By Magdalena Stanislav
SOUTHAMPTON, England (TheSportsNext) August 28, 2012: A swashbuckling innings of 150 by Hashim Amla helped South Africa to outplay England by 80 runs in the second One Day International at The Rose Bowl in Southampton on Tuesday and take 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
The first match of the One Day International series was washed out due to heavy rain.
South Africa scored 287 for five from their 50 overs as Hashim Amla struck 16 boundaries to score 150 runs from 124 deliveries and led the South African charge after South African skipper Graeme Smith won the toss and decided to bat first.
Hashim Amla and Graeme Smith (52 from 76 – 5 fours) scored 89 runs for the opening wicket partnership before Tim Bresnan got rid of the South African captain.
Rest of the South African batsmen including Dean Elgar (14 from 24 – 1 four), AB de Villiers (15 from 28 – 1 four), and Faf du Plessis (22 not out from 19 – 2 fours) played second-fiddle role as South Africa scored hefty 287 runs for the loss of five wickets from their 50 overs.
Graeme Swann was the pick of the bowlers for England as the offspinner grabbed two wickets for 50 runs while Steven Finn (1/59) and Tim Bresnan (1/61) failed to deal serious damage to the Proteas.
In reply, England got off the blocks in the worst possible fashion as their ODI skipper Alastair Cook (Duck) could last for only two deliveries as Lonwanbe Tsotsobe captured his wicket by smashing his furniture.
Cook’s opening partner Ian Bell (45 from 41 – 5 fours) showed little nerves over a worst start and added 64 runs for the second wicket partnership in company of Jonathan Trott (23 from 37 – 2 fours).
However, only when England started to look relax and back on course, fast bowler Morne Morkel struck hard and got rid of Jonathan Trott before left-arm offspinner Rob Peterson got out Ian Bell as England once again found themselves in a spot of bother at 77 for three from 15.5 overs, still needing 213 runs from 203 balls.
England needed either of Ravi Bopara (16 from 21 – 2 fours) or Eoin Morgan (27 from 48 – 1 four) to play a long innings but none of them could do that and even Craig Kieswetter (20 from 20 – 1 four, 1 six) failed to play a helping hand.
Samit Patel, however, looked strong at one end and scored 45 from 51 delivers hitting three boundaries and two sixes but he lacked support at the other end as Tim Bresnan (Duck), Graeme Swann (Duck), and James Anderson (5 from 13) went back into the pavilion in a quick succession.
In the end, England were bowled out for 207 runs from 40.4 overs with Morne Morkel (2/29), Wayne Parnell (2/51), and Robin Peterson (2/51) all sharing two wickets each.
Hashim Amla was undoubtedly the Man of the Match as his lone hand of 150 runs outperformed every other player in the match.
The five-match series now moves to The Oval which will host the third One Day International on August 31, 2012.
