Rossouw posts career-best T20I score as South Africa beat England to set up decider

The
Somerset
top-order
batsman
posted
an
unbeaten
96
not
out
off
55
balls
after
arriving
at
39-1
to
steer
the
tourists
to
a
first
innings
total
of
207-3
at
Sophia
Gardens
in
Cardiff.

That
proved
to
be
more
than
enough
to
see
off
the
hosts,
who
slumped
to
a
middle-order
collapse
in
response
for
149
all
out
despite
a
defiant
sixth-wicket
stand
between
Jonny
Bairstow
(30)
and
Liam
Livingstone
(18).

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The
result
means
the
two
sides
will
head
to
the
Rose
Bowl
in
Southampton
on
Sunday
for
a
winner-takes-all
encounter,
after
the
pair
were
forced
to
a
1-1
draw
in
their
ODI
series
by
rain
at
Headingley.

A
lively
opening
stand
between
skipper-wicketkeeper
Quinton
de
Kock
and
Reeza
Hendricks
sparked
early
fireworks
before
the
former
guided
Moeen
Ali
to
Jason
Roy
for
15,
paving
the
way
for
Rossouw’s
arrival.

The
left-hander,
who
returned
from
a
six-year
T20I
exodus
at
Bristol
on
Wednesday,
managed
only
four
the
night
before
but
rolled
out
a
masterfully
modulated
performance
to
guide
his
side
through
to
the
interval.

Stands
of
73,
31
and
64
with
Hendricks
(53),
Heinrich
Klaasen
(19)
and
Tristan
Stubbs
(15
not
out)
helped
the
Proteas
to
a
double-century
plus
total,
with
the
latter
two
in
particular
offering
solid
supporting
performances.

England
conjured
an
element
of
deja
vu
in
their
immediate
response,
with
captain
Jos
Buttler
holing
out
to
Hendricks
off
the
back
of
a
rapid-fire
29
before
Dawid
Malan
(5)
and
Jason
Roy
(20)
fell
to
reduce
them
to
77-3.

The
further
dismissals
of
Ali
(28)
and
Sam
Curran
(2)
in
quick
succession
left
them
at
92-5,
staring
down
the
barrel
of
a
hefty
defeat,
before
Bairstow
and
Livingstone
combined
for
a
morale-boosting
36.

But
the
former’s
dismissal
through
a
superb
catch
from
Lungi
Ngidi
off
Kagiso
Rabada
effectively
checked
any
momentum
to
leave
the
hosts
at
128-6,
and
the
latter’s
exit
less
than
an
over
later
sparked
a
tail-end
collapse
to
tee
up
an
intriguing
finale
this
weekend.

Rossouw
seizes
second
chance

Once
the
hottest
prospect
in
South
African
cricket
the
better
part
of
a
decade
ago,
with
a
first-class
top
score
of
319
posted
as
a
teenager,
Rossouw
effectively
seemed
to
end
his
international
career
in
2017
when
he
penned
a
Kolpak
contract
with
Hampshire.

But
injury
to
white-ball
skipper
Temba
Bavuma
has
offered
him
an
unlikely
shot
at
Proteas
redemption,
and
though
his
brief
four
in
Wednesday’s
opening
match
was
more
anticlimactic,
this
proved
a
masterful
display
that
could
well
give
him
a
way
back
into
the
setup
on
a
regular
basis.

Bairstow
keeps
form
afloat
as
Tests
loom

Few
players
have
showcased
quite
such
a
rich
vein
of
form
of
late
than
Bairstow
in
Test
cricket,
and
he
carried
that
Midas
touch
over
into
the
first
T20I
on
Wednesday
with
a
fluidly
assured
90
to
guide
England
to
victory.

While
the
hosts
fell
considerably
shorter
a
day
later
this
time
around,
Bairstow
once
again
proved
their
top
scorer
with
a
more
modest
30,
a
figure
that
nevertheless
showcases
his
ability
to
keep
grinding
out
runs
as
he
prepares
to
return
to
the
long-form
game
against
the
tourists
next
month.

Source:
OPTA