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On the day Jofra Archer made his comeback from injury, opener Roy crashed a 79-ball century to seemingly put his side on course for a comfortable victory in pursuit of 299.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nHe powered England to 146-0 inside 20 overs and 196-3 in the 30th over before he was caught on the boundary for 113 from 91 balls.<\/span><\/p>\nBut the wicket of Moeen Ali four overs later began a collapse of six wickets for 49 runs in the face of fiery fast bowling.<\/span><\/p>\nAnrich Nortje took 3-13 in a four-over spell and England were bowled out for 271 in with 5.4 overs to go to complete a remarkable turnaround.<\/span><\/p>\nRassie van der Dussen had earlier hit a measured 111 from 117 balls in South Africa’s 298-7.<\/span><\/p>\nIt had looked as though the hosts had failed to capitalise on being 75-1 after 10 overs and 167-3 after 30, Sam Curran leading an England fightback with 3-35.<\/span><\/p>\nOn his first England appearance for almost two years, Archer struggled at times, finishing with figures of 1-81 from 10 overs – his most expensive figures in ODIs.<\/span><\/p>\nThe win puts South Africa 1-0 up in the three-match series before Sunday’s second ODI and is a boost for the hosts’ bid to qualify automatically for this year’s 50-over World Cup.<\/span><\/p>\nEngland throw away win <\/h3>\n
On the face of it this looks a low-key series, rearranged after it was originally cancelled because of Covid-19 in 2020, but is not without its importance. <\/span><\/p>\nIt marks the first of 13 ODIs which act as England’s build-up to the defence of their 50-over World Cup title in October in India.<\/span><\/p>\nFor so long it looked as though they would make a dominant start, easing their way back into a format that has taken a backseat while they chased, and achieved, a World Cup win in the 20-over game.<\/span><\/p>\nEngland should never have lost from the position of needing 103 from 125 balls with six wickets left when Roy was dismissed.<\/span><\/p>\nMoeen pulled seamer Sisanda Magala, who took 3-46, to deep square-leg before Nortje produced a fine delivery to take Jos Buttler’s edge to remove the England captain for 36 from 42 balls.<\/span><\/p>\nThe run-rate was never a problem but Nortje, one of the quickest bowlers in the world, bounced out David Willey and Archer to finish with 4-62, while Curran played a loose waft to the final delivery of Kagiso Rabada’s set of 10 to depart caught behind.<\/span><\/p>\nSouth Africa are in a perilous position in terms of securing an automatic place at the World Cup, sitting 11th in the standings with the top eight qualifying. <\/span><\/p>\nThey need two more wins from their final four matches – two against England and then two more against the Netherlands – to have any chance.<\/span><\/p>\nRoy returns to form <\/h3>\n
The defeat takes the gloss off a much-needed return to form for Roy – a lynchpin of the 2019 World Cup win.<\/span><\/p>\nHis form – no fifties in his past 14 international innings – had resulted in him being dropped from the T20 side and led to serious questions about his place in this team going forward.<\/span><\/p>\nAfter being gifted a quick start by wayward South Africa bowling, he looked back to his dominant, dismissive best in crashing 11 fours and four sixes in an opening stand with Dawid Malan, who made 59.<\/span><\/p>\nMalan was caught miscuing a pull off Magala and Ben Duckett and ODI debutant Harry Brook, two recent stars of Ben Stokes’ Test team, fell in quick succession for three and nought respectively.<\/span><\/p>\nRoy continued, slog-sweeping Shamsi for six and imperiously pulling Nortje for four to reach three figures. <\/span><\/p>\nAfter that he roared in celebration before looking to the skies, an innings mixed with frustration, happiness and relief. He was eventually caught off Rabada on the square leg boundary – a wicket that unexpectedly proved crucial.<\/span><\/p>\n
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