Kieswetter And Buttler Set Up England Victory

Kieswetter And Buttler Set Up England Victory

Craig Kieswetter (right) acrobatically makes his ground as AB de Villiers attempts to stump him at Edgbaston

©REUTERS / Action Images

England 118-5 (Kieswetter 50, Buttler 32) beat
South Africa 90-5 (Amla 36) by 28 runs
Third One-Day International, Edgbaston
Scorecard

England completed their summer with a 28-run win - and a convincing one at that - over South Africa in the third and final Twenty20 International at Edgbaston.

Just as it had at Old Trafford, the game was reduced due to rain but here it was played to its conclusion and England's score of 118 for five in 11 overs proved well beyond the Proteas.

Craig Kieswetter smashed 50 in 32 balls with three fours and three sixes and after South Africa had fought back with three wickets in seven overs, Kieswetter and his Somerset team-mate Jos Buttler (32 in 10 balls) continued to take on the bowling, Buttler hitting two fours and three sixes. The pair hit 48 in just two overs.

The cheap dismissals of Michael Lumb (5), Luke Wright (6), Eoin Morgan (5) and Jonny Bairstow (4) barely slowed England's run rate, Morne Morkel and Johan Botha nevertheless recording decent figures of two for 27 and two for 19 respectively.

England opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Danny Briggs but it was Tim Bresnan who got the early breakthrough when Richard Levi was bowled for one.

Hashim Amla held the innings together with 36 in 27 balls but could not form the sort of partnership that England had enjoyed and South Africa desperately needed.

Briggs removed Faf du Plessis for eight, Bresnan struck again to have Justin Ontong (10) caught by Morgan while Graeme Swann (2-24) dismissed Amla and AB de Villiers (2).

Albie Morkel hit a six in making 17 in 14 balls and Jacques Kallis scurried to eight not out in five but their efforts were far too little, far too late, and England ensured the series was tied 1-1.

© Cricket World 2012