A blistering innings from Quinton de Kock and a feisty bowling effort helped South Africa register a thrilling seven-run win over England at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Friday (June 21). Quinton de Kock’s explosive 38-ball 65 was the most fluent innings of the match on a pitch where most batters struggled to get going at a fast rate. South Africa then aced two crucial aspects with the ball – the powerplay and the death bowling – to eke out a brilliant win.
The game had many twists and turns, making for several debatable turning points but the powerplay is what arguably proved to be the biggest difference in the game. With the surface having a two-paced nature to it, the first six overs were pivotal and Quinton de Kock’s assault helped South Africa rack up 63 during this period with the left-hander smashing 49 off 20 balls to give the Proteas the edge. In contrast, England in total only managed 41 in their powerplay despite losing just a single wicket. A startling difference!
Pitch and Toss
It’s a fresh pitch. 69 meter and 66 meter square boundaries. 76 meters down the ground. Not much different to the pitch we saw the other night. England have the advantage of having played here. Don’t think it really matters (bat first or bowl first). Expecting a good surface.
England skipper Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bowl first with no changes in the team. South Africa team skipper Aiden Markram batting first made one change in the squad bringing in Ottniel Baartman for Tabraiz Shamsi
Quinton de Kock fires on all cylinders in the Powerplay
In contrast to the previous games played here in this tournament, the surface at Gros Islet didn’t appear to be straightforward for power hitting. Reeza Hendricks struggled for impetus at his end but Quinton de Kock looked in sublime touch from the get-go and the left-hander reserved special treatment for Jofra Archer who went for 20 off his first over.
There was no stopping Quinton de Kock as even the matchup move of Moeen Ali failed for England with the off-spinner getting hit for a six and four. The first over of the powerplay, bowled by Reece Topley, was the only economical part of an otherwise destructive powerplay for South Africa.
England’s planning against Quinton de Kock was spot on as they chose to open the bowling with Reece Topley and Moeen Ali, both of whom have had the better of de Kock in the past. Topley had dismissed him four times in six meetings, and Moeen six times in 15, but neither got the early breakthrough in this game.
Instead, Quinton de Kock opened the boundary count with a four and a six down the ground off Moeen and then punished Jofra Archer with a series of pick-up shots over the leg side. Archer’s opening over cost 21 and de Kock scored 17 of them, including successive sixes.
Quinton de Kock went on to bring up fifty off 22 balls, equalling Aaron Jones for the fastest half-century of the tournament, but could have been out two overs later, on 58, when he slog-swept an Adil Rashid googly to deep backward square. Mark Wood had to reach forward to take the catch, which appeared clean until TV umpire Joel Wilson determined the ball had burst through his fingers and hit the ground.
Rashid weaves his magic to stage England’s fightback in the middle overs
Once the field spread, Jos Buttler got in the leg spin smarts of Adil Rashid who immediately found his bearings on the sluggish surface. A hint of turn and variable bounce meant that shot-making wasn’t getting easier against the older ball. Rashid bowled out during this middle overs phase and gave away only 20 runs with the wicket of Aiden Markram in the final over of his spell. Rashid’s frugal ways with the ball forced South Africa into making elementary mistakes with the bat.
It was also a phase when England’s fielding standards skyrocketed, led by skipper Jos Buttler who took a blinder to remove the dangerous Quinton de Kock. Buttler then was in the thick of things as he ran out Heinrich Klaasen whose promotion to attack spin didn’t work for the Proteas. All this meant South Africa gave away the early platform given to them by Quinton de Kock.
Quinton De Kock added just seven more runs before Archer got his revenge. He banged in a short, slower ball, de Kock edged and Jos Buttler leapt one-handed to his left and hung on to a humdinger. And that was the entree.
Buttler’s main course came when Heinrich Klaasen, on 8, responded late to the non-striker David Miller’s call for a run, after a short ball from Wood had deflected off the wicketkeeper’s pad towards short fine leg. Klaasen was slow between the wickets and Buttler pounced, showing incredible awareness and aim to throw the stumps down at the non-striker’s end with Klaasen well short.
England complete the strangle job amidst Miller’s defiance
South Africa would have wanted a score of 180-plus, if not more, given the way de Kock had started. But their middle overs implosion meant that they needed an excellent finish to even get past 175. David Miller looked in good touch and with Tristan Stubbs for company, gave South Africa hopes of a blistering assault at the back end.
However, England’s bowlers put on a clinic in death bowling as they used the longer side of the boundary and change-ups to good effect to thwart the duo. Very few loose deliveries were offered and as a result, South Africa managed 48 off their last 30 deliveries, 13 of which came in the 16th over bowled by Wood. England’s fielding continued to be spectacular during this phase with Harry Brook and Sam Curran taking blinders in the final over to further frustrate South Africa.
South Africa put on the squeeze with the new ball
It’s not often that England go at under seven runs-per-over in the powerplay, particularly after losing just a single wicket. But that’s what transpired as South Africa’s bowlers gave their side the perfect start to the defence of an under-par total. Philip Salt did look ominous when he dispatched a monstrous six in the first over against Marco Jansen but the opener was sent packing by a brilliant catch at short cover by Reeza Hendricks in the next over off Kagiso Rabada.
Jos Buttler struggled for momentum and Jonny Bairstow also failed to get the boundaries flowing as South Africa tightened the screws in the powerplay. On a sluggish pitch, this start meant that England had a lot of work to do going forward. It’s not often that England go at under seven runs-per-over in the powerplay, particularly after losing just a single wicket. But that’s what transpired as South Africa’s bowlers gave their side the perfect start to the defence of an under-par total.
Philip Salt did look ominous when he dispatched a monstrous six in the first over against Marco Jansen but the opener was sent packing by a brilliant catch at short cover by Reeza Hendricks in the next over off Kagiso Rabada. Jos Buttler struggled for momentum and Jonny Bairstow also failed to get the boundaries flowing as South Africa tightened the screws in the powerplay. On a sluggish pitch, this start meant that England had a lot of work to do going forward.
England implode but Brook and Livingstone stay put
The pressure of being unable to force the pace eventually got to Bairstow and Buttler who both fell to the guile of Keshav Maharaj’s left-arm spin. Moeen Ali, who was promoted to take on the South African spinner, was then given the predictable short ball treatment, to which he unerringly succumbed.
It left Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone with a mountain to climb on a tricky surface. Both batters appeared to be unfazed by the situation at hand, working the ball around with the odd boundary before the 15th over bowled by Rabada went for 18. The premier pacer was smashed for a six by Livingstone while Brook then found two boundaries to give England a strong chance in the run chase.
The drop only cost South Africa six runs due to another wonder catch. Keshav Maharaj tossed the ball up, Bairstow cut and Nortje flung himself to his right at backward point to grab a stunner. And Klaasen was able to redeem himself when Buttler tried to take Maharaj on and was caught at deep mid-wicket.
None of those catches, however, compares with what Markram did in the final over when Harry Brook, set on 53, tried to hit Nortje down the ground. He ran back from mid-on and took the catch over his right shoulder; it was the final turning point in the game.
South Africa hold their nerve in roller-coaster finish
England needed 77 runs off the last six overs and with Keshav Maharaj bowled out, it was up to the seamers to defend starting with South Africa’s most experienced, Rabada. Tasked with the 15th over, Rabada bowled pace-on and conceded six first up when Liam Livingstone hit him over square leg. He ended up giving away 18 runs in the over to take some pressure off England. But it was Baartman’s third over, the 17th, which was the most disappointing from a South African perspective.
He tried to find a yorker length but sent down four full tosses in a row, which Livingstone hit through cover, twice, for four and then over square leg. His fourth delivery was toe-ended without damage but a fifth full toss to end the over gave Brook another four and set the game up for a thrilling finish.
The 15th over had given the Brook-Livingstone duo the perfect momentum to launch England’s assault in the slog overs. The 16th over from Anrich Nortje went for 13 including two fours by Brook while Livingstone smashed two fours and a six off the next over from Ottniel Baartman with Brook also chipping in with a boundary. All of a sudden, the equation game plummeting down to 25 needed off 18 with the game seemingly in England’s grasp, even with the nature of the surface.
However, Rabada bowled a superb 18th over that went for just four runs including the big wicket of Livingstone and Jansen then followed it up with an equally admirable over under pressure, also giving away just four runs. It meant that Nortje had 13 to defend in the final over, making it a grandstand finish. The pacer, though, sent a major jolt to England by taking out Brook first ball, effectively killing the game. 14 off five balls for two new batters on this pitch was never going to be easy and England eventually fell short by 7 runs.
Presentations and Road Ahead
Jos Buttler the loosing skipper said : Powerplay. Quinton came in with a lot of intent and we couldn’t quite match that. We pulled it back and were happy to chase that target but his innings was the difference. We came back well with the ball. Brook and Livingstone had a fantastic partnership to get us close and even look like favourites but credit to South Africa for closing out the game.
Really valuable. He’s very understanding that you don’t get to face many balls in T20 cricket at that positions. He’s hitting the ball really well in the nets and backing himself. Looking forward to the next one.
Aiden Markram the winning skipper said : Last three overs we had a lot against us but the bowlers had good plans and pulled it off. Message after the powerplay was it got slower. If I am greedy we were 10-20 short especially after the start we got. Not quite played a completely game of cricket but we are on the right track.
Quinny (de Kock) has been good for us in the last two games. It was a bit nerve-wracking in those overs but it can happen. The plans were there just the execution wasn’t. I’m grateful that catch (off Brook) stuck.
Quinton de Cock Player of the Match for his half century said : It (the pitch) definitely doesn’t play the same as night games. It’s completely a different surface compared to the night games. There was a little bit of extra bounce early on. I try to carry on confidence game by game. We bowled really well in the powerplay, and we controlled it very nicely. To be able to defend 160 on a decent wicket is a good effort from us.
South Africa should have won this easily. England should have won this easily too. Both played some poor cricket and one eventually lost to nerves. With just 164 to get and Salt getting a small but quick start, all England had to do was take it deep with wickets in hand but they found themselves at 61/4. Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers with KG and Baartman joining hands for a wicket each. But Brook had a clear plan and batted sensibly.
Livingstone was middling pretty well and the Proteas started feeling the heat. KG leaked 18 in an over, Nortje followed up with a 13-run over but Baartman dished out five full toss in a 21-run over to literally turn the game on its head. Rabada and Jansen came back for a great 18th and 19th over where they conceded only 11 off the two overs to leave Nortje 13 to defend off the final over. Luckily Brook mishit first ball and Markram took a great catch and Nortje managed to close the game out for his side.
Harry Brook played a sensational innings. He came in with his side in deep trouble. Had the idea to take it deep and take calculated risks. He targeted the right balls and zones to hit gaps. He was all set to take England home but a mishit when he just needed to connect to clear the infield and South Africa grabbed the game from his jaws.
So South Africa pick up yet another scratchy win but they have the points on the board and are unbeaten. As Markram said, they haven’t played a complete game yet but the crucial thing is different players have risen in different occasions. They said this was the best pitch for batting here but both teams found out it wasn’t the case and this in fact is the lowest team total batting first this World Cup here.
That’s curtains on this game. Barbados gears up to host West Indies v USA in a few hours from now. The West Indies need a win to stay alive in the comp. But USA have made it tough for all opponents. The win strengthens South Africa’s chances of a semifinal berth but it is no by means assured. They’d hope to beat West Indies in their final Super 8 fixture to make sure of things. Meanwhile, England will not only have to beat USA but also need a strong win as there is a possibility of a three-way tie if West Indies beat South Africa.