known as a death bowler, but appearing now as a death batter. A cut for four gets him off the mark and condemns Jofra Archer to his most expensive day in an ODI shirt. He finishes with 10-0-81-1, when 10-0-65-2 might have been a fairer reflection of his performance – but at least he managed ten overs.
Updated
Wicket! Parnell c Malan b Archer 2 (SA 287-6)
Joy at last for Jofra! His slower ball is too good for Wayne Parnell, who chips it straight to backward point.
48th over: South Africa 286-5 (Miller 48, Parnell 2) Another good over from Sam Curran, who concedes only six despite giving away a no-ball in the middle with a high full toss. He has two for 28 off eight overs.
Wicket! van der Dussen c Duckett b Curran 111 (SA 281-5)
At last! Curran bowls a cutter, jagging away outside off, and the movement is enough to stop van der Dussen middling his lofted drive. Ben Duckett does well to hang onto it, and not to collide with his neighbour in the deep. A messy end to a very measured innings.
Updated
47th over: South Africa 280-4 (van der Dussen 111, Miller 45) What would it take to make van der Dussen hit a six? A no-ball, that’s what. Archer oversteps, then bowls a wide, so the suspense is drawn out for a minute. When the free hit comes, it’s a bouncer and van der Dussen gets his flick-pull into the crowd. That brings up the hundred partnership off 15.3 overs. Miller joins in the fun with a square drive for four off a full toss… which is another no-ball! But the second free hit goes for just a single, to spare one or two of Jofra’s blushes. His figures are 9-0-76-0.
46th over: South Africa 260-4 (van der Dussen 102, Miller 38) Rashid and Miller continue their entertaining tussle. Miller misses one and nobody can work out how he’s not bowled. A single to each batter, then Miller misses again, before he has a wild slog, like someone in the village team, and gets four for it as it squirts past Malan at short fine leg.
Hundred to van der Dussen!
45th over: South Africa 253-4 (van der Dussen 101, Miller 32) Facing Stone, van der Dussen eases a push into the gap at cover point and takes a single to reach his fourth ODI hundred off 110 balls. It’s been very good, and yet, on this road, it may turn out to be not good enough. Miller weighs in with a pull for four as the Barmy Army trumpeter plays You Are My Sunshine.
Updated
44th over: South Africa 245-4 (van der Dussen 99, Miller 26) Rashid, so wise and wily, manages three dots in a row to Miller, who is itching to wallop him. Miller manages a cut for two and then a single to give the strike to van der Dussen. He goes back to a leg-break, looking to whip it into space to reach his hundred, but can only get a single. England’s fielding has been sharp apart from that spill on the rope by Woakes.
43rd over: South Africa 241-4 (van der Dussen 98, Miller 23) Willey is taken off too, and that may be the end of his day (6-0-38-0). Back comes Olly Stone; van der Dussen, who doesn’t seem to believe in the nervous nineties, takes another two as a commanding off-drive is half-stopped and diverted to long-on.
42nd over: South Africa 233-4 (van der Dussen 93, Miller 21) Buttler wants to save Curran up for the death, so he goes back to Rashid. With the extra fielder out, there’s more scope for those twos that van der Dussen loves. He takes a couple more of them and cruises into the 90s.
41st over: South Africa 227-4 (van der Dussen 88, Miller 19) Seven off the over from David Willey. He and Archer, the opening bowlers, have none for 95 off 14 overs between them. Curran and Stone, the back-up seamers, have two for 44 off 12.
“Hi @TimdeLisle,” says Guy Hornsby, “and a happy birthday to the OBO OG Rob Smyth.” Hear, hear. “He’d love seeing Jofra back today. In fact having Stone and Wood fit together finally is something exciting. While this series is a bit inconsequential, there’s some fascinating selectorial narratives. Roy, for sure.”
40th over: South Africa 220-4 (van der Dussen 84, Miller 17) Another good over from Curran, just two from it. It’s as if nobody has told him this is a flat pitch. With ten overs to go, SA are probably 40 short of where they should be. They need van der Dussen to stay there and Miller to go berserk.
39th over: South Africa 218-4 (van der Dussen 83, Miller 16) It’s a double change as David Willey replaces Moeen and forms a leftie pincer movement with Curran. He picks up where he left off earlier by drifting onto the pads, giving van der Dussen two more twos. Adam Smith would approve.
38th over: South Africa 212-4 (van der Dussen 78, Miller 15) As the pendulum swings again, what’s a fielding captain to do? Bring back Sam Curran, of course. He doesn’t take a wicket but does get the plug in, restricting the batters to three singles.
“Dearest Tim,” begins the next email. Someone seems to be softening me up… “I’m no economist,” it goes on, “but surely van der Dussen’s ‘classy reverse sweep’ was worth precisely the two that it brought, as indicated by Adam Smith’s remarks on ‘the invisible hand of the scorer.’ Yours always, Mac Millings.” Ha.
37th over: South Africa 209-4 (van der Dussen 76, Miller 14) Another handsome shot from van der Dussen, off-driving Moeen with authority.
36th over: South Africa 202-4 (van der Dussen 70, Miller 13) Archer follows his best over of the day with his worst as van der Dussen picks his length really well, cutting the first ball for four, cover-driving the next for four more.
35th over: South Africa 191-4 (van der Dussen 60, Miller 12) Time for Miller to go big. Facing Moeen, he makes room, chips the ball to long-off … and is dropped dover the rope! By Chris Woakes, who must be on as a sub – uncharacteristically sloppy from him.
34th over: South Africa 181-4 (van der Dussen 57, Miller 5) Jofra Archer bowls his seventh over of the day – and best. He concedes only run and tests van der Dussen with a series of lifters. His pace is 86-88mph, not his fastest but sharp enough.
33rd over: South Africa 180-4 (van der Dussen 57, Miller 4) Another change as Moeen returns. No fireworks yet from David Miller, but van der Dussen plays a classy reverse sweep that is worth more than the two it brings.
32nd over: South Africa 175-4 (van der Dussen 54, Miller 3) Buttler holds a meeting and decides that the time is right for another burst of Jofra Archer. He’s so rhythmic, so grooved, that it’s hard to work out why he hasn’t taken a wicket, but this is a decent over that goes for just four singles. And that’s drinks, with England on top again. They just need to winkle out van der Dussen.
31st over: South Africa 171-4 (van der Dussen 52, Miller 0) So Rashid, after seeing one sweep go for four, turns the next one into the breakthrough that England needed. His figures are 7-0-37-1 and he has got rid of Klaasen, one of the two middle-order dangermen. The other, David Miller, is in now.
Updated
Wicket! Klaasen LBW b Rashid 30 (SA 171-4)
And there it is! Adil Rashid, the world’s leading white-ball spinner, seizes the wheel and lures Klaasen into an ill-advised sweep. Up goes the finger and SA don’t even bother to review.
Updated
30th over: South Africa 168-3 (van der Dussen 50, Klaasen 29) A quick single brings yet another ODI fifty for Rassie van der Dussen, off 63 balls. His country needs him to finish on 115 not out. Before that, Stone blotted his copybook with a short ball that was whipped for six by Klaasen, to bring up the fifty partnership. England need a wicket. Stokes would be telling Malan to get loose.
Updated
29th over: South Africa 160-3 (van der Dussen 49, Klaasen 22) One thing England haven’t got right has been the last ball of the over, which has too often been expensive. Rashid follows five singles with a freebie, firmly swept for four by van der Dussen.
“Overbowling Archer (17th over),” says John Starbuck, with his usual efficiency. “I think we have to give Buttler some credit here. If he had pulled Archer after only four overs, he’d be planting in the bowler’s mind the idea that he’s only good for four overs in an innings, whereas, even with giving away so many runs, he’d be thinking he’s regarded as more reliable. Psychology, you know.” Have you got a degree in people?
28th over: South Africa 151-3 (van der Dussen 43, Klaasen 19) Stone, playing the situation, pulls out a thrifty over when England need it: four dots, two singles. He’s shaping well as Mark Wood’s understudy, keeping the batters honest in the middle overs.
27th over: South Africa 147-3 (van der Dussen 42, Klaasen 18) Klaasen’s attacking instincts bring their reward as he picks Rashid’s length early and heaves a pull for six. That is only the third boundary in the last 17 overs, but it’s another sign that SA are recovering from their bad spell. These two have added 33 off 29 balls: now they just need to add another 70 off 60.
Updated
26th over: South Africa 140-3 (van der Dussen 40, Klaasen 11) Stone’s extra velocity draws a false shot from Klaasen, but he gets away with it as his top-edged pull lands safely to the left of Harry Brook at deep square. It’s going to be very interesting to see Brook bat on this pitch, which is as flat as the surfaces on which he starred in Pakistan, but not as low and slow.
Updated
25th over: South Africa 135-3 (van der Dussen 38, Klaasen 8) Another string of singles, five of them, off Rashid. At the halfway mark England are the happier of the two teams, but SA are showing signs of getting back on top. So much depends on whether van der Dussen can bat through and allow the dashers to do their thing. A caption just now told us that he has the second-highest batting average of all time in men’s ODIs, among those with 1000 runs – he’s on 70, just behind Shubman Gill of India. The batters of the past weren’t really trying, were they?
Updated
24th over: South Africa 130-3 (van der Dussen 35, Klaasen 6) Stone, coming back down to earth, mixes up his lengths but can’t stop these two helping themselves to a single off every ball.
Updated
23rd over: South Africa 124-3 (van der Dussen 32, Klaasen 3) Klaasen is a good player of spin, Kevin Pietersen is saying, but it’s van der Dussen who hits the first four off Rashid. He stays deep in his crease and middles a pull into the wide open spaces at deep midwicket.
22nd over: South Africa 117-3 (van der Dussen 27, Klaasen 1) Here’s Heinrich Klaasen, who’s been in form for Super Giants in the SA20. He’s looking aggressive right away, but he plays and misses at Stone, who has made a dream start here – one over for one run and one wicket.
Wicket! Markram c Malan b Stone 13 (SA 116-3)
Olly Stone strikes with his first ball! It’s regulation stuff, in the channel outside off, but Aiden Markram goes at it with hard hands and gives a chance to short cover, sharply taken by Dawid Malan.
Updated
21st over: South Africa 116-2 (van der Dussen 27, Markram 13) Another good over from Rashid, going for only two as Jason Roy makes a fine stop.
20th over: South Africa 114-2 (van der Dussen 26, Markram 12) Jos Buttler seems to have a policy today of giving the bowlers longish spells. If Ben Stokes was in charge, we would have seen seven bowlers by now and Dawid Malan would have taken a wicket with his leg-breaks. As it is, Curran continues and he concedes his first wide, followed by his first four, off his 30th ball, as Markram nails a pull in front of square. That’s the first boundary for exactly ten overs.
Updated
19th over: South Africa 106-2 (van der Dussen 24, Markram 7) One seasoned spinner gives way to another as Adil Rashid takes over from his mate Mo. He’s on the spot straight away, going for only two singles and deceiving van der Dussen with his speciality, the well-aimed googly.
18th over: South Africa 104-2 (van der Dussen 23, Markram 6) On paper this is Sam Curran’s worst over, going for a full four runs, but he nearly nabs another wicket in a way that is typical of his chutzpah. After bowling a bouncer that is pulled for two, quite comfortably, by van der Dussen, he follows up with another one. It’s pulled again, but van der Dussen doesn’t get hold of it and it drops just short of Moeen at midwicket. Curran has 4-0-9-1 and he has made this match so much more interesting.
17th over: South Africa 100-2 (van der Dussen 20, Markram 5) As Moeen bowls his fifth over, van der Dussen plays the best stroke for ages, a dainty reverse sweep for three.
“Good to see,” says Pete Salmon, “that England have responded to the damage caused by overbowling Archer by overbowling Archer.” That is a great line.
16th over: South Africa 94-2 (van der Dussen 16, Markram 3) Another Curran over, another little masterclass – four dots, two singles. He is varying his pace, mostly bowling line and length with the odd bumper. The one that did for de Kock was higher than I thought, aimed at the lid more than the face, and that was why the pull shot was uncontrolled. And that’s drinks with the game evenly poised: if it was a football match, the score would be South Africa 1, Curran 1.
15th over: South Africa 92-2 (van der Dussen 15, Markram 2) Moeen continues and concedes five singles. After 15 overs, it’s been an innings of three thirds: 31-0 off the first five overs, 44-0 off the next five, and 17-2 off the last five. Curran has changed the game.
14th over: South Africa 87-2 (van der Dussen 12) England’s new-ball bowlers served up nine overs on this flat pitch and took none for 66. Sam Curran has bowled two overs and taken one for three, plus a stunning catch. He’s like an impact sub who is on for the whole game.
Updated
Wicket! de Kock c Buttler b Curran 37 (SA 87-2)
Sam Curran does it again! He bowls that waspish little bouncer of his, right in Quinton de Kock’s face, and an attempted pull ends up as a nick down the leg side.
Updated
13th over: South Africa 86-1 (de Kock 37, van der Dussen 11) Moeen, taking the hint, produces three dots to go with three singles. England are clawing their way back into this.
12th over: South Africa 83-1 (de Kock 36, van der Dussen 8) Jofra gets a breather at last as Sam Curran comes on. He’s been all or nothing this winter – player of the tournament in the T20 World Cup, then right out of form in the SA20. But he’s already made his mark on this match, showing the mettle that Ed Smith spotted in him five years ago, and now he bowls the first tight over for some time, going for only two singles and beating de Kock outside off stump.
11th over: South Africa 81-1 (de Kock 35, van der Dussen 8) A less eventful over from Moeen, mostly singles.
10th over: South Africa 75-1 (de Kock 33, van der Dussen 4) A fifth over for Archer, and de Kock is thinking “he must be tiring now”. He plays his first big shot, a pull for six, and then drives the resulting full one for another of those cool-headed fours. The PowerPlay ends with SA on top, the run rate around nine for the past five overs, and more than half the total (41) coming off Archer, who has been a little unlucky.
9th over: South Africa 65-1 (de Kock 22, van der Dussen 4) So that was an inspired bowling change from Buttler, who spurned both his back-up seamers (Curran and Stone) and his go-to spinner, Adil Rashid, and turned to his vice-captain Moeen. The idea was probably to winkle out the left-handed de Kock, though it was Bavuma who succumbed. It was actually a ropey over, with a boundary each for Bavuma and his replacement, Rassie van der Dussen, but that was a price worth paying.
Updated
WICKET! Bavuma c Curran b Moeen Ali 36 (SA 61-1)
The breakthrough! Bavuma mistimes a slog off Moeen and Sam Curran takes a fabulous catch, throwing himself to his left at mid-on and scooping the ball up just before it hits the turf.
Updated
8th over: South Africa 56-0 (de Kock 22, Bavuma 32) Archer, too, gets a fourth over, so he’s already bowled as much today as in any match in the past two months. He is still rhythmic and mostly accurate, but there’s one bad ball, a half-volley on middle-and-leg, and again Bavuma tucks it away. Time for a change, surely.
7th over: South Africa 51-0 (de Kock 21, Bavuma 28) Still no bowling change from Jos Buttler, and he may regret it as Willey is anodyne again. He hands out a few singles before producing another gift-wrapped last ball of the over, a freebie on the pads that is clipped away by Bavuma. That brings up the fifty partnership off 42 balls.
6th over: South Africa 44-0 (de Kock 19, Bavuma 23) Scrap that! Bavuma has discovered the boundary. As Archer drops short, Bavuma, who is short and makes himself shorter still by standing with his feet wide apart, gets under the ball and plays a flamboyant flip-pull that almost goes for six to deep square. Archer responds with another lifter, but it veers down leg for another wide. After a couple of singles, there’s yet another bouncer, a better one, which Bavuma top-edges over the slips, and this one does go for six.
That over leaves Archer with bad figures (3-0-26-0), but it was better than it looks in the scorebook.
Updated
5th over: South Africa 31-0 (de Kock 18, Bavuma 12) SA’s game plan is clear: Bavuma is getting ’em in singles and twos, de Kock is only interested in boundaries. Willey bowls a wide half-volley, almost yorker-length, and de Kock crouches down to swipe it through the covers. He has four fours, Bavuma none, and together they’ve made a fine start.
Updated
4th over: South Africa 26-0 (de Kock 14, Bavuma 11) A little bit of everything in this second over from Archer. His radar goes awry for the first time as he bowls a wide down the leg side. Bavuma tries to cover-drive him on the up but can only get the toe-end on it. Archer beats him on the inside edge and appeals for LBW, but it’s too high, and then de Kock, yet again, hits the last ball of the over for four with a crisp straight punch. He’s looking ominously well-organised.
Updated
3rd over: South Africa 18-0 (de Kock 10, Bavuma 8) Willey manages more swing but less accuracy, straying onto the pads repeatedly to give Bavuma two twos and a three. With de Kock adding another two, South Africa have a little bonanza without scoring a four.
We have an email! “I reckon that missing XI beats this team 7 times out of 10,” says Ben Duxbury. “The top 3 looks miles better than this one for a start.” Buttler and Matthew Mott are certainly showing a lot of faith in Jason Roy, whose bad patch has turned into a proper slump.
Updated
2nd over: South Africa 9-0 (de Kock 8, Bavuma 1) Archer runs in nice and easy, as if he’d never been away. Quinton de Kock treats him the same way he treated Willey, waiting for the one bad ball, which is overpitched and pushed back past the bowler for four. But that’s a promising start from Jofra.
It’s Jofra time! Or as the Guardian spellcheck wants to call it, Jiffy time. His first ball is almost Jaffa time – bang on target, heading for the off bail and taking the shoulder of Bavuma’s bat.
1st over: South Africa 4-0 (de Kock 4, Bavuma 0) Willey finds little swing but plenty of accuracy and de Kock is watchful, playing out five dots before seizing on the first bad ball, wide and full, and slashing it past backward point. The pitch is flat, brown and bouncy. “It will be a high-scoring day today,” says one of the home commentators.
Updated
The players are out there and so is the sun. David Willey has the new ball in his hand, ready to give us one over of booming swing.
Both these teams lost their last ODI series. South Africa went 1-0 up in India before losing 2-1, and England were whitewashed in Australia in a series which, if only the ICC awards were a bit more broad-minded, would have been a shoo-in for Anticlimax of the Year.
England's missing XI
England are leaving out so many good players today, for one reason or another, that they could give the actual team a run for its money. The only department that looks a bit skimpy is the spin bowling.
1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 Phil Salt (wkt), 5 Ben Stokes (capt), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Chris Woakes, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Mark Wood, 10 Saqib Mahmood, 11 Reece Topley.
So no Chris Woakes for England, which is a surprise. In fact, no classic right-arm seamer: Buttler has gone with two quicks, two lefties, a leggie and an offie. Bags of variety, but they may miss Woakes as the innings goes on and Archer, who has been bowling only four overs every couple of days, gets tired. “It’s gonna be a long day,” he says, “but I’m ready for it.”
The teams
SA 1 Quinton de Kock (wkt), 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Aiden Markram, 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Sisanda Magala, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz Shamsie.
England 1 Jason Roy, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jos Buttler (capt, wkt), 5 Harry Brook, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sam Curran, 8 David Willey, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Olly Stone.
England would have bowled anyway
Jos Buttler, who tends to be honest in his mild-mannered way, says he would have chosen to bowl first. “It looks a really good surface, but we fancied a chase.”
Toss: SA win and bat
Temba Bavuma wins the toss and chooses to bat. “Runs on the board,” he says. He doesn’t say: Jofra straight into action.
Preamble: Jofra time!
Hello everyone and welcome to a series that would have taken place, Covid permitting, back in December 2020. But perhaps we’re lucky that it didn’t. For one thing, we would have forgotten all about it by now. And for another, it wouldn’t have been a chance for a thrilling talent to make a long-awaited comeback. After 22 months lost to injury, and 84 England matches missed in all formats, Jofra Archer is back in business.
He has played five games for MI Cape Town in the SA20, taken eight wickets – and, above all, stayed fit. Now he returns to the international team that he spearheaded all the way to a World Cup win when he was an international novice. It’s hard to know who will be more nervous: Archer or the South African batters sent out to face him.
If Jofra wasn’t such a big star, we might be talking about a mouthwatering debut. England are expected to give a first ODI cap to Harry Brook, who spent the Test tour of Pakistan batting like Bradman on speed. Jos Buttler could also hand an ODI recall to Ben Duckett, who was almost as dominant in Pakistan as Brook.
Quiz question: when did these two teams last meet in this format? I had to look up the answer, even though it turned out to be only last July. They played a three-match series in England that finished 1-1. The last game was washed out and the one before was all over in less than half the allotted time, as England scraped 201 in 28.1 overs at Old Trafford and South Africa crumbled to 83 all out in 20.4. The chances of anything like that happening today, in the blazing heat of Bloemfontein, seem on the slim side.
Play starts at 11am (UK time), and I’ll be back soon after 10.35 with news of the toss and the teams.
