England won the first Standard Bank Pro20 match against South Africa at the Wanderers on Friday night, thanks to a torrential downpour which gave them a one-run victory courtesy of Messrs
Duckworth and Lewis.
Set a formidable total of 203 for victory, Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman got South Africa off to a superb start, with a partnership of 97 off 52 balls.
They hit eight fours and eight sixes as they put South Africa well ahead of the required run rate.
Bosman notched up his second Pro20 half-century off 28 balls, hitting four boundaries and four sixes.
But just as it appeared South Africa had the match well in hand, Smith fell, caught at deep point by Eoin Morgan for 41.
South Africa lost two more wickets in the next two overs. First, Bosman skied a delivery from Graeme Swann, which was well caught by Paul Collingwood for 58 — Bosman’s highest Pro20 score — and then JP Duminy was trapped lbw by Sajid Mahmood for six, and with the storm coming ever nearer, the Duckworth Lewis par score began to climb.
In the 12th over, Albie Morkel brought some relief when he hit Swann for a massive six to take South Africa ahead of the required score. With the rain starting to come down really hard, however, James Anderson was brought back into the attack, and he restricted Morkel and AB De Villiers to six runs, when eight runs were needed to keep up with Duckworth-Lewis.
It was then that the rain really came down and South Africa finished on 127 for three after 13 overs, eight ahead of England, who had 119 for three at the same stage.
Earlier, Morgan and Collingwood shared a magnificent fourth wicket partnership of 98 to help take England to 202 for six — their highest T20 score.
Morgan, playing in only his second T20 international, finished unbeaten on 85 off 45 balls. He hit seven fours and five sixes, including one off Dale Steyn which sailed over the sponsor’s stand,
hitting the block of flat behind the stadium.
Ryan McLaren, playing in his debut T20, had taken the wicket of Alastair Cook in his first over, and when he was brought back into the attack, he ended the partnership between Collingwood and Morgan when he had Collingwood caught in the deep by Johan Botha for 57.
McLaren finished with figures of three for 33, adding the wicket of Matthew Prior to his tally. Langeveldt, who had got South Africa off to a great start with a wicket with the first ball of the match, when he had Joe Denly leg before without scoring, finished with figures of one for 39, and Steyn took one for 40.
Although the first blood went to England, honours were pretty even and Smith will be happy with the way the Proteas played. The second Pro20 match will be played in Centurion on Sunday afternoon,
starting at 2pm. – Sapa