DURHAM, July 19: Rassie van der Dussen his third ODI century, a career-best 134, to help South Africa post the second highest-score at Chester-le-Street and their highest score in England of 333 for 5.
Van der Dussen also featured in a record third-wicket stand of 151 for South Africa against England with Aiden Markram.
England’s attack struggled without debutant Matthew Potts for the bulk of their innings. Potts bowled four overs but left the field after feeling adverse effects from the heat and did not return, though he is expected to bat.
England’s pacers delivered short spells – aside from Sam Curran’s five-over spell at the start – with Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid doing the longer slogs. Potts was expensive in his ODI debut conceding 33 runs in four overs. Curran read the conditions well – his cutter swinging into Quinton de Kock and beating his swing to peg back leg stump.
Janneman Malan brought up South Africa’s fifty with a pull in the tenth over. Van der Dussen’s first boundary came off a reverse-sweep, as England introduced spin early, with Ben Stokes at the other end.
Stokes hit Malan on the arm with a bouncer, but Malan received treatment and responded with a back-foot shot down the ground to bring up South Africa’s 100 in the 18th over.
He reached fifty off 63 deliveries, his fourth in ODIs. Van der Dussen’s milestones followed shortly after, off just 45 balls.
Malan picked out Liam Livingstone at deep mid-wicket when he tried to hit Moeen over the rope.
Markram then took the attack to Livingstone, playing two balls through the covers for boundaries and hittting a third in the same direction.
He and van der Dussen set South Africa up for a threatening total. Van der Dussen’s century came off 90 balls and is his third hundred in 14 innings since April last year. He is only the third South African batter to score an ODI century against England in England.
Markram mistimed a loft off Livingstone to long-leg. Two balls later, van der Dussen tried to take Livingstone down the ground but missed and was bowled. England picked up three wickets in the last five overs, conceding 41 runs.
First innings report was last updated at 9:45 pm IST. (Agencies)
