Joe Root played a classic innings. Otherwise England had no answer for South African attack. England made world record to win the match scoring 230 runs in 20 overs.

England had no answer to South African onslaught.

South Africa met England in T20 World Cup match on 18th March, 2016, in Mumbai. South Africa  demonstrated merciless hammering.

De Cock score a quick fire half century. He score 52 runs in short time and got out. He just played 24 balls. De Villiers came at number 3, scored 2 over boundaries and got out early. All the bowlers of England in the first spell got hammered to different parts of the field.

Topley to Stokes and Willey, Rashid to Moeen Ali, it was the same story.

Rashid bowled 4 overs, gave 35 runs and got 1 wicket. By English standards he got less hammering. Each of them almost gave 14 runs per over. In the last match Gayle made a mockery of the bowling of Topley, Stokes, Willey, Rashid, Moeen Ali. One of the greatest criticisms of English seamers had been their lack of variation. When the wicket did not help the swing bowlers, they failed to bowl Yorkers and slower deliveries. The same story continued in the match against South Africa.

Amla scored 58 runs of 31 balls. He hit 3 huge sixes. Amla opened the innings with De Cock and South Africa almost outplayed South Africa in the first 9 overs of the game. The 100 came up in the 9th over. In 12 overs South Africa were 134 for 3 wickets. Even the fielding of England had been shoddy. Hales and others were involved in mis-field and England gave away at least 25 runs extra for poor fielding. South Africa were 152 for 3 wickets in 14 overs. In 15 overs South Africa were 166 for 3 wickets.Duplessis scored 17 runs of 17 balls and steadied the ship before getting out. He got caught out in the ball of Willey. In 16 overs South Africa were 173 for the loss of 4 wickets.

Jordan in his 2 overs gave 31 runs. He was blasted by HashimAmla in his first over ending up giving 22 runs. But umpiring in the match was of poor standard. In Willey’s Yorker Miller was clearly leg before wicket out. But empire thought he connected the ball with his bat. He was absolutely wrong. The standard of umpiring in entire T20 World Cup had been disgusting. Willey ended up giving 40 runs in his 4 overs and he picked up one wicket.

South Africa’s 200 came in the 19th over. Duminy hit two huge sixes in the ball of Topley.Topley gave 33 runs in his 2 overs. South Africa were 211 runs for 4 wickets in 19 runs. Duminy scored his 50 with a huge six in the ball of Jordan in the 20th over. He scored his half century in only 26 balls. Miller also hit a huge six in the 20th over in the ball of Jordan. Jordan gave 49 runs in 3 overs. South Africa ended up scoring 229 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in their 20 overs. England had the target of 230 runs in 20 overs which was an impossible target.

England started well. Roy scored 2 boundaries in the first 2 balls of Rabada in the first over. Then Rabada bowled a wide which South African wicket keeper could not gather. So England got 5 wide runs in the first over. Roy scored another boundary of the 4th ball of Rabada. Roy scored a boundary of the last ball of Rabada. Rabada ended up giving 21 runs of the first over. England were 21 for no loss after 1 over.

Abbot dropped a catch of the first ball of Steyn which went for 4 runs. Then Hales scored another boundary in the second ball of Steyn. Hales scored another boundary of the 3rd ball of Steyn. Roy scored a boundary of the 5th ball of Steyn. Roy also an over boundary in the last ball of Steyn. Steyn’s first over did cost 23 runs. England were 44 runs for no loss after 2 overs.

Hales scored a boundary of the first ball of Abbott. Abbott bowled the third over of the match. Abbott got Hales leg before wicket out Hales for 17 runs in the third over. Stokes was promoted up the order. He came at number 3. Roy scored a six in the 5th ball of Abbott. England were 56 for 1 after 3 overs. Abbott gave only 12 runs in his first over and got a wicket.

Stokes got out caught in the ball of Rabada in the 6th over. England scored 87 runs in 6 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Imran Tahir’s first over very tidy. He gave only 7 runs in the over. England were 96 for 3 wickets after 7 overs. England scored 100 runs in the 8th over. After 8 overs England were 103 for loss of 3 wickets. Duminy also had a tidy over giving only 7 runs in his first over.

After 9 overs England were 109 for the loss of 3 wickets. Imran Tahir gave only 6 runs in his 2nd over. Morgan got bowled in the ball of Duminy after scoring 12 runs in 15 balls. Morgan slowed the English innings and the momentum. Neither could he hit sixes nor rotate the strike. It was a very poor innings.

But after that it was sheer brilliance of Joe Root. He scored 83 runs, hits 3 sixes and many boundaries. But beyond the runs all his stroke play included authentic shots. There was no slogging. Probably he is the second best batman in the world after Chris Gayle. Due to his shivalry England chased the impossible target and scored 230 runs. ViratKohli is another batsman who is known to play orthodox shots in three forms of the game, Test Matches, One Day International and T20 matches. This was the highest run chase in T20 World Cup till now. Although due to tension England had 2 run outs in the last over but Moeen Ali guided England to victory in the 3rd ball of the 20th over.

The due might have created problems for South Africa. But with this win, England might be the 2nd contender if they can defeat Sri Lanka. Everyone is looking forward to that match.