ENG vs SA 3rd T20I Commentary - Southampton (31 July 2022)

Fuller, on off. Jonny Bairstow sweeps it to deep square leg and denies for the single.

Quicker and full, on off. Jonny Bairstow tries to sweep it away but gets an inside edge on his pads.

FOUR! Something for the English fans to cheer. It is full and on off. Jonny Bairstow gets low and sweeps it to deep square leg for a boundary.

OUT! CAUGHT! Keshav Maharaj takes the final wicket of the innings. It is floated and full, on off. Jonny Bairstow goes for the slog-sweep but gets it off the top-edge. It goes high towards deep mid-wicket. David Miller settles under it and takes a sharp catch. SOUTH AFRICA WIN THE GAME BY 90 RUNS.

Floated and full, on the stumps. Jordan plays it back to the bowler.

FOUR! Full and wide outside off. Chris Jordan stays back and throws his bat at it. It goes off the splice towards backward point. Lungi Ngidi tries to chase it but it evades his effort and races away to the boundary.

Fuller, on off. Chris Jordan lofts it towards long off for a brace.

OUT! LBW! It looks plumb. Tabraiz Shamsi appeals and raises his dreaded finger in a flash. Chris Jordan thinks it is missing the wickets and goes for the review. It is tossed up, around off, turning in off the deck a touch. Chris Jordan is caught inside his crease and gets rapped on his pads. The on-field decision is OUT. The UltraEdge confirms no bat and the Ball Tracking shows that it is umpire's call on ball hitting the wicket. Tabraiz Shamsi gets his fourth.

Fuller, outside off. Adil Rashid moves to that side and blocks it out.

OUT! CAUGHT! Tabraiz Shamsi picks up his fifth wicket. He is absolutely delighted and is robbed by his team-mates. He has come back like a champion. England lose their ninth. It is short, on off. Adil Rashid pulls it to long on. Aiden Markram takes an easy catch running in at long on.

NOT OUT! Chris Jordan stays at the crease. It is full, sliding into the pads. Chris Jordan stays back and tries to work it to the leg side but misses. He gets pinged on his pads. No interest shown from the umpire. Miller takes the review but it does not work in their favour. They collect a leg bye.

This is full and straight, Jonny Bairstow uses his wrists to turn it through mid-wicket for a single.

FOUR! Slashed away! Good length and a bit wide, Chris Jordan throws his hands at it. One hand comes off the bat as the ball is sliced over backward point for a boundary.

Fuller in length and around off, this is driven to the left of the man at the extra cover fence and they come back for two with ease.

Just short of a length and over middle, this is pulled away without much timing through mid-wicket for a run.

Swing and a miss! This is short and around off, Jonny Bairstow has a swing across the line but the ball goes under his bat.

SIX! This is dragged down from Shamsi, on middle and leg, Sam Curran rocks back and muscles it over the mid-wicket fence for the first maximum of the innings.

Floated up, outside off and this is pushed towards cover.

OUT! CAUGHT! Tabraiz Shamsi has the last laugh here! This is dragged down a bit and around off. Sam Curran rocks back and looks to pull it down the ground and gets a decent connection on it. The ball flies down the throat of the man at long off and Aiden Markram over there takes a comfortable catch. Shamsi has two and South Africa are running away with the game.

OUT! TIMBER! Two in tow for Tabraiz Shamsi and is running away in celebration. This is beautifully bowled by Shamsi, on a nagging length and drifted onto middle. This is the variation as it goes straight on. David Willey gets down low to slog it away but misses and the ball castles into middle stump. Willey departs for agolden duck and Shamsi is on a hat-trick.

It is floated and full, on off. Jordan hits it to mid off for a single.

It is full, on the pads, Jonny Bairstow nudges it to mid-wicket. The batters push hard for the first one and get two.

This is on a fullish length, from around the wicket and close to the off pole. Sam Curran looks to punch it out on the off side but gets beaten past the outside edge.

Length, around the top of off, Curran goes back and pushes it towards the bowler.

On a hard length and around off, this is chopped towards cover-point for a quick single.

Pitches it up on middle, Jonny Bairstow heaves it away towards deep backward square leg for only another single. England need a bit of inspiration here and they certainly need a lot of boundaries.

On a nagging length, angling it into middle. Sam Curran looks to play it off the back foot but gets an inside edge onto the pads. The ball rolls onto the off side and a single is stolen.

FOUR! Finally, Rilee Rossouw is caught napping and England do get a boundary. This is the knuckle-ball, on the shorter side and over leg stump. Jonny Bairstow plays a controlled pull shot behind square but Rossouw doesn't pick it up and the ball ends up in the fence.

This is flatter and on the pads, Livingstone flicks it straight towards short fine leg.

A bit of a mix-up in the middle and out come the 'Boos' from the crowd. On the shorter side, around middle, this is played off the back foot and through mid-wicket for one. They think about two but recognize that it is Stubbs fielding out there and hence, settle for one.

Tossed up, on middle and leg, Bairstow plays the reverse sweep through covers and collects a single.

Brilliant stop from Tabraiz Shamsi. Flatter and on leg stump, Liam Livingstone looks to power it back past the bowler but fails to do so.

OUT! CAUGHT! England are folding like a pack of cards here. Tabraiz Shamsi with his slowest delivery of the game, floats it up, full and around off. Liam Livingstone's eyes lit up as he looks to break the shackles and decides to take it on. Livingstone can't quite get under it and hits it flat towards long off. Keshav Maharaj over there takes a good low catch and England have lost half their side. 126 needed now off 48 balls.

Full and on off, pushed down the ground for a single.

This is potched up and on off, Bairstow pushes it down to long off for a single.

What happened here? This is on a good length, outside off. Liam Livingstone looks to get forward but the ball just takes off and Livingstone is taken completely aback.

Length, around off and this is driven through cover for a single.

It's that man Stubbs again! Around the top of off, Bairstow drives on the up but can't get it past Stubbs at short extra cover who makes a brilliant stop down to his right.

Back of a length, around middle and leg, Bairstow hops back and plays it behind square on the leg side for just another single.

Fuller and around middle, driven through long on for a single.

Darted on the pads, Jonny Bairstow flicks it to mid-wicket for a single.

Floated and full, on the stumps. Moeen Ali drives it down to long off and rotates the strike.

Jonny Bairstow comes down to this full delivery and flicks it through mid-wicket for a single. The run rate continues to creep up.

Flatter, outside off. Ali punches it through covers for one more.

Shorter, on off. Jonny Bairstow pulls it hard towards mid on. One taken.

OUT! CAUGHT! OH MY GOD! WHAT A TAKE FROM STUBBS! Aiden Markram takes a wicket here but all the credit goes to Tristan Stubbs. It is tossed up, around off. Moeen Ali tries to flick it to leg side but closes the face a bit early. The ball lobs to the left of covers off the leading edge. Tristan Stubbs is way away from the ball, it looks like the ball will land safely. Stubbs sprints to his left, dives to that side with his left-hand stretched out and takes a blinder. South Africa are on the driving seat now.

Andile Phehlukwayo follows the batter to the leg side with a short one. Dawid Malan pulls it to deep mid-wicket. They take one.

Full length, angled into the pads, Jonny Bairstow flicks it to the leg side for an easy single.

OUT! CAUGHT! Another man bites the dust. Dawid Malan tries to break the shackles but holes out instead. It is quicker and full, on the pads, Dawid Malan thinks of using the pace to his benefit here but it does not pay off. He flicks it aerially towards deep square leg and does not get enough distance on it. Anrich Nortje charges towards the ball from the deep and takes an incredible catch diving forward.

Fuller, on off. Ali blocks it back to the bowler.

A length ball, around off, Moeen Ali stays back and punches it through covers for one.

A successful over by Andile Phehlukwayo. A wicket and just four runs off it. It is full and on off. Jonny Bairstow drives it to mid off and crosses.

Floated and full, outside off. Jonny Bairstow stays back and slaps it through covers for two runs.

This is quicker, on the pads. Jonny Bairstow whips it to deep square leg for a single.

Tossed up, full and around off. Dawid Malan tries to go for the reverse-sweep but misses it to wear it on the pads. 

Outside off. Malan punches it to covers. The fielder misfields and the batters take one.

Floated and full, on the pads, Jonny Bairstow flicks it to mid-wicket for just a single. He wanted the second run but was sent back by Malan.

Floated and full, on off. Malan gets low and drags his sweep to deep square leg for another single. A tidy start for Tabraiz Shamsi.

Flatter delivery, around off, this is kept out on the off side.

Quicker and flatter, close to the off pole, Jonny Bairstow taps it towards cover-point.

This is full and on off, Jonny Bairstow strokes it away through wide mid off for a single.

This one is on the pads, Malan flicks it through mid-wicket for one.

Fuller, on off. Bairstow drives it through covers for another single.

Slightly short, on off. Malan pulls it to deep square leg. The batters push hard and get two runs. 5 runs off the over. 

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Jason Roy's poor form continues in this series. Anrich Nortje comes back into the attack and strikes instantly. South Africa are well ahead in this game now. Anrich Nortje fires in a length ball, on middle and leg, Jason Roy makes room and tries to slap it away. The ball takes the outside edge and goes towards Quinton de Kock behind the sticks who pouches the ball comfortably. Jason Roy trudges back to the dug out.  

FOUR BYES! Anrich Nortje welcomes Bairstow with a sharp bouncer. Jonny Bairstow ducks under it. It is also very high for Quinton de Kock and it goes away to the fine leg fence. The umpire signals a bye.

A length ball, around off, nips in off the deck with some extra bounce. Jonny Bairstow stays back and tries to defend it out but misses. The ball goes over the stumps and into the keeper's mitts.

Fuller, on off. Jonny Bairstow eases it back to the bowler. Anrich Nortje gets low and collects it in a flash.

NO BALL! Too high says the umpire. It is short ball, on middle. Jonny Bairstow ducks under it. The umpire signals a no ball for height. A Free Hit to follow.

Anrich Nortje fires in a yorker, on middle and leg. Jonny Bairstow digs it out towards square leg and crosses for a single.

Good length, around off. Malan blocks it out watchfully. A successful wicket from Nortje comes to an end.

Extra bounce! This is bowled on a good length, around off. Jason Roy advances and looks to take it on but the ball just shoots up off the surface and leaves Roy bamboozled.

Short of a length, angling in. The ball hurries onto Roy as he pulls it down to deep backward square leg for a single.

Drop and run! Good pace from Ngidi, at 139 clicks, on a shortish length and over middle and leg. The ball bounces a little extra once again. Dawid Malan does well to hop and just bunt it down towards silly point for a quick run.

Slower delivery, bowled into the pitch and over the stumps, this is tucked away through square leg for one more.

LEG BYE! Variable bounce troubling the batters out there. Slower deliver, on a hard length and over middle and leg. This time the ball stays a bit low as Malan looks to hop and work iot leg side. Malan misses and the ball rolls onto the off side after hitting the thigh pads. The batters sneak in a leg bye.

Ends the over with another slower ball. This is on a length and outside off, Roy just stabs it towards shiort third man for a quick single.

Good fielding! This is flatter and angling into leg stump, Jason Roy gives himself a bit of room but can't beat the diving man at extra cover. Just a single t.n,.

On middle and leg, Buttler comes forward and works it in front of square on the leg side for one.

Slower through the air and on a length, around middle. Roy nudges it to mid-wicket and sneaks in a quick run.

FOUR! Edged away! This is angling into leg stump. Jos Buttler goes well past the leg stump, trying to cut it away. The ball takes the outside edge and goes past the keeper, into the third man fence.

OUT! CAUGHT! Straight to the man! Keshav Maharaj bowls this one just a bit slower and angles it into leg stump. Jos Buttler looks to attempt the cut once again by going past the leg stump and gets another outside edge. This time it is a thick one and carries to the man at short third man. Lungi Ngidi takes a simple catch in front of him and bUttler departs once again for a low score.

At the stumps, this is pushed towards silly mid on.

FOUR! Lungi Ngidi starts off with a loosener. This is on a length and angling down leg, Jos Buttler works it off his hips and picks up a boundary down to fine leg.

Excellent running! Around the top of off, Buttler pushes it towards mid off and races through for the single.

Close but not close enough it seems. Ngidi goes bit wider and angles it into the pads. Jason Roy looks to flick it away but the ball nips back in a long way and pings him on the pads. There is a bit of an appeal from the bowler but it is turned down.

This is pitched up, outside off, Roy looks to go over mid off but mistimes it straight to the fielder over there.

Slower delivery, on a shorter length and over middle. Roy looks to pull but the ball goes off the higher part of the bat and towards mid-wicket. Single taken.

Nicely bowled! Another slower ball, this time it's full and outside off. Jos Buttler looks to go hard it but is completely beaten.

Anrich Nortje gets in his stride right away and serves a 146 KPH delivery, on a length and around the top of off. Roy has a tentative push at it as he plays it towards point.

Length again, at 147 clicks and over middle, Roy tucks it away past square leg for just a single.

Pitches it a bit further up, around and almost touches 150 KPH, Buttler pushes it towards wide mid off and rotates the strike.

This is poor from Keshav Maharaj and he has his hand up right away. Length, close to the off pole, Roy stays back and nudges it towards point for a quick run. Maharaj has a wild throw at the bowler's end and there's no one backing up there. The ball runs away into the fence and it will be five runs to Roy.

Good length, around off, this is punched out towards cover for a run.

Banged in short and over off at 145 clicks, Jason Roy pulls it in front of square on the leg side and picks up a comfortable two.

Maharaj starts off with a floater on leg stump, Jason Roy neatly clips it through mid-wicket and gets off the mark with a single. England too are underway with that.

On off, Jos Buttler drives it on the up and through mid off for a single. Buttler is off the mark straightaway.

Just drags back the length a bit and angles it into middle, Roy goes on the back foot to defend.

This is fired in on off stump, Roy drills it down to long off for one more.

Around off, Buttler strokes it through mid off and rotates the strike.

Just a hint of flight, fuller and on middle. Jason Roy makes a bit of room and drives it down to long off for yet another single. A tidy first over from Keshav Maharaj, five singles off it.