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15th over: England 73-0 (Roy 36, Bairstow 32) Roy misses a premeditated ramp off Phehlukwayo, with the ball bouncing over middle stump and through de Kock’s gloves for a couple of byes. Three more singles make it a reasonable over for England. They’ve only hit five fours and one six in 15 overs, which is almost unprecedented for this pair.
14th over: England 68-0 (Roy 35, Bairstow 30) Roy doesn’t punish a long hop from Shamsi, pulling it to deep midwicket for just a single. Just two from the over. England need 266 from 36 overs.
“Is there an argument that England losing a wicket would be a positive for England?” says Brendan Large. “Joe Root with his ability to manoeuvre the ball might be better suited to this chase right now?”
There’s pretty much always an argument for getting Joe Root to the crease.
13th over: England 66-0 (Roy 34, Bairstow 29) Andile Phehlukwayo, whose slower balls will be useful on this surface, comes into the attack. His first ball beats Roy, who continues to wage war on fresh air. Okay, maybe not fresh air.
Roy times one nicely later in the over, with the sliding Markram saving a boundary at wide long-off. There are seven runs from the over, all in ones and twos. That’s drinks. It’s been an unusually sedate start to the innings – I can’t decide if England are playing sensibly or are behind the rate.
“I’m just wondering how long it’s been since Joe Root hasn’t been in by the end of the Powerplay?” says Brendan Large. “He must be desperate to get out there. Nice to see England playing the conditions and not being three down by the 10th over.”
What do you think this is, a Test match?
12th over: England 59-0 (Roy 28, Bairstow 28) The left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi comes into the attack. He’s a dangerous bowler, who has troubled England in the past, and his and Maharaj’s spells could decide this match. His first over is played carefully, with three runs from it.
11th over: England 56-0 (Roy 27, Bairstow 26) A short ball from Nortje is muscled through midwicket for four by Bairstow. I’ll be honest, I missed the rest of the over because I was considering the below.
“Roy is out of form and struggling, Stokes is no longer playing ODIs and Rashid’s and Moeen’s powers are on the wane,” says Will Lane. “I still don’t think England have really replaced Liam Plunkett either. With Morgan gone too that’s six key members of England’s World Cup-winning squad who need replacing now or in the (relatively) near future. Is there anyone in the county game that jumps out as potential replacements who have the potential to be just as good?”
There are tens of really talented batters, though it’s hard to say with certainty that any of them will make it at international level. Harry Brook looks the part, but then so did Tom Banton and that hasn’t quite worked out yet. The bowling worries me more, particularly spin and pace. I’ll be surprised if England regress too far in white-ball cricket, but we are moving inexorably towards the end of an era.
10th over: England 47-0 (Roy 26, Bairstow 19) Bairstow is dropped by Miller. He drove a slower ball (I think) from Ngidi towards mid-off, where the leaping Miller couldn’t hang on to a difficult one-handed chance.
“Do you see Alex Hales coming back into contention any time soon?” asks Johnathan Plunkett. “Or is it all over on that score?”
With the caveat that I have absolutely no inside information, I can’t see it happening. I don’t think it was just Eoin Morgan’s decision, so I don’t think his retirement changes that much. I’d love to know the full, objective story, but I doubt we ever will.
9th over: England 44-0 (Roy 25, Bairstow 16) Roy charges Nortje and hacks a boundary through the leg side. He’s doing quite well to score at a strike rate of 74, because he has barely middled a thing.
Anyone out there? Have we done memories of Ben Stokes’ ODI career yet? Aside from the obvious, he made a truly majestic century against Australia at the 2017 Champions Trophy. There was also that ludicrous assault in India last year. But it’s fitting, for a player of his nature, that he saved his best for the 2019 World Cup: five superb innings between 79 and 89, culminating in that act of escapology in the final. Whenever I watch the last hour of that game in full – at least once a week – I can’t see a way that England can win.
His bowling? I always thought he was a pretty ordinary white-ball bowler, though I’m probably forgetting some Boy’s Own spells.
8th over: England 37-0 (Roy 20, Bairstow 16) Roy drags a pull onto his body, another sign that his timing is awry. It’s all fairly sedate, certainly by the standards of Roy and Bairstow. I still have the fondest memories of their partnership against India at the 2019 World Cup, when they responded to an alarming crisis by walloping 160 in 22 overs.
Jonny Bairstow in full flow. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images7th over: England 32-0 (Roy 17, Bairstow 14) The brilliant Anrich Nortje comes into the attack. He has an LBW appeal turned down against Roy, who played around a rapid delivery that was probably sliding past leg stump. Despite that stylish six off Maharaj, Roy looks nowhere near his best; his bat seems to have an ever-shrinking middle. But he’s had spells like this before in his career, most notably in 2017, so it’s nothing to worry about. Yet.
Bairstow, who has no concerns about form, belts his first ball from Nortje back over the bowler’s head for four. Next!
6th over: England 27-0 (Roy 16, Bairstow 10) Bairstow clumps Ngidi down the ground for four, though he almost runs Roy out in the process. The ball flicked Ngidi’s boot and went this far wide of the stumps with Roy a long way out of his ground.
Ngidi’s next delivery is a slower off-cutter that Bairstow drags just past leg stump. I don’t think this is going to be an easy chase for England, especially with at least 20 overs of spin and umpteen slower balls.
Meanwhile, in Derby, Ben Duckett has smashed 200 off 224 balls.
5th over: England 21-0 (Roy 15, Bairstow 5) Maharaj concedes just three singles from his third over. England are playing him watchfully, that one six from Roy aside, even though there hasn’t really been any spin.
4th over: England 18-0 (Roy 14, Bairstow 3) Roy, on the walk, inside edges Ngidi past leg stump for four. Then Bairstow survives a run-out chance when the swooping Miller’s throw misses the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Six from the over.
“It was the Aussies who began referring to players’ nicknames, which were originally attempts at being witty e.g. Tugga and Burma for the Waughs,” says John Starbuck. “That it degenerated into simply adding ‘y’ to a name came from footballers. Even then it didn’t really work when more and more overseas players joined the Premier League. There’s probably someone researching this even now.”
Who the hell told you about my dissertation?
3rd over: England 12-0 (Roy 9, Bairstow 2) After eight dot balls, Roy slog-sweeps Maharaj over midwicket for six. We’ll miss Roy when he’s gone – for his style, swagger, selflessness, and the sheer ease with which he hits sixes. That’s his 146th in international cricket.
“Sad to see Stokes go but not much could be done with the schedule threatening to break even the best/fittest player’s back,” says Ram Sridhar. “Surely something needs to give. Sam Curran not a Stokes yet but definitely Stokes-in-the making with his pinpoint accuracy -bowling and batting (on his day of course).”
2nd over: England 3-0 (Roy 1, Bairstow 1) The pacy Lungi Ngidi starts with a big no-ball, which means a free hit for Jonny Bairstow. He can’t take advantage, with Ngidi spearing in a good leg-stump yorker.
Both batters get off the mark with singles into the leg side. This is an important series for Roy, whose ODI form since the World Cup has been disappointing. He smashed a few in the Netherlands last month, but against Test-playing nations he averages 26 in the last three years, with a top score of 60.
In other news, thanks to Tim for pointing out this scorecard from Derby. Haseeb Hameed is quietly having an excellent season. Oh, and Ben Duckett is biffing his way towards 200.
1st over: England 0-0 (Roy 0, Bairstow 0) Ever since the 2016 World Cup final, there has been a perception that Jason Roy struggles when teams open the bowling with spin. I don’t have the data to hand, but I’m sure South Africa do.
Maharaj starts with a teasing, accurate over to Roy, who plays it respectfully. A maiden.
The players are back out, and South Africa are going to open with spin: the captain Keshav Maharaj.
“I think there is probably a question of etiquette here,” writes John Starbuck. “Only when a player has definitely retired can they be officially neutral. Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad are now seasoned broadcasters too, and they use the nicknames – which are not necessarily their actual team nicknames. That might be bit more controversial e.g. Bob Willis known as ‘Goose’.”
I wonder when people started using nicknames. Try as I might, I can’t hear Jack Bannister or Richie Benaud saying, “And in comes Fruitfly to bowl to the Cockroach.” With them, it was always just Merv Hughes to Michael Atherton.
Thanks Tim, hello everyone. England have successfully chased 334 or more on five occasions – all since 2015, obviously – so this target won’t intimidate them. But it won’t be easy, for a few reasons: the long square boundaries, England’s lowish confidence and a fine, varied South African attack.
Rassie – and England – stuck at itAll you can do in this heat is stick at it, and Rassie van der Dussen did that supremely well. He stuck it out long enough to make 133 of his team’s 333, and even had the nous to go down a gear when Aiden Markram was reverse-sweeping all before him.
The other party that shone in the heat was England’s attack. While Matthew Potts was unwell and Ben Stokes bereft of magic, the rest of them rose to the challenge. Carse was economical, Curran creative, Livingstone competitive, Rashid and Moeen canny. When the big guns return – Woakes, Archer, Topley, Wood – Jos Buttler’s team could be just as formidable as Eoin Morgan’s. Now they just have to lay on a Morgan-style chase, ideally with Stokes hitting the winning runs, by accident, off the back of his bat.
Thanks for your company and correspondence. I’ll leave you in the safe, if perhaps slightly sweaty, hands of the great Rob Smyth.
Time to rehydrate Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/ReutersSA finish on 333!50th over: South Africa 333-5 (Miller 24, Phehlukwayo 0) The dubious honour of bowling the last over falls to Brydon Carse. His long-on, Stokes, is quite wide, so Miller bunts him down the ground for four… and Stokes finishes his last outing on the field in this format flat on his face, with a mouthful of his home turf. So the South Africans rack up their biggest score in an ODI in England, but surely feeling that they should have got 20 more. Last time they broke that record, they lost. So this game, I can exclusively reveal, could go either way.
“Not only is Wood very interesting in what he’s saying on comms,” argues Brendan Large, “with a lot of up to date insight…but you gotta absolutely love that accent!” You have. If he could just drop the nicknames, he’d be the complete commentator.
Wicket! Klaasen c Roy b Carse 12 (SA 327-5)Klaasen wants to do something about the missing six… but he just picks out long-on, where Jason Roy makes no mistake. England are finishing strongly, which is no mean feat in this heat.
49th over: South Africa 327-4 (Miller 18, Klaasen 12) After a quiet start, Heinrich Klaasen shows his class by anticipating Curran’s yorker and playing a lovely check-scoop it for four. Miller, trusting in his edges, nicks for four through the vacant slips. Curran finishes with 1-67 on a day when he would not have been flattered by 3-50.
48th over: South Africa 314-4 (Miller 13, Klaasen 4) Back comes Brydon Carse, and one ofthe commentators is Mark Wood – the very man he is replacing as England’s bang-it-in merchant. Some players of the past might have been a bit narky, but Wood has a big heart. “Pace on, pace off,” he says. “He’s executing this really well. Perfect over that from Carsey.”
47th over: South Africa 308-4 (Miller 10, Klaasen 1) David Miller is a dangerous finisher, but not usually in this fashion. Facing Curran, he inside-edges onto the stumps … and gets four as the bail refuses to budge. It may well have melted.
Miller likes the effect so much he does it again, though this time it’s just off the inside edge, not the leg stump as well. SA still aiming for 350, though 340 may be more realistic.
46th over: South Africa 297-4 (Miller 0) Well done Liam Livingstone, making a great recovery after one bad over earlier. He now has 4-0-29-2.
WICKET!! van der Dussen b Livingstone 133 (SA 297-4)One brings two! In the same over from Livingstone, who is a middling bowler but a fierce competitor. He deceives van der Dussen, and that’s the end of a scorchingly good knock – 133 off 117 balls, with only ten fours and a lot of hard runnin. It’s his highest in international cricket.
Gutted: Rassie van der Dussen walks after losing his wicket Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/ReutersWICKET! Markram c Bairstow b Livingstone 77 (SA 295-3)The breakthrough, at last. Markram’s outstanding innings comes to an end as Jonny Bairstow takes a very neat catch on the midwicket boundary. He’s obviously warming to his new hat-and-shades combo.
45th over: South Africa 292-2 (van der Dussen 130, Markram 76) Rashid does well to restrict the batters to five singles. An odd feature of this innings is that there hasn’t been a single six. Hard to see England following suit, even if this is a big ground.
Meanwhile, we have a dissatisfied customer. “Re 18th over,” says John Foster, “excellent ‘pro tip’. I’m sure [Mark] Wood will be grateful for the benefit of your wisdom garnered from years of being an esteemed TMS summariser. And indeed England team member. Cheers!” Ouch. I meant pro as in professional member of the media, the role Wood is dabbling in today (and mainly playing very well, as I said). Just as he’s the pro when it comes to playing cricket, so we writers are the pros when it comes to covering it. But perhaps I got the tone wrong.
44th over: South Africa 287-2 (van der Dussen 127, Markram 74) Stokes continues, not fully fit but forever whole-hearted. He bowls a no-ball, as he did a few times on the way to his four Test triumphs. The free hit yields only a single but the seventh ball is costly, whipped for four by Aiden Markram. The partnership goes to 143, making it the highest for the third wicket in ODIs by two South Africans against England, beating Kallis and Gibbs.
43rd over: South Africa 275-2 (van der Dussen 122, Markram 68) And another ten off this over from Rashid. After slog-sweeping him for four, van der Dussen tries it again and is dropped by Jonny Bairstow, sliding in from deep midwicket. Bairstow is just back from a spell off the field, possibly with sunstroke, and is wearing sunglasses and a floppy hat. This may not be much consolation, but it’s a look that suits him.
42nd over: South Africa 265-2 (van der Dussen 115, Markram 65) Ben Stokes, willing as ever, comes back on. He starts well but then has to bow to Markram, who thrashes him to leg, then off, then leg again – four, four, one. Thirteen off the over. Stokes’s career as an ODI bowler is ending with a bang, and not in the right way.
41st over: South Africa 252-2 (van der Dussen 112, Markram 55) Buttler keeps two overs of Curran up his sleeve and brings back Rashid. Eoin Morgan salutes “his subtle variations” and Rashid bears him out by inducing a couple of uncertain strokes, but the upshot is much the same: eight off the over.
The cricket authorities have reacted to the heat as only they can. In a dramatic development, the break between innings will be extended from 30 minutes to 35.
Fifty to Markram!40th over: South Africa 244-2 (van der Dussen 107, Markram 52) Markram dabs Carse into the on side for a single to reach the third and fastest fifty of the day, off just 40 balls. And up comes the hundred partnership too – it’s been superb. Carse has done well in terms of economy, going for 34 off seven overs, but he does struggle to offer a threat.
Rassie van der Dussen and Aiden Markram. Photograph: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images39th over: South Africa 238-2 (van der Dussen 105, Markram 49) Not content with a hundred (off 90 balls), van der Dussen hits the next two deliveries for two. He has only hit nine fours, so an awful lot of running has gone into this innings – graft as well as class.
Hundred to van der Dussen!A flick off the pads, fine enough to go for four, takes Rassie van der Dussen to his first ODI hundred against England. It’s been very classy.
Rassie van der Dussen reaches his century Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images38th over: South Africa 229-2 (van der Dussen 96, Markram 49) Matty Potts is feeling unwell, apparently – sounds like heat stroke. With Stokes less than fully fit, the last right-arm seamer standing is Brydon Carse. Buttler brings him back, he bangs it in, and it works for five balls – but then Markram pulls him for four.
Drinks: SA coasting37th over: South Africa 222-2 (van der Dussen 93, Markram 45) Seeing Markram take charge, van der Dussen has been playing second fiddle, but he takes then lead againnow with a pull for three off Curran. That’s drinks, with SA double-Nelson-ing their way to something huge.
36th over: South Africa 215-2 (van der Dussen 88, Markram 43) Markram is really motoring. He lofts Moeen fora straight four, then reverses for two. A glance down the page reveals that I’ brought you not one 31st over, but three – sorry about that. Can I blame the heat?
On the subject of motoring, Ben Stokes told Nasser Husain today, “We’re not just cars you can fill up with diesel or petrol”. Simon Burnton has the story.
35th over: South Africa 207-2 (van der Dussen 87, Markram 36) In the absence of Topley, Buttler summons … Sam Curran. And he does draw a false shot from van der Dussen, but the edge goes for four. Tough luck on Curran, who has been England’s best bowler today with 6-1-27-1.
34th over: South Africa 198-2 (van der Dussen 81, Markram 33) Markram, on fire now, reverse-sweeps Moeen for four. That’s the fifty partnership, 53 off 51 balls: England may be missing Malan.
33rd over: South Africa 190-2 (van der Dussen 79, Markram 27) After that good second over, Livingstone has a minor shocker, going both too short and too full to Markram. Two long-hops are cut for four, but the best shot is a drive, played inside-out. In the space of one over, Markram goes from a supporting actor to joint leading man.
And here’s Kim Thonger. “Spurred on by Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch’s fresh faced and rightful insistence that the only way forward is to tell the truth,” he says, “I am informing the world that I am reading the OBO in a tepid bath inside while outside 40 degree heat cooks Northamptonshire to a condition that were it a rump steak could only be described as charred. Oh for a spot of traditional English July steady drizzle.” With you there!
32nd over: South Africa 176-2 (van der Dussen 78, Markram 14) van der Dussen reverse-sweeps Moeen, so delicately that Buttler thinks he’s missed dit and appeals for LBW. It goes for three. If Topley was playing, Buttler would be bringing him back now with one instruction: Get Rassie.
31st over: South Africa 170-2 (van der Dussen 74, Markram 12) A better over from Livingstone, who hustles and bustles and goes for just three singles.
30th over: South Africa 167-2 (van der Dussen 72, Markram 11) Another regal shot from van der Dussen, the man of the match so far: he cuts Moeen for four, finding the gap expertly. Matthew Potts, by the way, has been off the field for a while, possibly nursing an injury as well as his bruised pride. With 20 overs to go, SA are eyeing 350 again.
29th over: South Africa 161-2 (van der Dussen 67, Markram 10) As his second spinner has done the trick, Buttler summons a third – Liam Livingstone. And you could say a fourth too, as Livingstone is two spinners for the price of one, an offie and a leggie. Or, as the Guardian spellcheck wants me to say, an offie and a veggie. This over is mostly leg-breaks and Markram tucks in, turning a couple of ones into twos. Eight off the over.
28th over: South Africa 153-2 (van der Dussen 65, Markram 4) Just four singles off Moeen’s over as Aiden Markram settles in. He has slotted into the role Malan suddenly abandoned, working the ball into the gaps on this large ground.
27th over: South Africa 149-2 (van der Dussen 63, Markram 2) Rashid, enjoying his mate’’s moment in the sun, finds some extra bounce to beat van der Dussen outside off. Adil and Mo will be interviewed at the interval about their Muslim faith. Good on Sky for that.
26th over: South Africa 145-2 (van der Dussen 61, Markram 0) That’s a fine over from Moeen, going for just two as well as bringing the wicket. But the crowd are very quie, perhaps deciding that it’s too hot to cheer.
WICKET! Malan c Livingstone b Moeen 57 (SA 144-2)The breakthrough at last! Buttler brings back Moeen, who persuades Malan to hole out to Livingstone on the long legside boundary. “England needed that wicket,” says Nasser Hussain. Well, yes, better than nothing, but it’s not the wicket they needed.
England’s Moeen Ali (centre) celebrates with his team-mates after taking the wicket of South Africa’s Janneman Malan. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA25th over: South Africa 143-1 (Malan 57, van der Dussen 59) Rashid continues, and so does the pattern: singles to Malan, a four to van der Dussen, who sees a half-volley and wallops it past Rashid’s right ear. Even England’s senior bowler is struggling here.
Hundred partnership!24th over: South Africa 135-1 (Malan 55, van der Dussen 53) Carse eventually finishes his over, and another elegant cover-drive from van der Dussen brings up the hundred partnership, off 104 balls. These two make a good duo – a master and his apprentice.
Drinks again: SA on topMid-24th over: South Africa 132-1 (Malan 54, van der Dussen 51) Three more balls from Carse, and Malan hurts himself again, possibly twisting a knee when running, so there’s another drinks break. The camera finds a line of spectators, queuing patiently in the cauldron that is Chester-le-Street. I assume it’s going to draw back to show Mr Whippy, but in fact it’s a queue for the tap where you can fill a water bottle. This is what we’ve come to.
England’s Ben Stokes attempts to coold down during a drinks break. Photograph: Lee Smith/Action Images/ReutersSouth Africa’s Janneman Malan receives medical treatment after hurting his knee while diving towards his crease. Photograph: Oli Scarff/AFP/Getty ImagesIf you do one thing today for the poor old climate, please follow The Next Test on Twitter. It’s run by my colleague Tanya Aldred, our queen of the county scene. Nobody in the press box has been more alert to the coming catastrophe.