England beat South Africa in first T20 as Jonny Bairstow hits 90 and Moeen Ali slams record 16-ball fifty


England hit their second-highest T20 score of 234-6 as Jonny Bairstow (90) and Moeen Ali (52) star before Tristan Stubbs (72 off 28) smokes South Africa to 193-8 in reply; England lead three-match series 1-0 – watch game two on Sky Sports Cricket on Thursday (6pm on air)

Last Updated: 27/07/22 11:09pm


Jonny Bairstow hit eight sixes and three fours in his 90 from 53 balls – during which he was dropped four times by South Africa

Jonny Bairstow continued his extraordinary summer with 90 from 53 balls while Moeen Ali slammed an England-record 16-ball fifty as Jos Buttler’s side marmalised sloppy South Africa for 234-6 en route to a 41-run win in an astonishing series opener at Bristol.

Bairstow followed four exhilarating Test hundreds in five innings across matches against New Zealand and India with a six-laden T20 international knock as England racked up their second-highest T20 total of all time, behind only their 241-3 against New Zealand in Napier in 2019.

South Africa gave the chase a terrific go with 21-year-old Tristan Stubbs (72 off 28) striking a 19-ball half-century and eight monster sixes after Reeza Hendricks smote 57 from 33 balls in a south-west run-fest.

But the tourists ended on 193-8 with Chris Jordan’s three-run 18th over all but extinguishing South Africa’s hopes – they needed 51 from 12 balls after that – before Stubbs’ sparkling innings came to an end at the start of a three-wicket 19th over from Richard Gleeson (3-51).

  • England 234-6 from 20 overs – Bairstow (90 off 53), Moeen (52 off 18), Ngidi (5-39)
  • South Africa 193-8 – Stubbs (78 off 28), Hendricks (57 off 33), Gleeson (3-51)

The three-match series now moves to Cardiff on Thursday before concluding in Southampton on Sunday.

Bairstow punishes profligate Proteas

Bairstow was England’s top-scorer, clubbing eight sixes and three fours amid being dropped a staggering four times by the Proteas – Heinrich Klaasen (twice), Rilee Rossouw and Hendricks the guilty parties – and sharing a riotous stand of 106 from 37 balls with the history-making Moeen.

Moeen Ali's England-record 16-ball fifty came in his side's second-highest T20I total of all time

Moeen Ali’s England-record 16-ball fifty came in his side’s second-highest T20I total of all time

Moeen (52 off 18) mowed six sixes in total – the last of which took him to a record-breaking half-century – with three of his maximums coming in as many balls in a 33-run 17th over as Andile Phehlukwayo (1-63 from four overs) was annihilated by the left-hander and the in-form Bairstow.

Phehlukwayo shipped five sixes in total in that over – Bairstow having started it by bashing successive balls into the stands – with England’s innings containing 20 maximums all told as spinners Tabraiz Shamsi (0-49 from three) and Stubbs (0-20 from one) also went the distance.

Lungi Ngidi bagged 5-39 amid the carnage, having England skipper Jos Buttler (22 off 7) caught brilliantly by a back-pedalling South Africa captain David Miller at long-off in the powerplay – that grab the undoubted highlight of a dismal fielding effort from the tourists.

One alert fan showed South Africa how it should be done as he caught one six Moeen had hauled over square leg on an evening on which Dawid Malan (43 off 23) also fired for a rampant England.

Watch a fan in the crowd take a magnificent catch from a Moeen Ali six to send the crowd wild at Seat Unique Stadium

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Watch a fan in the crowd take a magnificent catch from a Moeen Ali six to send the crowd wild at Seat Unique Stadium

Watch a fan in the crowd take a magnificent catch from a Moeen Ali six to send the crowd wild at Seat Unique Stadium

Ngidi takes five-for in Bristol run-fest

Malan was Phehlukwayo’s sole victim, snicking behind to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock, while De Kock was also the catcher when Ngidi dismissed Moeen and Liam Livingstone (5) on the slog in the death overs as Ngidi earned himself a maiden T20 international five-wicket haul.

Ngidi clinched his five-for when he had Bairstow swallowed by Rossouw at midwicket in the final over – Rossouw pouching a player he had dropped in the same spot on 57 and eliminating Bairstow’s hopes of a century.

Ngidi’s other wicket was that of the out-of-sorts Jason Roy (8 off 15), who sliced a slower ball to Klaasen at short third man in the fifth over.

Klaasen took that catch but had on otherwise horrid night in the field, letting Buttler’s cover drive slip through him for four in the opening over before he spilled the blistering Bairstow twice later on, once at deep midwicket on 12 as he ran in too far and then at square leg on 77.

Lungi Ngidi (left) bagged 5-39 for South Africa in Bristol

Lungi Ngidi (left) bagged 5-39 for South Africa in Bristol

The worst drop of the night, though, came from Hendricks at long-on as he gifted Bairstow a lifeline on 72 by shelling an absolute sitter.

Scintillating Stubbs keeps South Africa in the hunt

Hendricks tried his best with the bat, biffing a 28-ball fifty after Reece Topley (2-29) had dismissed De Kock (2) and Rossouw (4) in the second over of the chase.

Hendricks holed out to midwicket off Moeen in the 10th over, at which point South Africa were 86-4 with Klaasen (20) having slashed a googly from Adil Rashid (2-17) to Jordan at long-on in the eighth.

But Stubbs gave England real jitters with some humongous sixes in just his third T20 international, bossing stands with Miller (8) and Phehlukwayo (22) before he lofted Gleeson to Roy at long-off.

Captain Jos Buttler says England put in a 'complete performance' in the first T20 at Bristol

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Captain Jos Buttler says England put in a ‘complete performance’ in the first T20 at Bristol

Captain Jos Buttler says England put in a ‘complete performance’ in the first T20 at Bristol

Buttler: ‘A performance we have been looking for’

England captain Jos Buttler: “It was a great performance. We’ve been looking for that complete performance and the guys stood up. We posted a brilliant total. It looked under threat for a while, but I’m delighted with the win. There wasn’t that margin for error as Stubbs was going so well and (Jordan) bowled a brilliant 18th over. It changed the momentum.”

Moeen was named Player of the Match after scoring 52 from 18 balls, an innings which featured six sixes

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Moeen was named Player of the Match after scoring 52 from 18 balls, an innings which featured six sixes

Moeen was named Player of the Match after scoring 52 from 18 balls, an innings which featured six sixes

Player of the Match, Moeen Ali: “It’s a great wicket and a great-sized ground for myself. I’m not a massive hitter of the ball like some of the boys, so it’s about keeping my shape and if you get a good bat on it then it generally travels here. Jonny [Bairstow] is so powerful, I try to remind him of the good things he does.”

England vs S Africa

July 28, 2022, 6:00pm

Live on Sky Sports Cricket HD

England vs S Africa

July 31, 2022, 2:00pm

Live on Sky Sports Cricket HD

What’s next?

England and South Africa meet again in Cardiff on Thursday in the second T20 international (6.30pm first ball, 6pm on air) before the series concludes in Southampton on Sunday (2.30pm first ball, 2pm on air).

Then, from mid-August, the sides will play a three-Test series, starting at Lord’s (August 17-21) before further matches at Emirates Old Trafford (August 25-29) and The Kia Oval (September 8-12).

Watch the second T20 international between England and South Africa, from Sophia Gardens Cardiff, live on Sky Sports Cricket on Thursday. Coverage starts at 6pm with the first ball at 6.30pm.





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