Match Review

After England hit nine runs in the allocated one-over bout, South Africa emerged triumphant at the end with the team scoring 13 runs, with two deliveries to go. It ended up being the perfect result as the Saffers, who deserved every bit of the result thanks to their heroic performances both at the beginning and at the death, came out triumphant.

Well, England had the game in their pocket by the end of 18th Over, with all but 25 runs needed and had two of their most able batsmen in the middle. But then came Dale Willem Steyn to bowl one fine penultimate over. Dismissing both Root and Morgan on back-to-back deliveries, he turned the game around. It took a stellar effort from Buttler to push the game to Super Over that South Africa won comfortably.

Highs and Lows

South Africa’s slow approach in the powerplay meant only one thing - a boring T20 game. While their subsequent approach made up for that, it can’t be taken away that the way they batted left a bad aftertaste. Depending on which side of the schism you stand, this for me, was not the “right” way to go in a T20 game that thrives on the thrill.

Rating Charts

Even the most traditional of the batsmen wouldn’t attempt a powerplay performance like this and surely, Temba Bavuma and Quinton de Kock would never do that again. I mean seriously, 29 runs were all they could accumulate in front of the fearsome trio of Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood in the first six overs. Talk about anomaly but this took the cake for the most bizarre batting display in the SRL history.

Compare 29/0 to 40/2 in the first six overs, you might not see that big a difference. But if you are in a high-pressure run-chase, things need to be taken into consideration and easy to say, England didn’t do any favours to their own chance. Losing Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow further catapulted the disaster. That alone doesn’t allow them to have anything more than 2.5.

It was one of those days when you come through the Silk Board traffic only to see Mysore-Magadi road waiting for you. Shifting gears and how! The Temba-Quinny duo took the attack on English bowlers for fun to add runs by a tickle as the Saffers managed a total of 103 runs in the nine-over period. Sheer audacity!!

The dismissal of two finest batsmen in the line-up might have added pressure but not with Buttler in the side. With a crafty Joe Root holding fort at the other end, Buttler took on the spinners to keep England in the run-chase. Root was active against pacers and Buttler the other way around but the symmetry resulted in the Englishmen adding 82 runs to their middle-over exchange.

For the longest time, Chris Jordan has been one of the best death bowlers in the world, not in the SRL though. He has consistently been superb in the powerplay, but death has stopped being kind to him. He conceded as many as 30 runs in his two overs, to squander all the good things he did in the preceding stage of the game. With Archer and Wood going for runs, England would hardly like their 59-run death bowling.

I might be tempted to give South Africa a good rating here, simply because of that one Styen over, but the fact that they gave away 70 runs wrestled things back in England’s favour. That also allowed all the time in the world to send the game to the Super Over, but SA didn’t allow them an opportunity to market the C-word around.

Well, What more do you need? This has everything that you need and more!! Game of the tournament, easily!