Eoin Morgan stars before rain aids England

A brilliant innings by Eoin Morgan that deserved to win any match gained its due reward last night, but only after more Duckworth/Lewis frustration for South Africa thanks to shrewd captaincy by Paul Collingwood and dead-eye bowling from James Anderson.

The most exciting newcomer to the England team since Kevin Pietersen, Morgan inspired Collingwood’s side to their biggest total in a Twenty20 international and hit their highest individual score, an unbeaten 85 from 45 balls.

Two of his five sixes soared out of the ground. But even such impressive figures only hint at the boldness and skill of his batting, which combined power with timing and placement.

Famously, South Africa went out of the 2003 World Cup when they misread a D/L sheet and blocked what proved to be the last ball of the game against Sri Lanka in Durban when a single would have taken them through. In March, West Indies accepted an offer of bad light during a one-day international against England in Guyana, little realising that they were behind on calculations.

There was no misreading this time. With rain becoming heavier and forked lightning almost directly overhead, the thirteenth over of the reply felt sure to be the last. The scoreboard showed that South Africa needed eight to win. Collingwood recalled Anderson, his best bowler, who restricted A. B. de Villiers and Albie Morkel to five singles and a wide.

The difference between victory and defeat came down to an inch of De Villiers’s bat. Attempting to swing the sixth ball through mid-wicket, he met it with the toe of the willow and saw it trickle into the leg side.

“It became a game within a game,” Collingwood said. “But we put in a good performance all round.” His team will go to Centurion tomorrow for the final game of the two-match Twenty20 series in good heart.

A total of 202 for six passed England’s previous best of 200 for six, made against India in Durban during the first World Twenty20 in 2007, a game remembered best for Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes in an over from Stuart Broad. England lost that contest and even a score of such magnitude last night stood within compass on a pitch with bounce and carry.

To get there, South Africa needed a strong start. They were given exactly that by Loots Bosman and Graeme Smith as they raised the fifty from only 31 balls, six fewer than England.

Bowlers from both sides generally dropped too short and found yorkers difficult to produce. Bosman set a rapid tempo and his opening partner soon caught up with his run-rate.

Spin proved just as enticing, Graeme Swann’s first and third balls disappearing over the ropes. There was a clear sense of relief when Smith mistimed a cut against Luke Wright and Bosman chanced his arm once too often in the next over. But the opening partnership of 97 had come at almost 12 runs per over and a tight finish was on the cards.

Having subsided to 89 all out in their only warm-up Twenty20, against South Africa A, England made an awful start when Joe Denly was adjudged leg-before to the first ball of the match. It was impossible to know whether spectators booed Jonathan Trott on his arrival because Tragedy, by the Bee Gees, was blaring so loudly around the ground.

Trott answered formidably, striking four fours in succession off Dale Steyn before attempting an impossible run to De Villiers at backward point. Yet England continued undeterred, with Collingwood’s muscular jabs reminding of his assault against Lasith Malinga during the Champions Trophy here two months earlier.

The inhibited have no place in the 20-over game. Morgan, here striking the ball in orthodox fashion through the covers, there crouching on one knee to flip a six over very fine leg, found an ally in Collingwood, whose 57 came from 32 balls and included four sixes. They added 98 for the fourth wicket. At least Smith, the South Africa captain, could anticipate where Collingwood might put the ball. Morgan’s confidence and ability to reverse-hit made that close to impossible.

One of his sixes, against Steyn, hit the fourth storey of a block of flats outside the ground; fortunately the ball struck brickwork rather than glass. “Absolutely exceptional,” was Collingwood’s verdict.

England
J L Denly lbw b Langeveldt 0
A N Cook lbw b McLaren 11
I J L Trott run out 33
*P D Collingwood c Botha b McLaren 57
E J G Morgan not out 85
L J Wright c De Villiers b Steyn 2
†M J Prior c Morkel b McLaren 0
T T Bresnan not out 3
Extras (lb 5, w 6) 11 Total (6 wkts, 20 overs) 202 G P Swann, S I Mahmood and J M Anderson did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-25, 3-61, 4-159, 5-167, 6-169.
Bowling: Langeveldt 4-0-39-1; McLaren 4-0-33-3; Steyn 4-0-40-1; Morkel 2-0-32-0; Van der Merwe 2-0-17-0; Botha 4-0-36-0.

South Africa
*G C Smith c Morgan b Wright 41
L L Bosman c Collingwood b Swann 58
J P Duminy lbw b Mahmood 6
A B de Villiers not out 10
J A Morkel not out 9
Extras (w 3) 3 Total (3 wkts, 13 overs) 127 †M V Boucher, R McLaren, R E van der Merwe, J Botha, D W Steyn and C K Langeveldt did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-97, 2-101, 3-112.
Bowling: Anderson 3-0-24-0; Bresnan 2-0-25-0; Mahmood 3-0-31-1; Wright 2-0-17-1; Swann 3-0-30-1.
Umpires: M Erasmus and B G Jerling.
Tomorrow’s fixture: Second Twenty20 international (at Centurion).

Source:The times

Late Matt Banahan try rescues dull England against Argentina

Matt Banahan's try 10 minutes from time ensured England managed to beat Argentina 16-9 in a poor quality encounter at Twickenham on Saturday.

But the Bath wing's score could not disguise the fact that for much of the match England lacked invention and rarely threatened Argentina's line.

Victory did give manager Martin Johnson his sixth win from 13 games in charge and eased some of the pressure on the 2003 World Cup-winning captain. However, England will have to up their game if they are to beat New Zealand when the All Blacks arrive at Twickenham a week on Saturday.

"There were lots of errors which put us in a bad place. It was going to be tough in the second half, there were a lot of nerves," said Johnson. "They put us under pressure, it was wet and it became a real dogfight. We could have lost at the end. It was tough to watch. The guys are happy to have won but disappointed with what they did.

We took two steps forward and one back."

It seemed that for the second match in a row, following last week's 18-9 loss to Australia, that England - showing four changes from the side beaten by the Wallabies - would be rendered try-less until they at last worked an overlap which saw Banahan go in under the posts.

But it was Argentina who, despite debutant centre Martin Rodriguez missing three penalties, appeared the more inspired and then laid siege to England's line as they chased the converted try which would have tied the scores.

After a low grade first-half, which ended in boos from the crowd, England were fortunate to be all square at 9-9.

The Pumas, without injured playmakers Juan Martin Hernandez and Felipe Contepomi, had kicked better out of hand and, despite the blustery conditions, ran the ball with purpose against an England team who seemed almost scared to give their backs a chance to show their skills.

England were drawn into a punting battle with the Pumas and found themselves coming off second best.

Fly-half star Jonny Wilkinson provided all of England's points in the first half, with a drop-goal and two penalties - and his boot looked the only way the hosts, playing in unfamiliar purple shirts, would score.

Rodriguez, one of a trio of Argentina debutants, kicked three penalties from five attempts.

World Cup-winning flanker Lewis Moody starred again, as he'd done against the Wallabies but, with full-back Ugo Monye struggling under the high ball, England's backs rarely looked like breaking through the Pumas' defence.

The closest they came in the first half was when Argentina captain Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, under pressure from Moody, knocked on and England wing Mark Cueto regathered.

The Sale flyer sprinted clear but was well tackled by Argentina full-back Horacio Agulla.

Early in the second-half, against an Argentina showing seven changes from the team that beat England 24-22 in Salta in June, Wilkinson had a chance to nudge the hosts in front but, for the first time in the match, was off target.

Cueto gave the crowd something to cheer at last with a bold counter-attack that took England deep into Argentina territory.

England won the ensuing lineout but, as the ball was worked across field, Cueto was well-tackled by Argentina right wing Luis Borges to snuff out the prospect of a try.

Just after the hour mark, Pumas hooker Mario Ledesma was penalised for a deliberate knock-on by Welsh referee Nigel Owens but Wilkinson missed.

And when Banahan became the latest England player to knock on, Johnson put his head in his hands.

Argentina's next international this tour sees them up against Wales in Cardiff on November 21.

Source:The times