Dawid Malan hit 99 not out as England chased down a formidable target of 192 in nerveless fashion to seal a 3-0 series win
Dawid Malan left himself stranded on 99 not out as he and Jos Buttler fired England to a 3-0 series sweep over South Africa with a stunning run chase in Cape Town.
Heading to Newlands 2-0 up, Eoin Morgan’s side were presented with their stiffest challenge yet, as South Africa set a target of 192 on a used pitch. They breezed to a nine-wicket win thanks to a staggering stand between Malan and Buttler worth 167 in just 85 balls.
“Extremely pleasing,” says Eoin Morgan.“At the toss probably both of us got it wrong [by wanting to bat first], thinking it was going to be quite a stodgy wicket. It played really well, meaning that the margin error for the bowlers was really small. The wicket continued to get better and better, and Dawid and Jos were absolutely outstanding. To win a game in that fashion builds a lot of confidence in the dressing-room.”
If this was England before an injection of confidence, I shudder to think what they’ll be like in the 50-over series. Asked where they need to improve, Morgan says “the bowling was a little bit off... Striving for that collective performance on any given day is important.”
Malan is duly named Player of the Series, and also Player of the Match.“Gotta give it to them,” says Quinton de Kock, “they blew us away.”
The series ends in a whitewash, which is very hard on South Africa. They nearly won the first game, competed decently in the second, and did well to set a big target tonight after a sluggish start. And still they lost 3-0. It may not be much consolation that the undoubted man of the series, Malan, has a South African accent.
So England went to No.1 in the T20 rankings, and Dawid Malan showed why he’s the world No.1 batsman. He now averages 53 in T20 internationals, with a strike rate of 149 runs per hundred balls. He’s a sort of studious whirlwind.
The stands at Newlands stand sadly empty, but the stands compiled by two pairs of batsmen where overflowing. Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen made a game of it by adding 127 off 66 balls, unbroken. But then Dawid Malan and Jos Buttler took one look at that stand and built a skyscraper of their own: a partnership of 167 off 90 balls, also unbroken. Buttler finished on 67, Malan on a tantalising 99.
Since the brief flurry of wickets at the start of the evening, we’ve seen 294 runs for one wicket off 156 balls. Maybe John Starbucks (5th over) was right: it is a batsman’s game.
Malan pushes for a single, doesn’t go for the second, and gets stranded on 99! But he’s made the most memorable 99 not out for England since Alex Tudor in 1999. And that’s game over. England win the series 3-0, and go top of the world in Twenty20. Since they won the World Cup, they’ve got even better.
Mid-18th over: England 191-1 (Buttler 67, Malan 98) Sipamla returns and Malan lofts him for, you guessed it, another six, straight this time, before chipping for four over extra cover. The scores are level and Malan’s got 98...
17th over: England 179-1 (Buttler 66, Malan 88) de Kock plays his last card, bringing back Nortje, but then has to watch helpless as the extra pace carries Malan’s top edge over his shoulder. Buttler makes more orthodox use of the pace on the ball, angling a cut for four. The partnership is now 154 off 85 balls – truly monstrous.
“Is there a more underappreciated player than Dawid Malan at the moment?” asks Guy Hornsby. “He’s like Chris Gayle and Ben Stokes in the guise of an accountant. Underestimate him at your peril. How you can leave him out is beyond me.” I wonder if the selectors are thinking of putting him back in the Test team – perhaps not for Sri Lanka and India, but for the Ashes.
16th over: England 168-1 (Buttler 60, Malan 83) Lungi Ngidi somehow bowls an over for only three runs. Give that man a medal – but England need only 24 at a run a ball, which should still be a doddle.
Here’s Brian Withington. “Something of a post-apocalyptic vibe,” he observes, “at the aptly named Six Gun Grill, with deserted stands and building site environ. Almost expecting to see a leather-jacketed YJB arrive at the crease on a roaring Harley Davidson brandishing a sawn-off. If needed.”
15th over: England 165-1 (Buttler 58, Malan 82) Buttler, facing Shamsi, comes up with the most outrageous shot yet: a mishit pull that still goes for six, just over the man at midwicket. Malan rubs it in with a reverse sweep for four, plays and misses, then carves for four over extra-cover, and finishes off with an on-drive for six more. He could get a hundred if he’s not careful.
Since Reeza Hendricks was out, which feels like several years ago, we’ve had 292 runs for one wicket off 25.3 overs. The wicket was that of Jason Roy, who may be wondering what he’s done to offend the cricket gods.
14th over: England 143-1 (Buttler 51, Malan 68) Malan swings Ngidi for another effortless six, and thena full toss lands on the edge of the cut strip and vaults way over the head of de Kock. He must be quite tempted to give up the captaincy. Opening, keeping and captaining: something’s got to give.
13th over: England 130-1 (Buttler 50, Malan 61) What would Eoin Morgan do, de Kock wonders. He’d bring back his main man, Nortje. It half-works as Nortje concedes only five, but Buttler glances a single to reach 50 off 34 balls. The last 27 of those have come off 11 balls: it’s like watching one of those planned demolitions.
12th over: England 125-1 (Buttler 49, Malan 57) Fully in the groove now, Buttler swings Shamsi for six over midwicket. Malan responds with a gorgeous chip over extra-cover for four, to reach his fastest fifty for England off only 26 balls. He does like to celebrate and this time it’s a six, slog-swept. That’s 19 off the over, 40 off the last two, and a hundred partnership off 53 balls. That’s even quicker than du Plessis and van der Dussen. Phenomenal batting.
11th over: England 106-1 (Buttler 43, Malan 44) Buttler seems to have noticed that he was dawdling, by his high standards. When Sipamla comes back, Buttler goes deep in the crease to hammer six over long-on, and six more over square leg. Then he misses a tennis smash at a slow bouncer, for which the unfortunate Sipamla is penalised with a wide. After a two and a couple of singles, Buttler finishes the over with a superb stroke, whipped through the covers like something from the squash court. That’s 21 off the over. England need 86 off nine, and SA desperately need a wicket.
10th over: England 85-1 (Buttler 23, Malan 44) Malan again celebrates his escape with a four, sweeping a loose ball from Shamsi. He is motoring along at almost two runs a ball (44 off 23), whereas Buttler is labouring along at less than one (23 off 24). At the halfway stage England still have their noses in front. And the drizzle is now being chased away by the wind. It’s all happening.
9th over: England 77-1 (Buttler 21, Malan 38) Quinton de Kock, who makes fewer bowling changes than Eoin Morgan, lets Linde finish his spell, but may regret it as Malan slams a cover-drive. South Africa need to get rid of him, and they miss a golden chance as the batsmen steal a second and Bavuma’s exemplary throw is fumbled by de Kock. Sportingly, de Kock holds both hands up, a gesture which should have saved the officials about three minutes’ delay in confirming that it’s not out. Now we have some drizzle, with England narrowly ahead on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.
8th over: England 69-1 (Buttler 20, Malan 31) Suddenly it’s spin at both ends as Tabraiz Shamsi brings out his left-arm wristy stuff. Malan greets him imperiously, with a reverse sweep for four. He’s been outscoring Buttler, which doesn’t happen often in white-ball cricket – Zak Crawley managed it in their monster partnership in England’s last Test. Twelve overs left, and 123 needed.
7th over: England 61-1 (Buttler 18, Malan 25) Linde returns, and he’s still keeping it tight. Buttler tries a reverse sweep, but it only goes about ten yards, and therefore may not have the desired effect of rearranging the field. Linde has bowled three overs for 18, a triumph in the circumstances, and the required rate creeps over 10.
6th over: England 56-1 (Buttler 16, Malan 22) Malan celebrates his reprieve with a cut for four, and then there are a few singles, before poor Ngidi serves up a full-toss and Buttler helps himself from the buffet. The PowerPlay, easily their best of the series, ends with England narrowly on top.
Malan survives. What the Buttler saw was spot-on.
Lungi Ngidi’s first ball is a good one, hitting middleish, but did it pitch outside leg? Buttler thinks it might have, so we have a review. He called the Roy one right...
5th over: England 45-1 (Buttler 11, Malan 16) As Roy has gone, Linde can take a break. On comes Lutho Sipamla, Rabada’s understudy, who bowls muscular medium-fast. He starts with a no-ball, called curiously late, and the free hit is a true freebie – a short ball outside leg, which Malan just has to help on its way for six. Sipamla recovers well, beating Buttler outside off.
“Gary Naylor may well be correct,” reckons John Starbuck, picking up on the thoughtful point from the 15th over. “It could be that the evolution of the shorter forms, as in the IPL, has happened most on sub-continental pitches, not known for their swing as in England. Yes, I know we invented ODIs and T20s, but the prospect of seaming bowling must have put off many batters and, as we all know, they are the ones to dictate the game. It’s no great surprise that big boundary strokes are the main pulling power.” True, but the easier a game is for the batters, the more likely it is to be won by a bowler – one spell of two for 20 can be decisive.
4th over: England 34-1 (Buttler 9, Malan 8) Buttler had just made up for a slow start by pulling Nortje for six, off the front foot.And Dawid Malan, who’s usually a slow starter, races out of the blocks with a pull for four and a nick for four more. Game on!
First blood to Nortje! His pace, and a bit of movement back in off the seam, are too much for poor old Roy, who departs like a cartoon character, with the weight of the world on his shoulders. He made 16 off 14 balls, which is far from terrible.
3rd over: England 18-0 (Roy 16, Buttler 2) Roy manages to chip Linde for two, endures a pair of dots, then finally sweeps him for four. Double figures! He misses out on a short ball, but dances down the track to lofts the last one for six. That’s the first big over for England: now they just need 17 more.
2nd over: England 6-0 (Roy 4, Buttler 2) Armed with a new bat, Roy uses it shrewdly to deflect Nortje for two to backward square and then a single to third man. This is already one of Roy’s better innings of 2020. Jos Buttler opens his account with a pull for two to midwicket, hurried but controlled.
1.1 overs: England 1-0 (Roy 1, Buttler 0) At the other end, it’s fast right-arm in the form of Anrich Nortje, pronounced Norkear. With his first ball, he coolly breaks Roy’s bat.
1st over: England 1-0 (Roy 1, Buttler 0) It’s Jason Roy’s worst nightmare: opening up against George Linde, the little-known slow left-armer who got him out here the other day. Roy does well to take a single off the second ball. But Linde does well too, reeling off four dots to Jos Buttler. South Africa are right on top.
“Re the signalling to the players,” says Gary Naylor, “I think it’s Jofra’s and Sam’s seats on the flight home. Looks like where their minds are just now.” Nice jibe, but that seems harsh on Sam Curran, who remained completely switched on. He drew the false shot that should have been van der Dussen’s undoing in the 19th over, and then he did his damnedest to pull off a two-man catch on the boundary. We can forgive Jofra too – he has spent too much time in bubbles this year, and he’s bowled so many great spells.
From their first 11 overs, South Africa managed only 70. From the next four, they added 37 – better but still not spectacular. And then they went ballistic. The 16th over, bowled by Tom Curran, cost 16, and then du Plessis and van der Dussen tucked into Jofra Archer of all people, helping themselves to 22 – the most Archer had ever conceded in one T20 over.
An over from Jordan then went for nine, one from Sam Curran for 17, and the last, from Jordan, for 20. This was a tremendous display of clean hitting. If there had been a crowd in, they would have been thrilled.
It turns out that the England balcony were holding up signs, saying things like 4E, which seem to have been messages from the team analysts to the captain and the bowlers. Full marks for innovation, and none for impact – unless they irritated the South Africans, and inspired that blitz.
20th over: South Africa 191-3 (du Plessis 52, van der Dussen 74) The thankless task of bowling the last over falls to Jordan, who starts with a leg-stump full toss, duly clipped for four by van der Dussen. The partnership is now 111, a new SA record for the fourth wicket in T20s. van der Dussen celebrates with a six that’s a kind of straight sweep, down on one knee. This is his best in T20 internationals. Jordan does well to concede only a two off the next ball, and then even manages a dot, but the fifth is a tame length ball that goes for yet another straight six. The last ball is technically dropped, as Sam Curran dives almost over the boundary at deep square and tries to pass the parcel to Archer, but doesn’t quite reach him.
The partnership is 127, unbroken, off 66 balls – a fabulous turnaround after a limp start. The last five overs went for 84. Can England match that? The gauntlet has been thrown down.
19th over: South Africa 171-3 (du Plessis 52, van der Dussen 54) Here comes Sam Curran, who persuades van der Dussen to slice towards his brother at third man – but TC holds back, thinking that Archer is going for it from sweeper. He’s not, and Curran Jr is not happy with his big brother. du Plessis plays a lofted square drive for four, and then a lofted off-drive, also for four, to bring up the hundred partnership– 103 off only 59 balls. It’s been immense. And then du Plessis brings up his fifty off 37 balls with a one-handed slash at a wide one: 17 off the over, and for the first time South Africa are in charge. The only good news for England is that Stokes is back on the field.
18th over: South Africa 154-3 (du Plessis 40, van der Dussen 51) du Plessis mows Jordan over mid-off, first ball, and that’s yet another six. Jordan strikes back with a dot, but then delivers a nasty beamer that du Plessis wears on the glove. Redeeming himself, Jordan produces a superb yorker outside off: Faf kicks himself for missing it. Nine off the over, which is almost a victory for England after the carnage of the last half-hour.
17th over: South Africa 145-3 (du Plessis 33, van der Dussen 50) Morgan summons Archer to stem the flow, and it doesn’t work – van der Dussen pulls him for six, then on-drives for four and gives Stokes, at long-on, a finger injury to boot – there’s blood on the hands of whoever put that advertising hoarding together. Stokes goes off to be patched up and Sam Billings trots on. Unruffled, van der Dussen hammers a straight four. That’s 34 off the last ten balls. Archer manages a dot with a bouncer, but when he pitches sit up again van der Dussen slog-sweeps for six more. A shovel to leg and a hard-run two take van der Dussen to fifty off only 23 balls. He’s been a revelation. That over, which cost 22,is the most expensive Archer has ever bowled in a T20. Are you England in disguise?
16th over: South Africa 123-3 (du Plessis 33, van der Dussen 28) Tom Curran returns and Faf greets him with a straight six. A single brings up the fifty partnership from 36 balls, and then Faf swings for six more. That’s 16 off the over – you might even say game on.
15th over: South Africa 107-3 (du Plessis 20, van der Dussen 25) Back comes Jordan, he of the immaculate figures, which means we have already reached the death overs. He goes for one, one, one, one, one – and finally four, as van der Dussen finds the gap at deep midwicket with a crisp clip. Nine off the over, and that needs to be just for starters.
Time for another aperçu from Gary Naylor. “It seems that, whether the bowling is fast, medium or slow, Test cricket is all about lateral movement (in the air and off the pitch) and T20I and ODI bowling all about pace variation (in the air and off the cross-seam). I suspect few bowlers will do both soon enough.” That’s a very interesting point, which I will leave to the OBO Massive to debate.
14th over: South Africa 98-3 (du Plessis 17, van der Dussen 19) Back comes Archer, and du Plessis muscles him through midwicket for four. Archer retorts with a slow lifter that raps Faf on the glove. That short leg you never see in T20 would have had two catches by now. Go on Eoin, you know you want to.
13th over: South Africa 90-3 (du Plessis 11, van der Dussen 17) After walloping four sixes in the series, van der Dussen has yet to hit a four – until now, when he plays a muscular pull. It’s the first four conceded by Rashid, who finishes with 0-20 off his four overs. And he’s not the most economical bowler today – that’s Jordan, whose figures are 1-0-4-1.
12th over: South Africa 84-3 (du Plessis 10, van der Dussen 12) Something needs to be done, and Faf du Plessis does it with the most delicate of premeditated flicks off Stokes. He may have just invented a new stroke, the ramp-tickle. Rassie van der Dussen, inspired, pulls for six – off the top edge I suspect, but they all count. Now SA just need a few more overs like that one.
11th over: South Africa 70-3 (du Plessis 5, van der Dussen 3) Rashid, rattling along again, goes for only four singles. The South Africans are trying to turn T20 into Test cricket.
10th over: South Africa 66-3 (du Plessis 3, van der Dussen 1) So it’s another good over for England, and at the halfway stage South Africa are dawdling along at just over a run a ball.
Meanwhile I have received an email, of all things. “I see,” says Matthew Doherty, “that Hendricks has problems with a slowhand bowler!” Ha.
A waft, a nick, and a sharp low catch, so Buttler atones for that fumble, and Stokes has his second wicket. Come on South Africa, you’re better than this.
9th over: South Africa 63-2 (Hendricks 13, du Plessis 1) Adil Rashid seizes the chance to race through an over while Faf is settling in, and concedes only two singles. “That’s beautiful, mate,” says Jos Buttler.
8th over: South Africa 61-2 (Hendricks 12, du Plessis 0) Morgan makes his fourth bowling change in four overs, bringing on Ben Stokes. Hendricks treats him with a healthy disrespect, dispatching his first ball with a rasping cover-drive, but then Bavuma departs rather tamely. Stokes does tend to have that effect on people.
Another bowling change, another catch at mid-off. Bavuma was good while he lasted, but he didn’t last long enough to shape the game.
7th over: South Africa 52-1 (Bavuma 28, Hendricks 7) If the PowerPlay has ended, it must be time for Adil Rashid. He beats Hendricks with some lovely drift, but then Bavuma slog-sweeps him for six.
6th over: South Africa 44-1 (Bavuma 21, Hendricks 6) Tom Curran takes over from Archer, and he has Hendricks dropped by Jos Buttler, flashing at a length ball. To add injury to insult, the ball goes for four. That’s the end of the PowerPlay – known as the Powerade PowerPlay in these parts, which doesn’t make it sound any more powerful. England are slightly ahead on points, but it’s hard to tell with this sticky wicket.
5th over: South Africa 36-1 (Bavuma 18, Hendricks 1) Sam Curran had given way to Chris Jordan, who bamboozled de Kock with his slower ball before getting him out. Then England almost add another wicket as Bavuma takes a tight single to Ben Stokes, who can’t quite hit a single stump. In a change to the advertised batting order, Reeza Hendricks has been thrust in ahead of Far du Plessis.
That’s the big one! de Kock goes straight down the ground this time, and instantly regrets it as he gives Tom Curran a comfortable catch at mid-off.
4th over: South Africa 32-0 (de Kock 16, Bavuma 16) Four, then six, you say? Anything Bavuma can do, de Kock can do with an extra touch of magic. He wafts Archer over fine leg, then launches him over deep square. That one went into the construction site and out again.
3rd over: South Africa 20-0 (de Kock 5, Bavuma 15) Curran continues, de Kock gets away with a dodgy run to Archer at short fine leg, and then Bavuma gets the party started: a pull for four, a whip for six. The crowd would be going crazy, if only they were there.
2nd over: South Africa 6-0 (de Kock 3, Bavuma 3) Jofra Archer is a world-beater in this format, and sure enough he beats Bavuma’s bat with a length ball that nips away off the seam. He starts with four dots before Bavuma shovels a single to mid-on. Quentin de Kock gets a single too, but very nearly plays on in the process. Regal stuff from Jofra.
1st over: South Africa 4-0 (de Kock 2, Bavuma 2) Curran’s first three balls go for singles, and the fourth, a lifter to Temba Bavuma, would take a wicket if there was a short leg in. There’s another single to finish, and that’s a tidy start for England.
It’s going to be Sam Curran to open the proceedings. He’s gone from a fringe player to a central figure in the course of two matches.
The series may be decided, but it turns out there is something riding on this game. If England win, they will go to No.1 in the world T20 rankings, knocking Australia off their pedestal. Which always feels good.
Cricket wouldn’t be cricket without a word from Gary Naylor. “The absence of fans,” he reckons, “has affected the aesthetics of sports viewing. Cycling’s parcours have been laid bare and beautiful, but cricket has gone both ways. Stadiums have looked even more soulless but grounds have looked lovelier than ever. Now to get rid of the adverts.” Good luck with that.
South Africa 1 Quentin de Kock (capt, wkt), 2 Temba Bavuma, 3 Faf du Plessis, 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Pite van Biljon, 6 Reeza Hendricks, 7 George Linde, 8 Anrich Nortje, 9 Lungi Ngidi, 10 Lutho Sipamla, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi.
England 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wkt), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Eoin Morgan (capt), 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Tom Curran, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil Rashid.
Kagiso Rabada isn’t fit, which is a blow for South Africa and a shame for fans of fast bowling. The man who has to fill his shoes is Lutho Sipamla.
Eoin Morgan resists the temptation to tinker, which is tough on Moeen Ali and Mark Wood. Morgan says he would have batted first too.
Surprising choice – perhaps de Kock feels that the surface, which is the same one that was used the other day, will get even slower as the evening goes on.
Afternoon everyone and welcome to the final episode in an entertaining mini-series. If you prefer your sport to come without too much tension, you’re in the right place: the series is already won and dusted. England’s white-ball know-how, freshly sharpened in the IPL, has proved too much for a South African side who have done well to get on the field at all given the shenanigans in their boardroom.
Today’s match, like the first, takes place in Cape Town, at the famous old ground now known as Six Gun Grill Newlands. If not exactly dignified, the name is apt in a way. England have brought six gun batsmen, as the players like to say, and each game so far has been decided by one of them – Jonny Bairstow with an explosive 86 not out off 48 balls, then Dawid Malan with a more measured 55 off 40. Today Eoin Morgan will be hoping the star turn is Jason Roy, who has scraped only 63 runs in eight international innings since lockdown. Even his strike rate has gone to pieces – it’s 74, rather than his usual 120-odd – though that will surely change if he can stick around long enough to get his eye in.
Continue reading...