CWC 2019: ENG v SA – Ben Stokes takes charge as Hosts register an emphatic win
On the first ball of the 35th over, South African all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo slog swept Adil Rashid over midwicket. The ball was sailing in the air towards the area where Ben Stokes was stationed. The English all-rounder leapt in the air and when he tumbled on the ground, there was the white ball in his hand. It was practically the moment where England won the first match of the 2019 World Cup.
At Oval, in the inaugural game of the 12th World Cup, South Africa opted to chase. They had managed to halt the English juggernaut for 311 runs in the first innings – a total which was not out of bounds. The biggest impediment for the Proteas was England’s latest pace sensation – Jofra Archer. And he lived up to his hype.
By the time Archer finished his first spell, he had sent back South Africa’s opener Aiden Markram and the South African Captain Faf du Plessis. The tall pacer from Barbados also knocked on Hashim Amla’s helmet which caused the batsman to retreat to the pavilion. Archer with his searing pace extracted sharp bounce from the track and slashed through the South African top-order. Except for one man.
Till the time Quinton de Kock was at the crease, the match hung in balance. The South African wicketkeeper was at ease in his 74-ball 68 stay. He stitched an important 85-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Rassie Van der Dussen. It was de Kock’s dismissal that sparked a mini-collapse. From 129/3, South Africa slid down to 144/5 which included JP Duminy’s soft dismissal and Dwaine Pretorius’ run out.
Archer (3/27) returned for his second spell and accounted for Rassie van der Dussen. The middle-order batsman had just celebrated his fifty on his World Cup debut. The South African hopes remained hinged on Andile Phehlukwayo and Hashim Amla, who resumed batting. Stokes then pulled off the afore-mentioned stunner and the match was firmly in England’s grip. Stokes (2/12) and Plunkett (2/37) wrapped up the tail and completed an emphatic 104-run triumph.
Earlier, South African bowling attack had managed to restrict the English batting powerhouse to ‘only’ 311 runs. Captain du Plessis shocked the world by opening the bowling with Imran Tahir. The legspinner became the first spin bowler ever to bowl the first ball of the World Cup. He dismissed Jonny Bairstow on the second ball, and the world ran with him.
England regained momentum as their top order got going. Joe Root (51) was confident with the bat and struck a few glorious boundaries. Jason Roy (54) demonstrated his capability of playing straight with crisp fours. The duo was dismissed in succession but Eoin Morgan (57) and Stokes (89) stitched another partnership.
With the score 170/3 in 30 overs, England was cruising to a 350-plus total. However, South Africa climbed back in the game with Markram taking a leaping catch of Morgan. Jos Buttler was dismissed cheaply, and England never found the accelerator. Proteas bowlers were exceptional with their usage of knuckle-balls and slower deliveries. The hosts scored only 76/4 in the last ten overs and ended up at 311/8. The total proved more than enough in the end. Ben Stokes was named Man of the Match for his contribution in all three departments.
South Africa will next feature against Bangladesh on 2nd June at the Oval while England will be taking on Pakistan at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on the following day.
