De Kock, Amla centuries help South Africa sink England

“Once the two openers managed to get away from us their experience kicked in and it is a little bit of a lesson for our team as to how they went about the chase”, Eoin Morgan said after the defeat in the last One-Day International (ODI).

Broad was omitted on Wednesday from England’s ICC World Twenty20 squad to travel to India next month, but is set to be in action before then on Friday as the tourists seek to clinch the ODI series at The Wanderers.

England’s Chris Jordan has been struggling to make an impact and team will be expecting the pacer to take his game to a notch higher as they will be looking to stop De Kock who has scored back-to-back hundreds. Ben Stokes joined him too and England coach Paul Farbrace sensibly wore a helmet when delivering the throw downs.

Another thing that is in South Africa’s favour is that it is Pink day, a day where everyone in South Africa comes together to help against breast cancer.

England thought they had set South Africa a very tough chase thanks to fantastic 125 from Joe Root, who showed his own class in the shorter form of the game once again, and showed everyone that he is the man for all conditions.

“If you have the personnel, you can do it. But our best bowlers are playing, and our best batters are playing”. What’s motivating me at the moment is not just the runs, but pushing the side forward.

After South Africa had completed their task with 3.4 overs to spare, Morgan had to reflect on England’s moderate evening with the ball.

England were initially pleased with their efforts in Centurion where Root’s century took them to what looked like a matchwinning total of 318.

If we win this match, get some momentum for the next one and then hopefully win the one in Cape Town.

“I think the areas we can look at where we played well were certainly the first innings. When we do that, and do it well, we’re a very hard side to break down”.

South Africa’s tailenders are less adept with the bat.

“Here, it was as simple as we didn’t get enough balls in the right areas”.

Morgan was heartened by England’s batting at Centurion but could only reflect on a moderate evening with the ball. Similarly in one-day cricket we haven’t performed this series, it would be a blow for us to not win this series.

De Villiers immediately went on the attack, hitting Broad’s next two balls for four and six. That put paid to England’s pursuit of a score somewhere in the uppish 300s and ultimately allowed the Proteas extended stay in the ODI series.

South Africa (probable team): De Kock, Amla, Du Plessis, De Villiers, Wiese, Duminy, Behardien, Rabada, Abbott, Morkel, Tahir.