The decider ain't a grudge match says Eoin Morgan

One dismissal can change the whole scenario of the match and that was exactly what happened when Jason Roy was sent back for “Obstructing the field” in the second T20 International between South Africa and England. Roy was batting beautifully on 67 before Andile Phelukwayo’s throw hit him whilst he was short of his ground.

The South Africans have pulled off a stunning win the other day and this 3-run victory levelled the 3-match T20I series. The decider will be played on Sunday and it’s hard to predict which team will reign supreme. English skipper Eoin Morgan has clearly stated in a press conference that there won’t be any blood on Sunday when both these sides collide. He reckoned it was a 50-50 call as far as the controversial Roy’s dismissal was concerned and it seemed correct from both point of views.

He opined that he was not precisely sure if that’s against the spirit of the game but the South Africans were entitled to appeal and they got the decision in their favour. “We’ll take it for what it is. It was probably a 50-50 call. You could see both sides of it. Everyone in the changing room thought it could go either way so it’s not massively controversial,” Morgan said.

“You can see why the umpires gave him out. Jason obviously looked at the umpire but after that he ran in a straight line, so that’s why it was a 50-50 call. They (South Africa) were certainly entitled to appeal and the spirit of the game is open to interpretation,” he added.

“Those were the darkest conditions I’ve played in by a country mile”

Taunton played hosts to some bizarre events the other day, from Roy’s dismissal to the English players batting in the gloomiest of conditions. The stadium had no flood lights and by the time England came out to bat, they found it really difficult to cope with the conditions in the second half of their innings.

“It wasn’t easy in that light,” the southpaw added. “I would have second guessed myself and changed it (the decision to bowl first).” When asked if those were the darkest conditions he had played in, Morgan replied: “By a country mile.”

England looked well on course to win the game despite of the conditions. They needed 40 odd runs in the final five overs and with 8 wickets in hand, it looked like a walk in the park. Nevertheless, a spirited performance from the South Africans took the game away from England.

“We were going really well for much of the chase but we lost a wicket at a crucial moment and nobody was able to take it up after that. We didn’t deserve to win because we didn’t capitalise on the start we had,” Morgan said.