SA vs ENG, 2020: 1st T20I – Bairstow's big knock at No.4, Biggest T20I chase at Newlands and more stats

England began their tour of South Africa with a close win in the first T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series. Faf du Plessis’ 40-ball 58 found the support from Quinton de Kock (30 off 23) and Rassie van der Dussen (37 off 28) as South Africa finished on 179/6. In reply, England lost three wickets for 34 runs inside powerplay before an attacking 85-run stand from 52 balls between Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes. Bairstow smashed nine fours and four maximums during his unbeaten 48-ball 86 and completed the chase with four balls to spare.

Here are all the statistical highlights from England’s 5-wicket win during the first SA vs ENG T20I:

England improves their T20I record in South Africa:

3 – England now has defeated South Africa in each of their last three T20Is played against them; all of them in South Africa only. Before this hat-trick of wins against the Proteas in South Africa, the English team had not won a T20I for 11 years.

In this process, Eoin Morgan became the first visiting captain in South Africa with as many as three T20I victories against the hosts. Morgan is now also the joint-most successful T20I captain against South Africa having won five out of nine games against them; same as the former Indian captain MS Dhoni who also led in nine T20Is against the Proteas.

Not the best of venues for South Africa:

8 – South Africa have lost as many as eight T20I matches at the Newlands in Cape Town; the joint-most number of T20Is they lost at any venue alongside the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Out of the 13 T20Is they played in Cape Town, the Proteas won only four outright while another game resulted in a South Africa’s win in the Super over.

180 – England’s chase of 180 in this game is now the highest successful T20I chase at the Cape Town’s Newlands ground. The previous highest T20I chase here was 180 by Australia during the 2016 tour against the home side.

England’s comeback:

146 – England chased down a total of 146 runs after losing their 3rd wicket in the first T20I is now the 3rd highest number of runs that a team chased down successfully after the fall of 3rd wicket in T20I cricket. Australia, in 2016 Johannesburg T20I against SA, chased down a target of 205 from 31/3 while Sri Lanka won chasing a target of 174 from being 27/3 against Australia in the 2017 Geelong T20I.

Bairstow’s record knock:

86* – Jonny Bairstow’s unbeaten 86 is now the 4th highest individual score during a successful T20I chase while batting outside top three. Glenn Maxwell struck unbeaten tons in successful chases against India (113* in 2019 Bangalore T20I) and England (103* in 2018 Hobart T20I) at No.4 position while Justin Kemp also smashed an unbeaten 89 at No.4 for South Africa in the 2007 WT20 during a 154-run chase against New Zealand.

Half-centurions with the ball:

56 – The 56 runs conceded by Beuran Hendricks in the first T20I are the 3rd most number of runs conceded by any bowler in a Men’s T20I for South Africa. Kyle Abbott was taken for 68 runs during the 2015 Johannesburg T20I against West Indies while David Wiese ended up conceding 58 runs in the 2016 Johannesburg  T20I against Australia.

55 – Tom Curran conceded 55 runs in his four overs during the South Africa innings. It is the first time in more than two years than an England bowler gave away more than 50 runs in a Men’s T20I.

South Africa’s longest gap:

263 – The Cape Town T20I brought an end to South Africa’s gap of 263 days without International cricket which is their longest since readmission to cricket in 1991. South Africa’s previous biggest gap without International cricket since their readmission was of 218 days in the 1995 calendar year.