A superb bowling performance from Stuart broad (4-15) helped England defend a meagre total of 171 and beat South Africa by six runs in a thrilling tie played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai.
England won the toss and elected to bat first and got off to a disastrous start as they lost openers Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen in the very first over of the innings.
Left-arm spinner Robin Peterson was brought on to bowl the first over of the innings and Strauss tried to clear the fence only to find Francois du Plessis at the mid-wicket boundary and three deliveries later Kevin Pietersen was caught in slips by Jacques Kallis.
Robin Peterson struck back in the fifth over when he had Ian Bell caught and bowled with a superb flighted delivery. But a decision by the South African captain to replace Peterson by Jacques Kallis backfired as Jonathan Trott and Ravi Bopara resurrected the England innings putting on 99 runs in 25 overs for the fourth wicket. Trott and Bopara both reached their half-centuries off 87 deliveries respectively.
Imran Tahir then got the crucial wicket of Trott as he had him brilliantly caught off his own bowling for 52 in the 30th over. Matt Prior couldn't survive for long as he was caught behind off Morne Morkel and England were soon reduced to 134 for 5.
Bopara (60) was the next to depart as he was trapped leg before wicket by Morkel. An over later, they were reduced to 149-7 when Bresnan was trapped leg before wicket by Dale Steyn. The next three wickets were all taken by Imran Tahir as South Africa were bundled out for 171 in the 46th with their last three wickets falling for just 22 runs.
In reply, South Africa started positively as openers Hashim Amla and Captain Graeme Smith added 63 runs in 14 overs, but Smith was finally removed by Graeme Swann, caught behind for 22.
The introduction of Stuart Broad changed the whole game as he had Amla - chopping the ball onto his stumps and then Kallis, caught behind for 15 in the next over. AB de Villiers and du Plessis tried to resurrect the innings with a 42-run stand, but both went in the 32nd and the 33rd over with the score on 124. AB de Villiers (25) was cleaned up by Anderson while du Plessis (17) was run out by a brilliant piece of fielding by Ian Bell at short-leg.
In the next over Anderson cleaned up JP Duminy , and with the score on 127, Yardy had Peterson caught behind. But an eighth-wicket partnership of 33 between Dale Steyn
and Morne van Wyk got South Africa back into the match but England hit back in the 47th over, Tim Bresnan broke the partnership as he cleaned up van Wyk for 13. With just 12 runs needed, Stuart Broad got into the action and took the last two wickets in four balls in the 48th over to bowl out South Africa for 165, six runs short of the target.
and Morne van Wyk got South Africa back into the match but England hit back in the 47th over, Tim Bresnan broke the partnership as he cleaned up van Wyk for 13. With just 12 runs needed, Stuart Broad got into the action and took the last two wickets in four balls in the 48th over to bowl out South Africa for 165, six runs short of the target.Ravi Bopara was named the man of the match for his crucial innings of 60 runs from 98 balls.
Result: England won by 6 runs
Scores: England: 171/10
South Africa: 165/10
Man of the Match: Ravi Bopara
