An all-round batting, bowling and fielding display ensured South Africa a 90-run victory over England in Southampton today to claim the decider and win the T20I series 2-1.

With England winning the toss and choosing to field, the Proteas had the task on their hands to set the tone of the match and stake a claim with the bat.

And that they did, amassing the winning total of 191/5 in their allotted 20 overs, with Reeza Hendricks smashing 70 off 50 balls – his third consecutive half-century this series – and Aiden Markram composing 51 off 36 deliveries.

David Miller’s rapid 22 off nine balls helped in the crunch time of the innings until he got bowled by David Willey in the final over. Willey took fine figures of 3/25 on a day where the South African batters were difficult to crack.

With England’s batting attack stocked with much weaponry, the game certainly hung in the balance at the change of innings.

The Proteas however got off to a solid start after claiming the scalps of openers, Jason Roy (17) and Jos Buttler (14), in the fourth and sixth overs respectively. Anrich Nortje and Keshav Maharaj were to thank for making that breakthrough early on.

As England were starting to build a bit of momentum after that shaky start, danger man Dawid Malan was dismissed by Andile Phehlukwayo for 7 after being caught at deep square leg.

The English, already limping along, seriously entered into trouble waters in the 10th over when Moeen Ali spooned and mistimed Markram’s delivery for Tristan Stubbs to make a Jonty Rhodes-esque catch in the covers.

At the halfway mark England were on 59/4 and staring down the barrel, having needed a highly 133 runs to win in the second half of the innings.

Runs came in mere singles for England over the next several balls before Liam Livingstone too fell victim to SA’s formidable and tight bowling attack, getting caught out in the 12th over for just 3.

Jonny Bairstow hit a four, followed by a six from Sam Curran in the 12th and 13th overs, giving the English a short and brief moment to cheer. But that was short-lived as Curran was dismissed two balls later for 9 before Willey was bowled the next delivery for a golden duck. Tabraiz Shamsi was the assailant in that decisive 14th over.

Shamsi claimed the spoils of tail-ender Chris Jordan for 14 in the 16th over, as England leaned purely on Bairstow at the latter stages of the innings. But Adil Rashid then came next in Shamsi’s pecking, falling for a duck in the same over.

Bairstow then got picked off after top-edging Maharaj’s delivery the next over to be sent walking for 27 as England were put out of their miseries. Shamsi’s final figures of 5/24 had certainly underlined SA’s defence in a formidable fashion.

The Proteas are now set to play Ireland in two T20Is next week, before beginning a three-match Test series against England on August 17.

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