South Africa dramatically level T20 series with nail-biting three-run win over England at Taunton

Chasing 175, England looked on course thanks to a stand of 110 between Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow. But momentum swung and South Africa held their nerve to win

South Africa celebrate their thrilling win (Getty )

Tom Curran’s stunning entrance onto the international stage and a welcome return to form for Jason Roy could not prevent England from a three-run defeat in this second T20 international against South Africa.

Curran, the Surrey fast bowler who was born in Cape Town, took three for 33 on debut to help restrict South Africa to 174 for eight.

That total had looked eminently gettable after another South-African-born Surrey player in Jason Roy returned to form with a blistering 67 during England’s chase.

Roy’s first half-century in 11 internationals was a decent response to being dropped for last week’s Champions trophy semi-final against Pakistan.

But England’s chase nosedived after he was controversially dismissed for obstructing the field in the 16th over.

It means this three-match series will now be settled in Cardiff on Sunday, where a victory will take Eoin Morgan’s side to No1 in the world in this format.

This was England’s first match at Taunton since 1983 and the 12,500 sell-out crowd were expecting plenty of runs given this venue is home to the truest batting pitch in the country and had seen Somerset and Nottinghamshire recently score 834 between them in a 50-over match here.


 England had not played at Taunton since the early eighties 
 (Getty)

So it was no surprise Morgan, wanting to know what a good score here actually was, chose to bowl first after winning toss.

England made three changes to the team that thrashed South Africa by nine wickets in the first match of this series in Southampton on Wednesday.

That meant international debuts for Liam Livingstone, in for the rested Alex Hales, and Curran, replacing leg-spinner Mason Crane.

Liam Plunkett also came in for Mark Wood, the Durham fast bowler rested ahead of the upcoming Test series against South Africa.


 Curran made an immediate impact for England 
 (Getty)

England got off to the perfect start thanks to Curran, who had an instant impact after coming on in the fourth over to bowl Reeza Hendricks with his second ball in international cricket to leave South Africa on 25 for one.

With AB De Villiers, standing in as captain for the absent Faf Du Plessis in this series, dropping himself down the order, Mangaliso Mosehle was the next man in.

The wicketkeeper had a brief but memorable stay at the crease, scoring 15 from 12 balls and using three bats before edging Plunkett behind.

That dismissal in the eighth over, the tourists now 57 for two, brought De Villiers to the crease.

De Villiers stood in as captain for South Africa (Getty)

But he had lost two partners by the time he had got his eye in. The first was JJ Smuts, bowled by the first ball of the match in Southampton, smashing 45 from 35 deliveries here before top-edging a full toss from spinner Liam Dawson to square leg.

David Miller then feathered Plunkett behind as South Africa slipped to 113 for four in the 14th over.

De Villiers had made a relatively pedestrian half-century in Southampton.

However, he was back to his dynamic best here, racing to 46 from 19 balls after sweeping David Willey out of the ground and into the neighbouring River Tone in the 15th over. He top-edged the very next ball, though, to fall short of another fifty, his team now 127 for five.

The skipper eventually fell for 46 (Getty)

England dropped three catches before Curran stole the show with two more wickets in the penultimate over of the innings.

Chris Morris, dropped twice off Jordan the previous over, was finally caught by Jason Roy in the deep. Curran then bowled Andile Phehlukwayo to cap a memorable debut as South Africa were pegged back to 174 for eight by the end of their 20 overs.

England lost Sam Billings, opening in place of Hales, in the second over of their reply, the Kent player caught close in after failing to get hold of Morris.

But Roy and Jonny Bairstow were both in brilliant touch as they kept the run chase motoring along, guiding the hosts to 92 for one at the halfway stage of the innings.

Bairstow was in good form once again (Getty)

Bairstow had made an unbeaten half-century on Wednesday but he fell for 47 this time after hitting Morris straight to mid-on.

Roy’s contentious dismissal – after he was deemed to have deliberately moved into the path of the ball to stop a run out – left England 133 for three one ball into the 16th over.

By the end of it, they needed 40 to win from the final 24 deliveries.

England fell just short in the end (Getty)

That equation became 25 from 14 after Taunton-born Jos Buttler was bowled by Phehlukwayo.

By the time Morgan was dismissed by Dane Paterson England were left needing 11 to win from Phehlukwayo’s final over and, after Livingstone was run out, four from the final ball.

But Dawson was unable to connect as England fell agonisingly short.