An all-round show from South Africa led from the front by Rilee Rossouw and spinner Tabraiz Shamsi helped the visitors seal a 58-run win over England in the second T20I of the three-match series at Cardiff on Thursday. The three-match series is now level at 1-1.
In the first innings, South Africa put up 207/3 on the board, with Rilee Rossouw smashing an unbeaten 96 off 55 balls with ten fours and five sixes. Reeza Hendricks also played a great knock of 53 off just 32 balls. England could not inflict much damage with the bat as spinner Moeen Ali and pacers Richard Gleeson and Chris Jordan could only manage a wicket each.
In chase of 208 runs, England lost wickets regularly and it never looked as if they posed a threat. Half the team was back in the hut before it could cross the 100-run mark. Contributions did come from skipper Jos Buttler (29), Moeen Ali (28) and Jonny Bairstow (30) but it was not enough to stop Proteas from securing a 58-run win as the hosts were bowled out for 149.
Shamsi (3/27) was the best bowler for South Africa. Put to bat first by England, South Africa did not have a very good start as they lost Quinton de Kock for just 15 when the team was at 39. From that point. Hendricks and Rossouw stitched an attacking stand of 73 runs, with the former bringing up his ninth fifty. Gleeson sent him back for 53 off 32 balls after Bairstow took a solid catch at fine leg. Afterwards, Rossouw and Heinrich Klaasen kept the scoreboard ticking for a while before Klassen was dismissed for 19 off 10 balls by Jordan.
Finally, a 64-run stand between Rossouw and Tristan Stubbs (15*) took the visitors to 207/3. Ali, Gleeson, Jordan managed a wicket each for England. In chase of 208, skipper Buttler gave England a solid start, hitting three sixes and a four before being dismissed for 29 off 14 balls by Phehlukwayo when the team was at 37. From this point, England’s innings met an early collapse and the next four wickets fell for 55 runs.
Dawid Malan (5), Jason Roy (20), Moeen Ali (28) and Sam Curran (2) fell without making a heavy impact. Spinners Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj did not allow any big partnership to develop.
Bairstow and Liam Livingstone tried to stabilise the innings with some solid strike rotation and boundaries, but their resistance could last for only 36 runs before the former was dismissed by pacer Rabada for 30 runs. Livingstone followed him back to pavilion shortly for 18 after being dismissed by Phehlukwayo. England was seven for 141 runs. The rest of the lineup could not put up a fight against the Proteas and the hosts were bundled out for 149, losing the game by 58 runs.
Shamsi (3/27) and Phehlukwayo (3/39) were the leading bowlers for South Africa. Rossouw’s knock of 96* earned him the ‘Man of the Match’ title.
Brief Scores: South Africa: 207/3 (Rilee Rossouw 96*, Reeza Hendricks 53, Moeen Ali 1/17) defeated England: 149 in 16.4 overs (Jonny Bairstow 30, Moeen Ali 28, Tabraiz Shamsi 3/27) by 58 runs.
