Jason Roy has roared again into type with a masterful 79-ball hundred however England’s batting collapse nonetheless noticed a Rassie van der Dussen-inspired South Africa snatch an unlikely 27-run victory on Jofra Archer’s worldwide return.
Roy has had a protracted lean run however registered his first 50-plus rating in 15 worldwide innings with 113 off 91 deliveries within the first of three ODIs in opposition to the Proteas in Bloemfontein on Friday.
He placed on 146 in 19.3 overs with fellow opener Dawid Malan, who amassed 59 off 55 balls, however England badly misplaced their manner thereafter in a chase of 299, being dismissed for 271 in 44.2 overs.
Below the openers, solely captain Jos Buttler (36) reached 20 for the vacationers on an easy-paced pitch, with Anrich Nortje claiming 4-62, whereas Sisanda Magala collected an necessary three-wicket haul.
South Africa posted 7-298 with van der Dussen cracking 111 off 117 balls however Sam Curran checked their progress on a couple of event to complete with 3-35 off his 9 overs.
Buttler instructed Sky Sports: “We’re disappointed. I think we played some excellent cricket for the majority of that game.
“To be able after that opening stand, you’re feeling we should always go on and win the sport, so we’re clearly disenchanted to not end it off.”
It was a tough day for pace ace Archer as he toiled in the 30 degrees heat in Bloemfontein with minimal reward in his first England international in nearly two years.
Encouragingly, he got through 10 overs but ended up with 1-81 – the most runs he’s conceded in a limited-overs international.
Archer believes he is at “about 80 per cent” fitness so some rust was inevitable – and he conceded 20 runs in one ugly nine-ball over before his spell finished on a brighter note with Wayne Parnell’s wicket.
His day ended on a forgettable note, though, after being dismissed for a four-ball duck.
Archer did operate near the 140kmh range, topping out at 143kmh, and his display wasn’t an issue for the double world champions.
Roy had averaged 12.5 in the SA20 this month but he looked in good nick from the moment he clipped his third ball for four.
Malan mistimed a pull off Magala, leading to a mini-collapse from 0-146 to 3-152 as Ben Duckett and ODI debutant Harry Brook fell cheaply.
Roy reached three figures by pulling Nortje for his 11th four, before clubbing Tabraiz Shamsi for a fourth six. He got out, looking to clear the boundary with a pull off Kagiso Rabada.
Captain Buttler flickered after being struck by a Magala bumper early on but his departure, nicking off to Nortje, after Moeen Ali had given Magala his third wicket by pulling to deep midwicket, gave South Africa fresh impetus.
Nortje bounced out David Willey and Archer, with Rabada taking the edge of Curran’s bat, before Shamsi had last man Olly Stone caught and bowled to spark frenzied celebrations.
Earlier, Archer was driven for back-to-back fours by van der Dussen, who moved quietly to an understated 110-ball ton.
He cast off the shackles from an Archer free hit with a furious heave for six while the England bowler threw in a wide and another no-ball in a chastening penultimate over.
Curran restricted the injury to beneath 300 and prised out Van der Dussen for 111 and David Miller for 53 to catches within the deep.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
