Jos Buttler’s quickfire 32 not out provided the platform for England to beat South Africa by 28 runs in the third and final Twenty20 international at Edgbaston on Wednesday. Victory saw World Twenty20 champions England, who head to Sri Lanka on Thursday to defend the title they won in the Caribbean two years ago, square this three-match series at 1-1 with one no result.
Most of Buttler’s runs, in a match reduced by rain to 11 overs per side, came in a costly ninth over worth 32 from left-arm quick Wayne Parnell. It was the second most expensive over in Twenty20 international history after Yuvraj Singh struck England captain Stuart Broad for 36 runs made up of six sixes in Durban during the inaugural 2007 World Twenty20. England made 118 for five — with man-of-the-match Buttler facing just 10 balls including three sixes and two fours. South Africa, who were never up with the rate, finished on 90 for five.
SCOREBOARD
ENGLAND
C. Kieswetter b M Morkel 50
M. Lumb b Parnell 5
L. Wright c Amla b Botha 6
E. Morgan c Ontong b Peterson 5
J. Buttler not out 32
J. Bairstow b M Morkel 4
T. Bresnan not out 1
EXTRAS (lb2, w11, nb2) 15
TOTAL (5 wkts, 11 overs) 118
FALL of WICKETS: 1-20 (Lumb), 2-43 (Wright), 3-64 (Morgan), 4-112 (Kieswetter), 5-116 (Bairstow)
DID not BAT: S Broad, G Swann, J Dernbach, D Briggs
BOWLING: M Morkel 2-0-28-2 (2w); Parnell 2-0-37-1 (2w); A Morkel 1-0-5-0; Peterson 2-0-16-0 (2w); Botha 3-0-19-2; Kallis 1-0-11-0
SOUTH AFRICA
R. Levi b Bresnan 1
H. Amla c Bairstow b Swann 36
F. du Plessis c Morgan b Briggs 8
AB de Villiers c Bairstow b Broad 2
A. Morkel not out 17
J. Ontong c Morgan b Bresnan 10
J. Kallis not out 8
EXTRAS (b1, lb3, w4) 8
TOTAL (5 wkts, 11 overs) 90
FALL of WICKETS: 1-9 (Levi), 2-34 (du Plessis), 3-51 (De Villiers), 4-53 (Amla), 5-69 (Ontong)
DID NOT BAT: J Botha, R Peterson, W Parnell, M Morkel
BOWLING: Briggs 2-0-16-1; Bresnan 2-0-14-2; Broad 2-0-18-0 (2w); Swann 3-0-24-2; Dernbach 2-0-14-0 (2w)
RESULT: England won by 28 runs
MAN-of-the-MATCH: Jos Buttler (ENG)
SERIES: Three-match series level at 1-1
MAN-of-the-SERIES: Craig Kieswetter (ENG)
TOSS: SOUTH AFRICA
UMPIRES: Richard Illingworth (ENG) and Rob Bailey (ENG)
TV UMPIRE: Peter Hartley (ENG)
MATCH REFEREE: Andy Pycroft (ZIM)
Previous Results
Sept 08: 1st T20, Chester-le-Street: South Africa won by seven wickets
Sept 10: 2nd T20, Manchester: No result (rain))
