Press Trust of India
Mumbai, March 18: England pulled off an astonishing 230-run record chase with Joe Root (83, 44b, 6×4, 4×6) leading an incredible batting performance that powered them to a two-wicket victory against South Africa in the ICC World Twenty20 here Friday.
Required to score at almost 12 runs an over, England turned the chase on its head with Jason Roy (43, 16b, 5×4, 3×6) and Alex Hales (17) putting on a blistering 48-run partnership for the opening wicket in just 2.3 overs.
Then Test specialist Root, took over as England succeeded in pulling off the second-best run-chase in T20 Internationals and best in World T20 history by making 230 for 8 in 19.4 overs, thus keeping their hopes alive in the mega event.
The highest-ever second innings T20 total was put up by the West Indies, 236, also against South Africa in January, 2015, when they chased down the home team’s 231 for seven at Johannesburg.
Earlier South Africa rode on belligerent half centuries from Quinton de Kock (52, 24b, 7×4, 3×6), Hashim Amla (58, 31b, 7×4, 3×6) and Jean-Paul Duminy (54 n o, 28b, 3×4, 3×6) to post a record total of 229 for four.
A near-century opening partnership between right-handed Amla and left-handed De Kock set the stage for left-handers Duminy and David Miller (24 n o, 11b, 2×4, 2×6) to finish the innings with a flourish with an unconquered stand of 60 in 27 balls. The only batsmen to fail were Faf du Plessis (17) and AB de Villiers (16). Wicket keeper-batsman De Kock and Amla set the ball rolling with an opening stand of 96 in 7.1 overs and there was no respite for the opposition bowlers.