England’s Powerplay Woes Cost Them in Narrow Defeat to South Africa
England captain Jos Buttler pointed to South Africa’s explosive start in the powerplay as the key factor in their narrow 4-run defeat in the ongoing T20 World Cup. Quinton de Kock’s scintillating 22-ball half-century, which included four sixes, propelled the Proteas to 63 without loss in the opening six overs, setting the tone for their eventual total of 163/6.
“I’d say in the powerplay, actually,” Buttler said at the post-match presentation. “Quinton de Kock came out with a lot of intensity in that powerplay, and we couldn’t quite match that. I think we were probably 20 behind them after six overs.”
Despite the surface being notably slower compared to the previous matches at the Daren Sammy Stadium, South Africa’s strong start in the backyard cricket-like conditions proved to be a crucial factor.
England, on the other hand, lost Phil Salt early in their chase and found themselves at 41/1 after the first six overs. Jonny Bairstow and Buttler himself also fell in quick succession, leaving the defending champions in trouble at 61/4. However, a determined 78-run partnership between Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone brought them back into the contest, only for the South African bowlers to hold their nerve in the final stages.
“I thought we were really good [with the ball],” Buttler reflected. “As I said, the powerplay was the best time to bat, and I think Quinny recognized that and took some calculated risks. But yeah, the bowling performance, to come back and restrict a really powerful line-up to what I thought was a par score was a great effort.”
Proteas captain Aiden Markram praised his team’s “fighting spirit” and ability to execute their plans in the closing overs, despite the match going down to the wire. “It shows a lot of skill. But I think it comes from deeper and that fighting spirit, like you mentioned, helped us a lot,” Markram said.
The defeat means England will need to beat the USA in their final Group 2 game to retain hopes of reaching the semi-finals and defending their trophy. South Africa, on the other hand, can secure a semi-final spot by defeating West Indies on Sunday.
🔗 Source