South Africa vs England, 2020: 3rd T20I – End of South Africa's streaks, Eoin Morgan’s blitz, England's big chase and more stats

England clinched the 3-match T20I series against South Africa following a successful 223-run chase in the series-decider in Centurion. South Africa put on 84/1 in 7.4 overs for the first wicket and a 33-ball 66 from Heinrich Klaasen powered the hosts to a big total of 222/6.

After losing Jason Roy’s wicket early on, Jos Buttler (57 off 29) and Jonny Bairstow (64 off 34) shared a 91-run partnership in only 8.1 overs. Just when the pressure began to build after three quick wickets, the England skipper Eoin Morgan’s (57* off 22) six-hitting spree got England home with five balls to spare.

All the statistical highlights from England’s record chase against South Africa in the Centurion T20I:

A big chase for England:

223 – England’s chase of 223 in this match is the 4th biggest successful chase in the history of T20I cricket. Australia gunned down 244 against New Zealand in the 2018 Auckland T20I while West Indies chased 232 during the 2015 Johannesburg T20I against South Africa. The English team also successfully chased 230 also against South Africa during the 2016 WT20 match in Mumbai.

2 – England is now the 4th team after India (4), Australia (2) and South Africa (2) with multiple successful T20I chases of 200+ targets. Overall, England has five 200+ totals in T20Is while chasing; the 2nd most by any team after India (8).

Record 200+ totals by South Africa and England:

13 – Number of 200+ totals by South Africa in the T20I cricket; the 2nd most for any team in this format behind India (17). South Africa went past Australia’s 12 T20I totals of 200+ in this match. Five of those 13 200+ T20I totals by South Africa resulted in defeats. No other team has more than three 200+ T20I totals resulting in losses.

4 – This was the 4th instance of England posting a 200+ total in a T20I match on South African soil. They are the first time to have as many as four 200+ T20I totals in an away country. Australia in New Zealand, South Africa and Afghanistan in India have three 200+ T20I totals.

Three half-centurions in a chase:

3 – As many as three players scored 50+ runs for England in this game; the first such instance for them in a T20I. Overall, this is the 9th instance of three players with 50+ scores in a T20I innings but the first occasion recorded during a T20I chase.

A rare chase against South Africa:

8 – This defeat brought an end to South Africa’s 8-match winning streak in home T20I matches while defending a target. The last instance of South Africa failing to defend a target at home was back during the series against Sri Lanka in January 2017.

South Africa’s loss; England’s gain:

5 – England now has won each of their last five bilateral series in the T20I format – 1-0 vs Sri Lanka in 2018, 3-0 vs West Indies in 2019, 1-0 vs Pakistan in 2019 and 3-2 vs New Zealand in 2019 are the previous four. They are only the 3rd team after Pakistan and India to have won five or more consecutive T20I bilateral series in Men’s cricket.

5 – This series defeat brought an end to South Africa’s unbeaten streak of five T20I series. Their last series defeat in this format came during the one-off T20I in 2018 against Sri Lanka. It was the first instance of South Africa remaining unbeaten in five consecutive T20I series.

This was also South Africa’s first home T20I series defeat since losing to India in 2018. They won three successive T20I series played at home in this period; the first such instance for the South Africans.

Sixes galore yet again:

15 – Number of sixes England hit during their innings; the joint-most sixes they hit during a T20I. England struck 15 maximums also during the 2013 Auckland T20I against New Zealand.

These 15 sixes are also the most South Africa conceded in a T20I surpassing the 13 sixes during the Friday’s T20I in Durban. The most number of sixes that South Africa conceded in a T20I before this series was 12 against West Indies in Johannesburg during 2007 WT20 and also during 2015 series.

28 – The 28 sixes in this match are the most in a T20I hosted by South Africa equalling the 28 maximums during the Durban T20I on Friday.

Morgan deals it in sixes:

7 – Eoin Morgan smashed seven sixes in this game without hitting a four. He is only the 3rd player to hit as many as seven sixes in an International innings without hitting a four. PNG’s Norman Vanua hit 7 sixes during his 12-ball 47 against Vanuatu last year while Australia’s Razmal Shigiwal also struck seven sixes without a four during his 21-ball 53 against Luxembourg in 2019.

105 – The 2nd of the seven sixes hit by Eoin Morgan in this match was his 100th maximum in the T20I format. Morgan is now the first England player and overall the 5th to smash 100 T20I sixes. Rohit Sharma (127), Martin Guptill (119), Colin Munro (107) and Chris Gayle (105) are the other players with this achievement.

Morgan equals his own record:

21 – Eoin Morgan’s 21-ball fifty in this match is the joint-fastest fifty in the T20I format for England. Morgan equalled his own record as he scored a 21-ball fifty during last year’s Napier T20I against New Zealand.

7 – The seven sixes by Eoin Morgan in this match are the joint-most number of sixes for England in a T20I inning. Ravi Bopara vs Australia in 2014 Hobart T20I, Jason Roy vs India in 2018 Bristol T20I and Morgan on four instances including this match hit as many as seven sixes in a T20I for England.