Klaasen sends England’s title-defence hopes spiralling

South Africa 399 for 7 (Klaasen 109, Hendricks 85, Jansen 75*, van der Dussen 60) beat England 170 (Wood 43*, Coetzee 3-35, Ngidi 2-26, Jansen 2-35) by 229 runs

The brutality of Klaasen’s 109 from simply 67 balls all informed matched the harshness of the warmth and humidity which had additionally left England bowler David Willey cramping all through South Africa’s innings, ending on 399 for 7 and requiring the second-highest profitable run chase in ODI historical past. England capitulated as a substitute, crashing to 170 all out in 22 overs and struggling their heaviest ODI defeat.

England misplaced their prime three for simply 24 runs inside six overs of their reply, Jansen dismissing Joe Root and Dawid Malan with consecutive balls on the finish of his second over and begin of his third. Ben Stokes, again after lacking his facet’s first two matches with a hip damage, tossed his bat into the air in frustration after he spooned a Kagiso Rabada supply straight again to the bowler to turn out to be the third England batter in succession to fall for single-figures as England slumped to 38 for 4.

The end result returned South Africa to profitable methods after their shock defeat by the hands of Netherlands blighted victories from their opening two matches and left England’s hopes of that includes on the enterprise finish of the event on a knife edge.

After profitable the toss, Buttler opted to bowl first, a choice that appeared more and more doubtful as South Africa’s batters cashed in on a superb batting floor.

Sam Curran and Chris Woakes had been neglected after their struggles with the ball as Willey and Atkinson got here in. Topley began nicely, responding instantly to being struck for 4 off the very first ball of the match with a superb outswinger that invited de Kock to drive and located an edge which was snaffled by Buttler behind the stumps, though it took an England assessment to safe the dismissal.

Hendricks, who had been shut out of South Africa’s T20 World Cup facet final 12 months in favour of Bavuma regardless of being an in-form member of the squad main into that event, confronted 13 dot balls earlier than getting off the mark with a sq. drive to the boundary off Willey. But after that sedate begin, South Africa scored 41 off the final 4 overs of the opening powerplay, Hendricks grabbing his probability and serving to himself to 4 fours in eight balls from Atkinson and Willey in order that by the top of it South Africa had been 59 for 1.

Meanwhile, Topley had left the sector 3.5 overs into his spell after injuring his finger making an attempt to cease a ball struck again at him by van der Dussen. Adil Rashid, who spent the primary a part of the match off the sector with a abdomen upset, entered the assault within the 18th over and together with his tenth supply broke a the stand between Hendricks and van der Dussen when the latter botched a slog sweep and despatched a prime edge crusing excessive to Jonny Bairstow at midwicket.

Hendricks pummelled Root for twin sixes over long-off in three balls however then Rashid struck once more with a elegant googly which Hendricks tried to chop and ended up chopping onto his stumps to depart for 85 off 75 deliveries.

Topley returned in thirty fifth over with the index and center fingers on his left, bowling, hand strapped collectively and, together with his sixth ball again, he eliminated the harmful Aiden Markram for 42, due to a superb catch by Bairstow, who could not comprise his delight, pumping each fists in celebration after he had run to his left from deep backward sq. and backpedalled as he misplaced his footing on the patchy outfield, all of the whereas watching that he did not fall again onto the boundary rope. It was no imply feat for a person who simply three months in the past spoke of the truth that the badly damaged leg he suffered in September final 12 months nonetheless gave him issues. Then Topley struck once more to take away David Miller cheaply, slapping the ball straight down Stokes’ throat at mid-off.

Klaasen thrashed Rashid nicely again into the stands past deep midwicket then took 19 runs off Topley within the subsequent over. No sooner had he been felled by a yorker from Wood, which struck him on the boot and required a while mendacity on the pitch in a drenched and exhausted heap to get better, and Klaasen introduced up his century in stirring type, punishing Wood’s low full toss over the fence at long-on then pulling a 4 huge of deep high quality leg to succeed in the milestone.

Jansen then introduced up a 35-ball fifty with a run of six, 4, six off Atkinson down the bottom, behind deep level and over midwicket. Jansen’s ball-striking was elegant as he smashed Topley for 3 sixes within the penultimate over, which went for 26 runs in all.

Klaasen fell within the final, bowled by an Atkinson yorker which crashed into leg stump however his work was achieved and he walked off to a standing ovation. Jansen made the identical journey a couple of moments later, unbeaten and with South Africa having posted their highest ODI complete towards England.

Following his exertions, Klaasen remained off the pitch throughout England’s innings when he could possibly be seen trying worse for put on, draped in a towel together with his toes up and head bowed within the changeroom. No doubt he managed to muster one final skerrick of vitality to rejoice South Africa’s win, and his half in it, and he reappeared on the bottom to just accept Player of the Match honours in recent equipment, spent however smiling.