Tahir, Morris power South Africa to victory in first T20I

All-rounder Chris Morris hit winning runs on the last ball of the match as South Africa lead the two-match series.

Published : Feb 19, 2016 21:37 IST , Cape Town

Imran Tahir celebrates a wicket with captain Faf du Plessis.
Imran Tahir celebrates a wicket with captain Faf du Plessis.
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Imran Tahir celebrates a wicket with captain Faf du Plessis.

South Africa defeated England by three wickets as all-rounder Chris Morris hit winning runs on the last ball of the match in the first Twenty20 international against South Africa at Newlands on Friday. Chasing 135, Chris Jordan took two wickets in the penultimate over to swing the match in England's favour. Needing 15 from the last over, Morris smashed one four and one six as the match hung evenly tied. Morris held his nerve and steered the home team to victory by finishing it up with quick running between the wickets.

Earlier, leg-spinner Imran Tahir took four wickets for 21 as England struggled to 134 for eight after being sent in to bat.

> Full Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

England looked set for a big total as opening batsmen Jason Roy and the in-form Alex Hales hit 38 off the first 3.3 overs before Roy clipped Kagiso Rabada to Hashim Amla at mid-wicket.

Tahir came on to bowl after the six-over power play had yielded 50 runs for Roy's wicket.

He struck with his fourth ball when Hales top-edged a sweep to backward square leg. JP Duminy held the catch despite being knocked to the ground by Rabada, who was also running for the ball.

Tahir followed up by dismissing Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan and Moeen Ali. The latter two wickets were off successive balls and he narrowly missed a hat-trick when a googly went over Chris Jordan's middle stump.

It was a cool, cloudy evening with the possibility of rain showers. Rain twice interrupted a women's Twenty20 international between the two countries, played earlier, which South Africa won by 17 runs according to the Duckworth/Lewis method.

Cricket South Africa announced after the toss that wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock would miss both Twenty20 internationals in order to rest a minor right knee injury he sustained during the Test series against England. AB de Villiers kept wicket.

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