| Third Vitality Twenty20 International, Ageas Bowl |
| South Africa 191-5 (20 overs) Hendricks 70 (50), Markram 51* (36); Willey 3-25 |
| England 101 (16.4 overs) Bairstow 27 (30); Shamsi 5-24 |
| South Africa won by 90 runs; win series 2-1 |
| Scorecard |
A dismal batting display saw a pitiful England suffer a heavy 90-run defeat in the deciding Twenty20 against South Africa to lose the series 2-1.
Chasing 192 to win, they were blunt with the bat, going 55 balls without hitting a boundary at one stage, before being dismissed for 101 in 16.4 overs.
It is the fourth time in six T20s this summer that England have been bowled out and there was another failure for Jason Roy, who made 17 off 18 balls.
Jonny Bairstow top-scored with 27, while South Africa’s left-arm wrist spinner Tabraiz Shamsi ripped through England with career-best figures of 5-24.
Defeat means England have lost a third successive T20 series, after defeats by West Indies and India this year, for the first time and they have failed to win a white-ball series in a home summer for the first time since 2013.
Reeza Hendricks had earlier made 70 off 50 balls and Aiden Markram hit an unbeaten 51 as the Proteas brilliantly paced their innings to post 191-5.
The returning David Willey was the pick of England’s bowlers, taking 3-25, including removing Quinton de Kock in a wicket maiden at the start of the innings.
England are next in action when a three-Test series against South Africa starts at Lord’s on 17 August.
Their next T20 assignment will come in a seven-game tour of Pakistan in late September before three T20s against Australia leading into this year’s T20 World Cup in October and November.
England’s top-order struggles continue
Much of England’s white-ball success over the last six years has been built on their top-order power. This summer it simply has not produced.
Roy has contributed just 76 runs in six games, at a strike-rate of 77.55, compared to a career figure of 137.77, with the 32-year-old unable to play with any fluency.
His dismissal was one of frustration as he looked to pull fast bowler Anrich Nortje but could only feather through to Proteas keeper De Kock.
Jos Buttler got another start but sliced Keshav Maharaj to short third, with England only able to hit two boundaries in the powerplay, in comparison to South Africa’s 10.
The innings never had any rhythm, with Dawid Malan picking out deep square leg to fall for seven, Moeen Ali superbly caught by Tristan Stubbs at cover and Liam Livingstone tamely picking out long-off for three.
There were ironic cheers round the Ageas Bowl when Bairstow flicked away for four to end the boundary drought, but Sam Curran and Willey then fell in successive balls.
Bairstow, who was looking to farm the strike and pull off a ridiculous victory, holed out to deep mid-wicket to wrap up a timid display.
England have been unable to put together two batting performances in a row this summer and with a World Cup just 10 competitive games away that will be of grave concern to captain Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott.
More to follow
