South Africa vs England, 1st ODI - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Series: England tour of South Africa, 2019-20 Venue: Newlands, Cape Town Date & Time: Feb 04, 01:00 PM LOCAL

de Kock's hundred on captaincy debut drove South Africa to a clinical win © AFP

Series: RSA 1 - 0 England | Match: RSA won by 7 wickets.

South Africa: Spark achieved; ignition ahead!

A breath of fresh air, a sigh of relief for South Africa, as they pick up their first win of the calendar year, after a series of deflating losses in the Tests. It's time for some celebration, because God knows, South Africa need a reason to celebrate. The activation energy has been achieved. There's a spark in the engine, and it's time for ignition! On that note, it's goodbye and good night from Cricbuzz!

Quinton de Kock | MoM and RSA captain:Feels good to get back to winning ways. The extra responsibility helped me. It was a matter of getting momentum. Time to have a little celebration.

Eoin Morgan | England captain: We were way off the mark, completely outplayed by South Africa. We couldn't penetrate the de Kock/Bavuma stand and lost wickets in clusters.

South Africa 259-3 | win by 7 wickets.

South Africa stroll to 259

Courtesy the platform laid by Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma, South Africa eased home by 7 wickets with Rassie van der Dussen and debutant JJ Smuts at the crease, bringing their win-drought to an end, and a huge sigh of relief to the South African dressing room.

Bavuma falls agonisingly short of second ODI hundred

Temba Bavuma found some form with the bat, falling two runs short of a well-deserved ODI hundred, having played second fiddle to Quinton de Kock all innings. Bavuma decided to challenge the LBW call to Jordan, but it was crashing into the middle and leg stumps.

Centurion de Kock falls

He's weathered the storm, won the war, and then been hit by a bicycle. In an attempt to up the ante, de Kock falls, knocked over trying to slog-sweep Joe Root into the Cape of Good Hope.

de Kock scores hundred on captaincy debut

Quinton de Kock scores a hundred on captaincy debut to drive South Africa towards the finishing line, with a supporting act by Temba Bavuma.

1424 48

England lose both their captains

Root is run-out, courtesy an atheletic piece of fielding by van der Dussen, resulting in a direct-hit, followed by Morgan, who has late-cut Shamsi straight to the waiting slip fielder.

England lose their openers in quick succession!

JJ Smuts, making his ODI debut, cuts short Roy's innings, tempting him into a loft to long-on to have him caught. Roy has thrown away a fantastic start to a part-timer. Soon after, Bairstow mistimed a Phehlukwayo ball to mid-off where the catch was taken to send Bairstow on his way, continuing his rut with the bat.

Roy cuts loose early

Jason Roy crashes three boundaries off Beuran Hendricks' second over, putting the pressure right back on South Africa early on. Will the corner Proteas panic early, faced with a brutal assault from Jason Roy? They need this win. More than they ever have.

ShashiStat Singh's Corner

The team batting first has won eight of the last 11 ODIs at Newlands.
South Africa have won all the five ODIs against England at Newlands.

Telford's Corner

"Proper summer's day at Newlands - bright and hot but blessed with a breeze," says the sunscreened Telford Vice at Newlands. "The pitch for today's match is five strips from the end of a block of 14 surfaces. So one of the square boundaries, towards The Oaks, will be shorter than the other."

Debuts galore

England debutants: Matt Parkinson and the exciting Tom Banton
South African debutants: JJ Smuts and Lutho Sipamla

Playing XI

South Africa: Quinton de Kock(w/c), Reeza Hendricks, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, JJ Smuts, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Beuran Hendricks, Lungi Ngidi, Lutho Sipamla, Tabraiz Shamsi

England: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow(w), Joe Root, Eoin Morgan(c), Joe Denly, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Matthew Parkinson

Toss: South Africa win the toss and elect to bowl first

12 noon, CAT: The process. That's what everyone's talking about. Sometimes, though, it''s about the result. South Africa, who have now seen the trough to beat all troughs, simply won''t rest easy without a win today. The times are desperate enough for that. Any reason for a celebration will do, and what better than a win.

As for England, this is the first ODI match they're going to be a part of after theODI. The ODI that made all other ODIs feel inadequate, particularly if it's as context-less as a lettuce leaf between the meat of a Test series and the mustard of the T20Is to come, according to Telford Vice. England captain, Morgan, however, played down the inevitable speculated allegations of complacency in the England camp, mentioning that this would be a good opportunity to broaden their pool of players.