Rampant SA too good for poor England
STAND-IN skipper Alastair Cook admitted his side lacked the skill to beat South Africa after a humbling 84-run defeat in the second Twenty20 international at Centurion.
England’s bowlers were put to the sword with Graeme Smith (88) and Loots Bosman (94) sharing a world-record 170-run opening partnership before Cook and co fell well short chasing down 241.
And Cook quickly confessed that South Africa’s charge from the off was the difference between the teams.
“It was not the result we wanted, they took the game away from us from the fourth or fifth over and from then on we were behind the eight ball,” he said.
“It’s always tough when you go round the park that, it was great hitting and you have to give credit to the way they played.
“You can set a field but if you don’t put the ball in the right place the margin on that wicket was very small. I’m not sure if anyone has chased 240, we had the belief but we didn’t have the skill today.”
A delighted Graeme Smith pinpointed his opening stand with Bosman as the key to his side’s victory.
“We were positive, Loots and I got a rhythm and a beautiful wicket and we just wanted to keep England on the back foot,” he said.
After the hosts bludgeoned their way to 241-6 off of their 20 overs, including a mammoth 17 sixes,, England’s response never got out of second gear.
When batsman Kevin Pietersen, in his first match since Achilles surgery, walked to the crease England required 177 off 10.3 overs.
Jonathan Trott made a fluent half-century off 38 balls but once Pietersen, who had looked in promising touch, departed for 29 it was effectively all over.
England’s next fixture is at Potchefstroom tomorrow in a 50-over match against South Africa A.