England ease to series victory
Kevin Pietersen continues his 100 per cent record as captain
Friday, 29, Aug 2008 10:45
England beat South Africa by 126 runs to win the third one-day international at the Oval and open up an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff continued his recent return to form, scoring a run-a-ball 78 not out to anchor the second half of the hosts' innings as they posted a competitive total of 296-7.
Opener Ian Bell also impressed, scoring 73 off 77 balls before being trapped lbw by Johan Botha, as England hammered home their momentum from the opening two matches.
But it was a disciplined bowling performance from spinner Samit Patel, who returned superb figures of 5-41, that stole the headlines as the hosts continued their remarkable 100 per cent record under new captain Kevin Pietersen.
Some wayward bowling from Makhaya Ntini enabled England to take the upper hand early on in their innings.
Bell and Matt Prior (33) gave the hosts the perfect platform from which to attack the Proteas' bowlers with a century partnership to open the innings.
However, with the score on 101 without loss the wicketkeeper-batsman clipped an awkward Andre Morkel delivery to Herschelle Gibbs at mid-off to give the fielding side their first breakthrough.
Owais Shah (23) continued England's solid start opposite Bell to take the score on to 144-1 before the opener's dismissal sparked a mini-collapse to 155-4, as Shah and then Pietersen (five) went in quick succession.
However, Flintoff played a patient innings and built partnerships with newfound fortitude and aplomb after coming in at number five.
At the other end, the recalled Paul Collingwood (14 off 22 balls), and fellow all-rounders Patel (31 off 33) and Luke Wright (17 off 13) chipped in with useful scores as England set a decent target for the tourists to chase on a fairly flat wicket.
The South African reply started in hesitant fashion and soon the hosts had the upper hand - Gibbs (12) spooning a James Anderson delivery to mid-wicket with the score on 19.
Fellow opener Hashim Amla looked to set a positive tone opposite the out-of-form Jacques Kallis.
But again it was England who came up with the goods when it mattered - Steve Harmison encouraged Amla (46) to nick behind to Prior before Kallis (nine) was dismissed by Flintoff to leave the Proteas reeling on 77-3.
AB de Villiers (12) gave away his wicket with a suicidal run out as the tourists' situation became ever more desperate.
And when the traditional engineroom of South Africa's batting lineup disintegrated - Mark Boucher (19), JP Duminy (18) and Andre Morkel (16) all gave away their wickets for less than 20 runs each – the writing was on the wall.
The wicket of Morkel marked the start of a quickfire flurry for Patel - and arguably was the best of the lot.
The Nottinghamshire man bounced back from being hit for two massive sixes in the first three balls of the over to take a superb caught-and-bowled chance low down to expose the tail.
And he duly wrapped up the innings, bowling Botha and having Morne Morkel (six) and Ntini (0) caught by Stuart Broad and Prior, respectively, to send the Proteas packing at 170 all out.
The win means England have won the series with two matches to spare as they go to Lord's on Sunday, before the final match at Cardiff's SWALEC Stadium next Wednesday.