Jos Buttler brought up his fourth ODI ton in just 76 deliveries, including 10 boundaries and five sixes © Getty Images (File Photo)
Jos Buttler played a brilliant innings of 105 off just 76 deliveries that helped England posted a mammoth total of 399 for the loss of nine wickets against South Africa in the first of the five-match One-Day International (ODI) series at the Mangaung Oval in Bloemfontein on Wednesday. South Africa’s Chris Morris was their bowling star with three wickets for 74. Earlier, England skipper Eoin Morgan win the toss and elected to bat first on a track that looked flat as he made the surprise inclusion of opener Jason Roy, who was declared fit just before the game. While Sotuh African skipper AB de Villiers made the surprise inclusion of Merchant de Lange as he rested Kagiso Rabada. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: South Africa vs England 2015-16, 1st ODI at Bloemfontein
England went off to an explosive start as the openers in the form of Roy and Alex Hales put up the opening 68-run stand in just eight over, before Roy fell for 48 to Morne Morkel. However, it was followed by another 62-run stand for the second wicket between Hales and Joe Root, as Hales scored his third ODI half-century before he fell in the 18th over for 57. LIVE CRICKET UPDATES: South Africa vs England 2015-16, 1st ODI at Bloemfontein
Next, it was the pair of Root and Jos Buttler that provided an all-important and classy partnership of 97 runs, as Root too scored his 12th ODI half-century before hi fell in the 30th over for 52 to Chris Morris. It was followed by a brief 29 run stand between Buttler and Morgan, before Morgan departed for just 23 in the 35th over to Imran Tahir, as the score read 256 for the loss of four wickets.
However, it was again the pair of Buttler and Ben Stokes that put up 61 more runs, and Buttler in the meanwhile, also brought up his fourth ODI ton in just 76 deliveries, including 10 boundaries and five sixes. He fell for 105 in the 43rd over to Frahaan Behardian, as the score read 317 for the loss of five wickets. Stokes, along with Moeen Ali provided anbother healthy 51-run stand before Stokes departed in the 47th over for 57 to Morris, as it wa Stokes’ third ODI half-century.
Following Stokes’ dismissal, there were hardly any partnership, and when it seemed England can go past the 400-run amrk, it all faded as wickets fell quickly in the form of Moeen for 19, Adil Rashid for a couple and Chris Jordan for 14. It was the final pair of David Willey and Reece Topley, who batted out til the last over, as England finished on a total of 399, leaving South Africa with a target of 400 to chase down and go a game up in the five-match series.
Brief scores:
England 399 for 9 in 50 Overs (Jos Buttler 105, Ben Stokes 57; Chris Morris 3 for 74, Imaran Tahir 2 for 71) vs South Africa.
(Ayush Gupta is a reporter at CricketCountry. A passionate supporter of Manchester United, he idolises Roger Federer and is also a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) maniac. He can be followed on Twitter @Ayush24x7)