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South Africa vs England, 3rd T20I at Centurion, SA v ENG, Feb 16 2020 - Match Result

RESULT
3rd T20I, Centurion, February 16, 2020, England tour of South Africa
PrevNext
(19.1/20 ov, T:223) 226/5

England won by 5 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
57* (22)
eoin-morgan
Player Of The Series
136 runs
eoin-morgan
Match centre 
Scores: @Thilak_Rama | Comms: Matt Roller
Scorecard summary
South Africa 222/6(20 overs)
49 (24)
2/35 (4)
England 226/5(19.1 overs)
2/55 (4)
57* (22)

6.30pm: That'll be it from us. Firdose Moonda is putting the finishing touches on her report, which will be available here shortly, but until then it's thanks from myself, Valkerie, Thilak, Alan and Miller for joining us throughout the series. Cheers!

Photo opportunity for Morgan with the trophy, and the rest of the squad come in for a relatively low-key celebration. Big smiles all round.

Chris Silverwood has been chatting to Sky: "Hard work for bowlers out there. It was a good wicket, the ball travels here - it was always going to be game on. We're constantly looking to hit the big bombs. The grounds aren't big enough for them any more. The way that we've come back, the way we've taken risks at the right times. We've closed it down quite methodically. [Tom Curran] He held his nerve very well. Two balls went for boundaries, but he concentrated on his skill. To play under those conditions, to experience that... if it happens again he'll think 'I've been here, I know what I'm doing'. You're learning constantly, taking confidence from it. [First game] That's where smart cricket came in. Needing what we did, we could have methodically worked the scoreboard down. Here, we had an eye on the scoreboard all the time. [Rashid] Plenty of energy, googly's coming out beautifully. He's done a lot of work, come back fitter and stronger. [Moeen in Powerplay] A little bit [of a match-up]. Mo's done a great job, difficult to bowl in those circumstances but I think he did very well. [Morgan] Absolutely fine, we both spend a lot of time talking. We make sure the same messages are coming from both of us. [Tour as a whole] It's funny how things change! The first two weeks was hard work, trying to manage the players, trying to keep the ones that were well on the park as long as we could. The win down in Cape Town really kicked it off for us."

Eoin Morgan, England's captain, is player of the match, and is also player of the series. "It was a hell of a game. We've got to commend both sides' bowlers today. Our guys found it extremely tough work. Quinny and Temba got them off to a flyer. When any side posts 220 it's a tough ask, but going back to the 2016 WC, the second game against SA in Mumbai we chased 230 so there was belief coming in that if we got a partnership we could do it. The guys at the top order laid a platform. Extremely satisfying, particularly when I'm there at the end. Nice note to end this tour on. We've loved every minute of this tour, everyone in SA has been so hospitable. It's a hugely productive series for us."

Here's Quinton de Kock: "Coming into this third T20 we knew it would be a good game. We knew it would be high-scoring. Disappointed we didn't get over the line. [Halfway stage] Mixed emotions, the guys were confident but we knew it was a great wicket. We thought it was just over par. The guys tried their hearts out, just unfortunate. [Bavuma injury] To be honest, I haven't seen him yet. [Captaincy] There's not much I can do about it. I understand that everybody's human. I'm pretty relaxed about it. As we get closer to the World Cup, we're starting to be a lot clearer in our planning... for now, we're trying to give guys an extra opportunity that they need or deserve."

Time for the presentation.

Duncan Gilmour: "So SA led the series in all 3 formats but didn't win one of them! Glad we've shaken the choker tag for good!"

6.15pm: Shouldn't be long before we get some post-match reaction. Take a look at Morgan's wagon wheel by the way - below to your right if you're following on desktop or via the 'Statistics' tab on the app. Two runs between third man and extra cover, 55 between long-on and fine leg!

Dez: "Man of the series Tom Curran? Turned the series on its head last game, and the best bowler in the decider today." Interesting one... Morgan and de Kock both have a decent claim for their runs and captaincy.

Pink Hurburbler: "Decisive win for England, at least by the standard of this series..." One run, two runs, and five wickets in the final over. And some people think we shouldn't play T20Is...

6.10pm: And breathe. Astonishing batting throughout the series, and you won't be surprised to hear that the average scoring rate in these matches was the highest ever in a three-match T20I series - a breaktaking 10.12! Just take a look at these strike rates...

6.04pm: England take the series 2-1 after an absolutely extraordinary run chase. They always looked in the game after Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow got them off to a fast start, and they kept things moving in the middle overs today, having struggled to in the first two T20Is. But Eoin Morgan decided today was his day, bludgeoning seven sixes in 22 balls to finish unbeaten on 57, equalling the record he set at the end of last year in New Zealand for the quickest half-century by an Englishman. Or, at least, by an England batsman!

19.1
4
Phehlukwayo to Moeen Ali, FOUR runs

length ball outside off with the field up, slapped over mid-off in the ring, and England have chased down 223 with five balls to spare!

Phehlukwayo to bowl it.

They got back for a second, so the scores are tied heading into the last over. Moeen on strike.

end of over 1916 runs • 1 wicket
ENG: 222/5CRR: 11.68 RRR: 1.00
Eoin Morgan57 (22b 7x6)
Moeen Ali1 (1b)
Lungi Ngidi 4-0-55-2
Andile Phehlukwayo 3-0-30-1
18.6
2
Ngidi to Morgan, 2 runs

cutter, on a length, Morgan hits it high into the air, Pretorius is running round to get to it... but can't get there! Didn't look like he wanted it, only just about managed to get underneath it and it burst through his outstretched hands before he could set himself

3 off 7 needed. England's game.

18.5
6
Ngidi to Morgan, SIX runs

low full toss on leg stump, Morgan lines it up and nails it over deep backward square to bring up fifty, the joint-fastest T20I half-century by an Englishman!

18.4
6
Ngidi to Morgan, SIX runs

low full bunger, Morgan's eyes light up, deep midwicket is in the game... but it's just over him and flies over the boundary for another six! Acrobatic effort from Fortuin but he can't get there

18.3
1
Ngidi to Moeen Ali, 1 run

back of a length ball, top-edged into the leg side, Pretorius races in and takes a simple catch puts it down! Would you believe it... Straightforward chance, the tough bit was getting to it from short fine leg... he did that bit, but it spilled out of his hands!

Kieron: "Never underestimate Ngidi"

18.2
1
Ngidi to Morgan, 1 run

low full toss, swatted down to long-on. Miller races in to field it early, and keeps them down to a single

Moeen Ali is the new man at No. 7. Did the job two days ago. 17 off 11, Morgan on strike.

Stokes is fuming, frustrated that he couldn't see England home.

18.1
W
Ngidi to Stokes, OUT

holes out to Beuran Hendricks, the sub fielder on the rope! Length ball, threw the kitchen sink at it looking to slug one over deep backward square, but the sub keeps his cool and takes the catch!

Ben Stokes c sub (BE Hendricks) b Ngidi 22 (12b 1x4 2x6 21m) SR: 183.33

Ngidi is over the wicket

end of over 1816 runs
ENG: 206/4CRR: 11.44 RRR: 8.50
Eoin Morgan42 (18b 5x6)
Ben Stokes22 (11b 1x4 2x6)
Andile Phehlukwayo 3-0-30-1
Lungi Ngidi 3-0-39-1

16 off the over, 36 off the last two. The partnership is 61 from 4.2 overs!

17.6
2
Phehlukwayo to Morgan, 2 runs

full outside off, forced down the ground, Miller fields at long-on but they'll hurry back for a second to get Stokes on strike for the start of the 19th

"England's game to lose from here you would imagine," declares Aj.

17.5
1
Phehlukwayo to Stokes, 1 run

length, pushed across him, thudded into the covers for one

Required rate down at 8.57 now!

17.4
6
Phehlukwayo to Stokes, SIX runs

in the slot, pushed across him, Stokes' eyes light up and he nails this over wide long-on for six more, to bring up 200! Enormous six, 103 metres... might be the biggest of the day!

17.3
6
Phehlukwayo to Stokes, SIX runs

short outside off, eyes it up early and rockets a slogged pull shot up and over midwicket for six! Slower ball, into the pitch, and right out of the screws

Zassies: "What. A. Series!!"

17.2
1
Phehlukwayo to Morgan, 1 run

shuffles over to the off side, thumps a length ball up in the air out to wide long-off on the bounce

17.1
Phehlukwayo to Morgan, no run

pushed across him, wide of off stump. Morgan gets back looking to cut, misses out and he gets away without it being called wide!

Phehlukwayo, over the wicket.

end of over 1720 runs
ENG: 190/4CRR: 11.17 RRR: 11.00
Ben Stokes9 (8b 1x4)
Eoin Morgan39 (15b 5x6)
Lungi Ngidi 3-0-39-1
Dale Steyn 4-0-43-0

20 off it, England back in command!

16.6
4
Ngidi to Stokes, FOUR runs

yorker on off stump, Stokes chips it down past the right of short third man for four! What a shot, just a nonchalant shovel... a reverse-clip is the best description I've got. Outrageous batting!

16.5
1
Ngidi to Morgan, 1 run

full on leg stump, swung out to deep backward square

England up with the required rate now, 38 needed from 20 balls.

16.4
6
Ngidi to Morgan, SIX runs

length ball on the hip, throws his hands through the ball, flaying it down to long leg for another six, his fifth of the innings! Sets himself early, hits through the line, and uses the pace to send it into the crowd

16.3
2
Ngidi to Morgan, 2 runs

yorker on leg stump, whipped out to Fortuin at cow corner, Morgan calls early to come back for a couple and they just about make it... might have been tight with a direct hit?

16.2
6
Ngidi to Morgan, SIX runs

in the slot, Morgan looks to flay over wide long-on... not middled, very high in the air, Miller sets himself on the rope and then tilts his head back to watch it sail over him into the crowd!

16.1
1
Ngidi to Stokes, 1 run

heaved into the leg side, only a single

Lungi Ngidi, the death specialist, returns from round the wicket

Bavuma has gone off the field after the blow.

end of over 169 runs
ENG: 170/4CRR: 10.62 RRR: 13.25
Eoin Morgan24 (11b 3x6)
Ben Stokes4 (6b)
Dale Steyn 4-0-43-0
Dwaine Pretorius 4-0-40-1

Still only the nine off the over... the required rate continues to climb

15.6
6
Steyn to Morgan, SIX runs

annihilates this down the ground for six more! Another slower ball, but in the slot... Morgan picks it and sends it flying high and mighty over wide long-off for another maximum!

Best performances - batters
Spike Graph
Wagon Zone
H Klaasen
66 runs (33)
4 fours4 sixes
Productive shot
pull
19 runs
0 four2 sixes
Control
89%
JM Bairstow
64 runs (34)
7 fours3 sixes
Productive shot
on drive
20 runs
1 four2 sixes
Control
85%
Best performances - bowlers
TK Curran
O
4
M
0
R
33
W
2
ECO
8.25
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
BA Stokes
O
4
M
0
R
35
W
2
ECO
8.75
FTYFGSGS
OFFLEG
RHB
1W
LEGOFF
LHB
1W
Match details
SuperSport Park, Centurion
TossSouth Africa, elected to bat first
Series
Season2019/20
Player Of The Match
Player Of The Series
Series resultEngland won the 3-match series 2-1
Match numberT20I no. 1043
Hours of play (local time)14.30 start, First Session 14.30-15.55, Interval 15.55-16.15, Second Session 16.15-17.40
Match days16 February 2020 - day (20-over match)
Umpires
TV Umpire
Reserve Umpire
Match Referee
AskESPNcricinfo Logo
Instant answers to T20 questions
England Innings
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