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South Africa vs England, 1st T20I at East London, SA v ENG, Feb 12 2020 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
1st T20I (N), East London, February 12, 2020, England tour of South Africa
(20 ov, T:178) 176/9

South Africa won by 1 run

Player Of The Match
3/30
lungi-ngidi
New
ENG
Full commentary
end of over 205 runs • 3 wickets
ENG: 176/9CRR: 8.80 
Chris Jordan0 (0b)
Lungi Ngidi 4-0-30-3
Beuran Hendricks 3-0-33-2

7.55pm So, that'll do for tonight. What a remarkable contest that was. England can't help but keep their contests interesting at the moment. Up with this sort of thing, and huge congratulations to South Africa for a massively uplifting win. Matt Roller's report is ready to roll... from Valkerie and myself, good night and see you in Durban for a Valentine's Day special!

Quinton de Kock. "Interesting towards the end there... it was very tight, but we knew we had to keep to our basics, here in East London it gets really slow and tough to bat on in the last five overs. I was still calm the whole way, win or lose, you can't control, but the way we went about it pleased me."

"Temba batted really well for us, great to see him playing like this. We will enjoy tonight, then plan for the second game, stay ruthless and do the right things."

Lungi Ngidi is the Player of the Match. "It wasn't a great day at Johannesburg, but here it's not over until the last ball is bowled. Run in hard as you can. hit your length, and all of a sudden their team was on the back foot. Very fast-paced game, but it's about how you bounce back. I didn't panic under pressure, they seemed to be cruising but my job was to get wickets."

7.47pm Time for some presentations. Here's Eoin Morgan: "Outstanding game of cricket, experiences like this are so valuable as a team, you learn more about both sides under pressure. Both sides left everything on the field, but we can make up more than that. We were in a commanding position but Ngidi changed the game in overs 18 and 20.

"Roy is a gamechanger, the top three is three of the finest white-ball batsmen we've ever produced."

"With all the games I've played I'd have liked to see it through, but I'll continue with my method, I've enjoyed my cricket thanks to the guys I'm playing with. It's been thoroughly enjoyable."

7.40pm What remarkable scenes. England look rather stunned, but of all the close ones to lose, I suspect they wouldn't swap this for other recent cliffhangers!

James : "Why should Morgan's team mates have closed it out? Lower order and new to the crease. Not easy. " Moeen is better than lower order, but I agree it wasn't easy, especially against a bowler in the zone quite like Ngidi. They lost six wickets for 24 ... and four wickets for five!

7.36pm And breathe. What an astonishing contest. South Africa got off to a flyer, England clawed them back. England got off to a flyer, South Africa clawed them back. And in a pulsating atmosphere at Buffalo Park, the hosts sealed a thriller! For the third time in three formats on this tour, South Africa strike first blood. But can they close this one out in games two and three?

Jamie: "Great innings overall from Morgan but massively tainted by that last shot. He'd broken the back and just needed singles...why oh why go for the Hollywood ending? " He will be fuming with himself. But his team-mates should have closed it out from there...

Tiaan: "Ngidi you absolute beast!!!"

Brett "Fish": "3.36am in the Philippines and worth every rollercoaster moment. Ngidi you beauty. All of the #ProteaFire "

19.6
1W
Ngidi to Rashid, 1 run, OUT

inside-edged drive, into the leg-side ... it's one run, can it be two for the Super Over? No, it can't! The shy comes in, Rashid is dead in the water, and Lungi Ngidi's offcutter pays rich dividends! South Africa defend seven off the final over, to win by one run!

Adil Rashid run out (Steyn/†de Kock) 1 (1b 0x4 0x6 3m) SR: 100

Gosh. Cricket. Daft sport. Go on then, it's the era of the Super Over ... Forecaster has lost the plot, much like England

19.5
W
Ngidi to Moeen Ali, OUT

bowled him! A pinpoint off-stump yorker! Moeen plays all round it! The ball dips beneath his loose wafty nothing stroke, in fact he turned it into a yorker with a gallop to the pitch. He hadn't bargained on the offcutter, which perhaps he should have seen coming. And now it's all on Rashid!

Moeen Ali b Ngidi 5 (5b 0x4 0x6 15m) SR: 100

3 off 2.. I've heard that somewhere before...

19.4
2
Ngidi to Moeen Ali, 2 runs

the cheeky quicker ball, Moeen is beaten on the flick to leg, but it's worked out well for him, he's got no pace on his whip, and that's dribbled slowly enough for them to come back for two. But de Kock reviews! Was that adjacent, nope, inside edge onto the knee-roll

19.3
Ngidi to Moeen Ali, no run

offcutter, and dribbles past a wild swing to leg! A priceless dot! It's 5 from 3!

Jordan. He hits a long ball ... but best not hit into the breeze eh ...? Moeen on strike for now..

MikeB: "Given the speed of his batting in the tests, perhaps England should have sent Mark Wood up the order!!!" Indeed. Seeing it like a planet!

19.2
W
Ngidi to Tom Curran, OUT

in the slot, Curran takes on the midwicket fence, but the wind, the wind! That's gone high, high, high into the floodlights, but sticks in the breeze, and plops into Miller's hands in front of the scoreboard! Ngidi flings his hands high... he's still got a chance to be the hero!

Tom Curran c Miller b Ngidi 2 (2b 0x4 0x6 3m) SR: 100

Tasmeem: "Super over, anybody..??" Well, if you insist!

19.1
2
Ngidi to Tom Curran, 2 runs

on the legs, flicked with intent behind square, and they hustle back for the second. An important two to steady the nerves...

So, well played skipper, but he's still shaking his head in the dug-out. Now then, TC, can you take this home? He's seen off a few in the Big Bash of late...

end of over 1916 runs • 1 wicket
ENG: 171/6CRR: 9.00 RRR: 7.00
Moeen Ali3 (2b)
Beuran Hendricks 3-0-33-2
Lungi Ngidi 3-0-25-1
18.6
W
Hendricks to Morgan, OUT

holes out to wide long-on, but is it too late? Morgan curses, he didn't need the big shot, but was lured by the full length... cripes, that's close to a no-ball, but I think he's okay... Just!

Eoin Morgan c Bavuma b Hendricks 52 (34b 7x4 1x6 50m) SR: 152.94
18.5
6
Hendricks to Morgan, SIX runs

full again, pace on this time, pelted over deep cover for six! Wow, Morgan rushes to a 32-ball fifty, and has broken this game in two!

18.4
4
Hendricks to Morgan, FOUR runs

Morgan pounds the drive! That's a huge strike, and completely turns the tables. Attempted yorker, misses the slot, flogged through the covers!

18.3
4
Hendricks to Morgan, FOUR runs

too short, put away behind square! There's the hugely needed boundary! Dragged down, and Morgan bisects the fielders behind square

18.2
1
Hendricks to Moeen Ali, 1 run

in the blockhole, Moeen pounds a drive to long-on ... well bowled again. The rate is over two a ball now...

18.1
1
Hendricks to Morgan, 1 run

right up to the toes, clipped to long-on. Just the single. England need something and quickly...

end of over 185 runs • 1 wicket
ENG: 155/5CRR: 8.61 RRR: 11.50
Moeen Ali2 (1b)
Eoin Morgan37 (29b 5x4)
Lungi Ngidi 3-0-25-1
Beuran Hendricks 2-0-17-1

Forecaster plummets to 27.7% ... make of that what you will!

17.6
2
Ngidi to Moeen Ali, 2 runs

enough width to free the hands, but the sweeper is set back at deep point and limits the damage to a couple. South Africa steal a march ...

AwaliCamel: "An extraordinary stat - Stoke's highest T20I score is just 38!" Crumbs!

17.5
1
Ngidi to Morgan, 1 run

back of a length, outside off, another cramped cut to point. Just the single. This is a pivotal over if he can finish it off...

Now then Moeen ... this is your stage now...

17.4
W
Ngidi to Stokes, OUT

slapped to wide long-on, and Stokes is gone! Ngidi lands the big fish with a very cunning slower ball, 115kph, offcutter, on a very wide line, forcing Stokes to fetch it and he can't connect properly!

Ben Stokes c Miller b Ngidi 4 (7b 0x4 0x6 11m) SR: 57.14
17.3
1
Ngidi to Morgan, 1 run

hauled to the leg side, picked up from outside off

17.2
1
Ngidi to Stokes, 1 run

reverses the hands for a pull to backward point, into position early but couldn't quite nail the angle

17.1
Ngidi to Stokes, no run

a massive wind-up at a length ball outside off. Ngidi thinks there's an edge on his off-cutter, but nope, nothing there

28 from 18 ... it's tight, but just in England's favour with three boundaries ... Ngidi's back

end of over 1711 runs
ENG: 150/4CRR: 8.82 RRR: 9.33
Eoin Morgan35 (27b 5x4)
Ben Stokes3 (4b)
Beuran Hendricks 2-0-17-1
Andile Phehlukwayo 4-0-32-2
16.6
4
Hendricks to Morgan, FOUR runs

short, hauled over the leg side, that's found the gap at fine leg! A flurry of bat, sufficient connection, and England are on the move again

16.5
1
Hendricks to Stokes, 1 run

pulled round the corner, so nearly scutters past fine leg, but just too much bat on the stroke

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