England’s first defeat of the T20 World Cup had no effect on them securing a semi-final spot as the top-placed team in Group 1 but the game itself was overshadowed by a calf injury to Jason Roy that threatens to put him out of the rest of the tournament.
Roy hit 20 from 15 balls before pulling up mid-single as England went in pursuit of their biggest target so far after South Africa, themselves needing a big win if they were to move ahead of Australia in the table on net run-rate, bludgeoned 189 for two at Sharjah.
England did not stint in their efforts and despite Roy’s absence the result only became obvious after Kagiso Rabada had dismissed Chris Woakes, Eoin Morgan and Chris Jordan with the first three balls of the final over. South Africa won by 11 runs but it was nowhere near enough to keep them in the tournament.
Their chances of qualification died when Liam Livingstone hit Rabada for three sixes in three balls in the sixteenth over, the first of them carrying 112 metres, the biggest of the tournament, and the second lifting the score beyond the 131 that South Africa needed to restrict England to in order to go forward. With the dew making it hard to control the ball, and them having not played an evening game before, South Africa did well to close out the win.
England have already had to replace one player after Tymal Mills broke down with a thigh injury in the last match against Sri Lanka.
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Roy, a crucial player in England’s set-up for his freewheeling approach at the top of the order, and his relentlessly positive approach, would be a serious loss were he not to feature again. Sam Billings is the likeliest stand-in although if Roy has no chance of recovery England could draft in James Vince, who is among the reserves. But it would necessitate a shuffling of the order.
There had been concern off the penultimate ball of the South Africa innings when Roy sprinted around the boundary rope in a vain attempt to cut off a six from Rassie van der Dussen, who top-scored for South Africa with 94 not out from 60 balls, and landed awkwardly. When the innings finished, Morgan’s first priority was to check if Roy was okay. Roy’s body language suggested only so-so.
But he looked fine as he and Jos Buttler provided a typically forthright start, and he struck four fours from the 15 balls he faced. With the powerplay still in progress, Moeen Ali was promoted to No 3, but almost immediately Buttler, who had again looked in sublime form, drove to cover. Then in Tabraiz Shamsi’s first over, Jonny Bairstow was pinned leg-before by a leg-break.
Moeen kept England in the chase by stroking 37 from 27, including a mighty six on to the roof of the stand, but he holed out next ball.
Earlier, England’s bowlers had their toughest outing so far. Morgan’s attack started well and restricted South Africa to 73 for one at the halfway point but looked increasingly impotent as Van der Dussen and Aiden Markram with 52 off 25, plundered 103 in the last 8.4 overs.
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England will reflect on some ragged work in the last ten overs, during which they conceded 116, precisely the total they themselves ransacked from the last ten on this ground against Sri Lanka.
Chris Woakes, who had begun the night well, went for 21 runs in his final over and the last over of the innings from Jordan yielded 15, with Markram hitting his fourth six and Van der Dussen his sixth.
Australia’s win over West Indies earlier had thrown a considerable challenge to South Africa. More specifically, once Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to field, South Africa knew they had to post a total in the region of 180-200 to give themselves even an outside chance.
It was a tall order but in a sense it freed them up; also because of the position of the strip on the square, there was a short square boundary on one side of just 57 metres for them to work with.
England, who had in four previous games not conceded more than 137, began in disciplined fashion before wilting under the ferocity of the assault. The panic showed in the field, with needless overthrows conceded three times.
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With a left-handed opener in Quinton de Kock to bowl at, they again opened with Ali who got through four overs straight for 27. He also delivered the bonus wicket of the right-handed Reeza Hendricks, who after labouring had a big swing at his eighth ball and missed. Woakes also started strongly, hitting a good length, before his third over went for 14.
It was after the halfway stage that South Africa stepped on the gas. Mark Wood, who had come into the team for Mills, was scooped fine for six by Van der Dussen, who was then lucky that a leading edge landed in no man’s land. De Kock holed out at long on off Adil Rashid for 34 from 27 but Van der Dussen continued his attack on Wood, hooking him for six.
It was a brave effort by South Africa, and by pushing England so hard, they may have had a lasting impact on the destiny of the trophy.
South Africa Innings
R R Hendricks b M M Ali 2
Q de Kock c Roy b Rashid 34
H E van der Dussen not out 94
A K Markram not out 52
Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 3) 7
Total (20 overs, 2 wkts) 189
Fall of wickets 1-15, 2-86.
T Bavuma, D Miller, D Pretorius, K Rabada, K A Maharaj, A Nortje and T Shamsi did not bat.
Bowling Ali 4-0-27-1; Woakes 4-0-43-0; Rashid 4-0-32-1; Jordan 4-0-36-0; Wood 4-0-47-0.
England Innings
J J Roy retired hurt 20
J C Buttler c Bavuma b Nortje 26
M M Ali c Miller b Shamsi 37
J M Bairstow lbw b Shamsi 1
D J Malan c Rabada b Pretorius 33
L S Livingstone c Miller b Pretorius 28
E J G Morgan c Maharaj b Rabada 17
C R Woakes c Nortje b Rabada 7
C J Jordan c Miller b Rabada 0
A U Rashid not out 2
M A Wood not out 1
Extras (lb 2, w 3, nb 2) 7
Total (20 overs, 8 wkts) 179
Fall of wickets 1-58, 2-59, 3-110, 4-145, 5-165, 6-176, 7-176, 8-176.
Bowling Maharaj 3-0-23-0; Nortje 4-0-34-1; Rabada 4-0-48-3; Shamsi 4-0-24-2; Markram 2-0-18-0; Pretorius 3-0-30-2.
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Umpires C Brown (NZ) and J Wilson (WI).
