England beat South Africa in first T20 as Jonny Barstow hits 90 and Moeen Ali slams record 16-ball fifty | Cricket News

England hit their second-highest T20 score of 234-6 as Jonny Bairstow (90) and Moeen Ali (52) star before Tristan Stubbs (78 off 28) smokes South Africa to 193-8 in reply; England lead three-match series 1-0 – watch game two on Sky Sports Cricket on Thursday (6pm on air)

Jonny Bairstow hit eight sixes and three fours in his 90 from 53 balls – during which he was dropped four times by South Africa

Jonny Bairstow continued his extraordinary summer with 90 from 53 balls while Moeen Ali slammed an England-record 16-ball fifty as Jos Buttler’s side marmalised sloppy South Africa for 234-6 en route to a 41-run win in an astonishing series opener at Bristol.

Bairstow followed four exhilarating Test hundreds in five innings across matches against New Zealand and India with a six-laden T20 international knock as England racked up their second-highest T20 total of all time, behind only their 241-3 against New Zealand in Napier in 2019.

South Africa gave the chase a terrific go with 21-year-old Tristan Stubbs (72 off 28) striking a 19-ball half-century and eight sixes after Reeza Hendricks smote 57 from 33 balls in a south-west run-fest.

But the tourists ended on 193-8 with Chris Jordan’s three-run 18th over all but extinguishing South Africa’s hopes – they needed 51 from 12 balls after that – before Stubbs’ sparkling innings came to an end at the start of a two-wicket 19th over from Richard Gleeson (3-51).

Bairstow was England’s top-scorer, clubbing eight sixes and three fours amid being dropped a staggering four times by the Proteas – Henrich Klaasen (twice), Rilee Rossouw and Hendricks the guilty parties – and sharing a riotous stand of 106 from 37 balls with the history-making Moeen.

Moeen Ali’s England-record 16-ball fifty came in his side’s second-highest T20I total of all time

Moeen (52 off 18) mowed six sixes in total – the last of which took him to a record-breaking half-century – with three of his maximums coming in as many balls in a 33-run 17th over as Andile Phehlukwayo (1-63 from four overs) was annihilated by the left-hander and the in-form Bairstow.

Phehlukwayo shipped five sixes in total in that over – Bairstow having started it by bashing successive balls into the stands – with England’s innings containing 20 maximums all told as spinners Tabraiz Shamsi (0-49 from three) and Stubbs (0-20 from one) also went the distance.

Lungi Ngidi bagged 5-39 amid the carnage, having England skipper Jos Buttler (22 off 7) caught brilliantly by a back-pedalling South Africa captain David Miller at long-off in the powerplay – that grab the undoubted highlight of a dismal fielding effort from the tourists.

One alert fan showed South Africa how it should be done as he caught one six Moeen had hauled over square leg on an evening on which Dawid Malan (43 off 23) also fired for a rampant England.

More to follow…

What’s next?

England and South Africa meet again in Cardiff on Thursday in the second T20 international (6.30pm first ball, 6pm on air) before the series concludes in Southampton on Sunday (2.30pm first ball, 2pm on air).

Then, from mid-August, the sides will play a three-Test series, starting at Lord’s (August 17-21) before further matches at Emirates Old Trafford (August 25-29) and The Kia Oval (September 8-12).

Watch the second T20 international between England and South Africa, from Sophia Gardens Cardiff, live on Sky Sports Cricket on Thursday. Coverage starts at 6pm with the first ball at 6.30pm.