The Proteas defeated England by 14 runs on Wednesday night, with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method playing a significant role in an immensely shortened nine-overs-per-side T20 due to a two-hour and 20-minute delay to start.
Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen returned to the Proteas’ starting line-up after missing out on the ODIs, claiming one and two wickets respectively.
Jos Buttler top scored England’s batting innings with 25 runs, in a run chase that ended 54-5.
Rain and DLS-induced drama
Plenty of unforced drama ensued on the night with South Africa’s batting innings fizzling out after just 7.5 overs due to yet another weather stoppage, ending their innings with a 97-5 batting scorecard.
This meant that England were tasked with securing 69 runs from five overs – made even more challenging by Rabada dispatching Phil Salt off the first ball of the second innings.
Proteas captain Aiden Markram top scored the encounter with 28 – despite being dropped twice in the field.
Youngster Dewald Brevis hit three sixes before falling to a Sam Curran delivery.
Donovan Ferreira concluded the Proteas’ batting innings with a not-out knock of 25.
England captain Harry Brook left the pitch for a duck after three deliveries, with Jos Buttler and Tom Banton falling consecutively to conclude the innings, and the match.
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Brook slams the encounter
As quoted on Sky Sports, Brook said: “It was a bit of a shambles really, wasn’t it? There was so much going on. You can’t take much from it and it wasn’t worth it.
“It was a long, long day. I don’t think we need to make any excuses. We probably didn’t execute as well as we should have done with bat and ball. It’s bloody hard when you only bat for five overs.”
England were told that their five bowlers would have to bowl one over each, yet South Africa’s Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch were able to bowl two overs apiece.
“I don’t know all the rules to be honest, but that was a bit… I would’ve thought that every bowler would have had to bowl one over,” Brook said on the ruling.
“But these are the rules that we get given, and we’ve just got to play our best cricket and perform to our best.”
‘Waiting game was challenging’ says Markram
Markram gave his thoughts on the match, mentioning how tough it was to wait as long as they did just for it to start, but was pleased with how his team, particularly his bowlers, reacted.
“It was tough with the way things unfolded,” Markram said. “It felt like madness, to be honest.
“Waiting for most of the day, the next thing you know you’re out on the park and doing battle.
“I’m happy with the guys for getting a pretty good score on the board, and then the bowlers had good plans and executed them more often than not, which was pleasing.”
The second T20 between the Proteas and England gets underway at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday, September 12.
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Shameeka Voyiya 
Newsjustnews writers 
Ren Azrack Escosio