1st ODI England v South Africa July 19th

Neil Whitaker reports from Chester-Le-Street

SOUTH  Africa posted their highest ODI score in England of 333 for five  in a subdued atmosphere due to the immense heat at Durham and Rassie Van Der Dussen hit his highest ODI score of 134 to beat England by 62 runs with 3.1 overs left in their first Royal London one day international.

Van Der Dussen also shared in the highest South Africa ODI third wicket partnership of 151 against England with Aiden Markram.  The pair came together at the fall of Janneman Malan’s wicket in the 26 over.  Malan and Van Der Dussen added 109 in 19 overs as the pair worked the ball round in hot conditions.  

Van Der Dussen said: “To make 134 in  England is a special innings and it sets the tone for the rest of the series.  I thought that our bowlers were brilliant.  The conditions out there weren’t too bad but it was so hot out there so it was a good toss to win.  It’s a massive result for  us but there’s still a lot of cricket to be played.  It was a massive outfield with a strong wind at one end.”

Malan pulled Sam  Curran to the mid wicket boundary with consummate ease and he clubbed Ben  Stokes to the long on to bring up the South African fifty in the 18th over.  He brought up his fourth ODI fifty from 63 balls when he pulled Brydon Carse for a couple to backward square leg.

Moeen Ali broke their partnership when Malan took a couple of steps down the pitch to him and clipped him to Liam  Livingstone just in from the deep mid wicket boundary.

Van Der Dussen found batting easy if not the heat conditions as he reversed swept  Adil Rashid to the third man boundary and he also drilled Stokes to the extra cover boundary.  In Rashid’s next over he chipped Rashid against the spin to the mid wicket boundary.

His 14th ODI fifty  came from 45 balls and  was his second fastest when he nugged Rashid for a single.  Again he fancied Rashid when he clubbed Rashid straight to the boundary.

By this time all the bowlers were like one to Van Der Dussen as he easily worked Moeen Ali on the offside beating  the substitute fielder Phil Salt, on the field for Matt Potts suffering from the heat,on the cover boundary.

Also sufferering from the heat, Van Der Dussen, was on his haunches but he punched the first ball off an  Livingstone’s over to the cover boundary.  He ended the over with another cover boundary.  He edged Curran past Jos Buttler but even Joe Root was affected by the heat as he  made a mess of it on the boundary edge.

He reached his first ODI century in England when he clipped Curran off his legs to the fine leg boundary.  It came from 90 balls, was his first against England and his third in total.

Van Der Dussen toyed with the fielders on the boundary just keeping them interested.  He pulled Stokes dissecting two fielders on the mid wicket boundary. On 121 he toe ended a drill off Rashid to Jonny Bairstow coming in from the mid wicket boundary but Bairstow didn’t pick it up early enough and he dropped it.

Markram quickly reached 28 from 25 balls as he imposed his mark on the game and reversed swept Moeen Ali to the point boundary.  In Moeen Ali’s next over Markram drilled him perfectly to the straight boundary.

He reached his fifty from 42 balls with six fours.  He hit consecutive fours off Stokes the first was a pull to the mid wicket boundary and the second was driven to the cover boundary.

As the old saying goes, one brings two and that’s what happened.  After surviving a leg before appeal Markram clipped Livingstone to Bairstow on the mid wicket boundary.  Two balls later Van Der Dussen went back to Livingstone and the ball kept low and was bowled.

Curran couldn’t believe his luck as David Miller edged him not once  but twice on to his stumps and the ball ran to the boundary, the first brought up the South Africa 300.

After deciding to bat after winning the toss South Africa made  a brisk start reaching  35 after six overs when Quinton De Kock had a big swing at Curran but missed the ball and was bowled after the previous ball had hit him in the midships.

For the fourth ODI match of the summer England failed to bat for their 50 overs.South African captain slow left arm spinner Maharaj sprang a surprise at the beginning by opening the attack himself  and his first over was a maiden.  After eight dot balls Jason Roy swept Maharaj for the first six of the match.

Buttler said: “To lose the toss and asked to field was an important factor after fielding on Sunday.  The  wicket was never going to improve. We have got to work out the best way forward at the moment we are in a transition stage.”

On 18 Bairstow chipped the last ball of the first powerplay from Lungi Nigidi just over Miller at mid off.  He pushed Anrich Nortje straight and it needed a simple pick up from Maharaj but he collided with Andile Phehlukwayo who came off worse and the ball ran to the boundary.  Phehlukwayo went off with a cut and was replaced by by Dwaine Pretorius as a concussion replacement and bowled

Bairstow clipped Maharaj off his legs for a single to bring up his 15th fifty from 53 balls.  Without adding to his score Bairstow had another life when he top edged a pull from Nortje but Ngidi never looked comfortable coming in for the catch and the ball slipped through his hands.

Eventually South Africa got rid of Bairstow through Markram who bowled an over while Phehlukwayo was off the field.  Bairstow missed a sweep of Markram and was given out.  Bairstow reviewed it and was out.

Stokes was given a standing ovation to the crease but there was no fairy tale century or match winning innings as he missed a reverse sweeping off. Markram, and was leg before.

After hitting 12 from 11 balls Buttler went down the pitch to  Tabriz Shamsi got an inside edge and the ball looped back to Shamsi.

With the England run rate going up Root straight drove Markram for a six.Root reversed sweep Shamsi for a single to bring up his 52nd ODI fifty.  He went down the pitch to Shamsi and launched him for a straight six

Livingstone went down the pitch to Ngidi and flat batted him to the long on boundary. Two balls later he moved across his stumps and dragged it on. Moeen Ali top edged a flat batted pull and the ball went miles in the air and  Pretorius took a simple catch at mid wicket.

Curran found a boundary when he drilled Pretorius to the mid wicket boundary and he managed to reach the next ball and blasted him to long off boundary. Root clipped the first ball of the 45th over to the long on boundary to bring up the fifty partnership with Curran.  Two balls later Root had a big swing at Nortje, missed and was castled.  Curran walked across his stumps and was plumb leg before. Nortje got his third wicket of the over when Rashid top edged a pull and the balls went miles in the air.

The two Durham lads Carse and Potts had a bit of fun and added 17 before Carse flat batted Nortje to Pretorius at mid on to give Nortje four wickets for 53.

England made three changes from the side that lost India at Emirates Old Trafford on Sunday: Curran replaced David Willey, local favourite Potts, making his debut, came in for Reece Topley and Rashid replaced Craig Overton. Ben Stokes playing his 105 and final  ODI match he led the England team out.

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