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25 overs South Africa 118 for 1 (Amla 50*, Duminy 12*) v England
Graeme Smith battled against the new ball before reaching a half-century © Getty Images
As they did during the Test series, Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla resisted whatever pressure the England bowlers were able to exert and gave South Africa an ideal base for a substantial total in the second one-day international. They put on 89 before Tim Bresnan broke through to remove Smith for 52 but Amla remained unbeaten on 50 at the midway point
In the one-day format Smith and Amla are the opening pair, rather than second-wicket, and both had moments of fortune especially during the first spells from James Anderson and Steven Finn. England's new-ball bowlers beat the edge, particularly of Smith, with regularity while Amla struggled for early fluency having been starved of the strike.
Amla might have been short of his ground when going for a quick single to mid-off on 1 had Samit Patel, preferred in England's XI at the last minute ahead of Chris Woakes on a pitch expected to turn, collected the ball cleanly. Patel later showed why he had been selected when he spun one sharply past Amla's edge then had him dropped by Craig Kieswetter on 42.
England's breakthrough arrived in the 20th over when Smith, trying to take advantage of the bowling Powerplay, advanced at Bresnan and top-edged a pull which was very well taken by Kieswetter as he ran back from his position to take the catch over his shoulder. It was a mixed start to the match for Kieswetter who has Jonny Bairstow and Matt Prior making strong claims for his position.
South Africa had waited until the sixth over for their first boundary when Smith, in his typical style, took a ball from well outside off straight past mid-off when most batsman would have driven through extra cover. England's quicks generally maintained a probing line to Smith but his outside edge proved elusive and on the occasion it was found, in Bresnan's first over, the second slip and just been moved to short midwicket.
The acceleration started towards the end of the mandatory Powerplay when overs seven to nine went for a combined 32 runs including eight boundaries. Fourteen of those runs came off Bresnan's opening over.
Graeme Swann was introduced in the 12th over but it was Patel who caused the greater problems, particularly to Smith who was intent on trying to sweep the left-arm spinner. The bowling Powerplay was delayed until the 17th over and Bresnan replaced Swann but Patel was given the task of operating inside the fielding restrictions.
Smith reached his fifty from 70 balls before his eagerness to press on during the Powerplay brought his downfall. Patel should have been rewarded for a testing spell when Amla edged a drive but the ball went down off the tips of Kieswetter's gloves, then two deliveries later a delivery that stopped in the surface was spooned into a vacant area at point.
Patel helped slow the scoring rate as Amla consolidated and JP Duminy, promoted to No. 3, played himself in. England used up their one review for the innings for an lbw shout against Duminy by Anderson which had pitched outside leg. Unlike Andrew Strauss in the Test team, Cook fields at mid-off in the one-day side and was a little late on the scene after bowler and keeper chatted.
Amla, meanwhile, carefully ticked to his fifty from 54 balls and was shaping as the man to bat through the innings. It was an image the England bowlers had seen before.
England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn
South Africa 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Dean Elgar, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Faf du Plessis, 7 Ryan McLaren, 9 Wayne Parnell, 8 Robin Petersen, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe
Graeme Smith battled against the new ball before reaching a half-century © Getty Images
As they did during the Test series, Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla resisted whatever pressure the England bowlers were able to exert and gave South Africa an ideal base for a substantial total in the second one-day international. They put on 89 before Tim Bresnan broke through to remove Smith for 52 but Amla remained unbeaten on 50 at the midway point
In the one-day format Smith and Amla are the opening pair, rather than second-wicket, and both had moments of fortune especially during the first spells from James Anderson and Steven Finn. England's new-ball bowlers beat the edge, particularly of Smith, with regularity while Amla struggled for early fluency having been starved of the strike.
Amla might have been short of his ground when going for a quick single to mid-off on 1 had Samit Patel, preferred in England's XI at the last minute ahead of Chris Woakes on a pitch expected to turn, collected the ball cleanly. Patel later showed why he had been selected when he spun one sharply past Amla's edge then had him dropped by Craig Kieswetter on 42.
England's breakthrough arrived in the 20th over when Smith, trying to take advantage of the bowling Powerplay, advanced at Bresnan and top-edged a pull which was very well taken by Kieswetter as he ran back from his position to take the catch over his shoulder. It was a mixed start to the match for Kieswetter who has Jonny Bairstow and Matt Prior making strong claims for his position.
South Africa had waited until the sixth over for their first boundary when Smith, in his typical style, took a ball from well outside off straight past mid-off when most batsman would have driven through extra cover. England's quicks generally maintained a probing line to Smith but his outside edge proved elusive and on the occasion it was found, in Bresnan's first over, the second slip and just been moved to short midwicket.
The acceleration started towards the end of the mandatory Powerplay when overs seven to nine went for a combined 32 runs including eight boundaries. Fourteen of those runs came off Bresnan's opening over.
Graeme Swann was introduced in the 12th over but it was Patel who caused the greater problems, particularly to Smith who was intent on trying to sweep the left-arm spinner. The bowling Powerplay was delayed until the 17th over and Bresnan replaced Swann but Patel was given the task of operating inside the fielding restrictions.
Smith reached his fifty from 70 balls before his eagerness to press on during the Powerplay brought his downfall. Patel should have been rewarded for a testing spell when Amla edged a drive but the ball went down off the tips of Kieswetter's gloves, then two deliveries later a delivery that stopped in the surface was spooned into a vacant area at point.
Patel helped slow the scoring rate as Amla consolidated and JP Duminy, promoted to No. 3, played himself in. England used up their one review for the innings for an lbw shout against Duminy by Anderson which had pitched outside leg. Unlike Andrew Strauss in the Test team, Cook fields at mid-off in the one-day side and was a little late on the scene after bowler and keeper chatted.
Amla, meanwhile, carefully ticked to his fifty from 54 balls and was shaping as the man to bat through the innings. It was an image the England bowlers had seen before.
England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Ian Bell, 3 Jonathan Trott, 4 Ravi Bopara, 5 Eoin Morgan, 6 Craig Kieswetter (wk), 7 Samit Patel, 8 Tim Bresnan, 9 Graeme Swann, 10 James Anderson, 11 Steven Finn
South Africa 1 Graeme Smith, 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Dean Elgar, 4 AB de Villiers (capt & wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 Faf du Plessis, 7 Ryan McLaren, 9 Wayne Parnell, 8 Robin Petersen, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe