Jonny Bairstow Leads England To Victory Over South Africa In 1st T20I

Jonny Bairstow's excellent season continued as he made 90 in England's 41-run win over South Africa in the 1st T20 international at Bristol on Wednesday. Moeen Ali compiled England's quickest T20 fifty, off just 16 balls, in the hosts' 234-6 -- their second highest total at this level behind the 241-3 they posted against New Zealand at Napier in 2019. "It was a great performance, what we've been looking for, a brilliant total, we were under threat for a while but delighted with the win," England T20 captain Jos Buttler told Sky Sports.

Moeen, the plyer of the match, added: "Generally I back myself, try to see it and hit it. Jonny is so powerful, I try to remind him of the good things he does."

But amid the 20 sixes in England's innings, Proteas quick Lungi Ngidi took an excellent 5-39, his career best T20 international figures.

England's Reece Topley then struck twice in the second over to reduce South Africa to 7-2, the in-form left-arm quick removing dangerman Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw.

South Africa were 86-4 in the 10th over, with Reeza Hendricks having made 57 off 33 balls, when Tristan Stubbs hauled them back into the game with a brilliant maiden T20 international fifty off just 19 balls, including six soaring sixes.

Even allowing for a good pitch and a relatively small ground, it was a superb display of ball-striking by the 21-year-old Stubbs. But with South Africa needing 54 off 18 balls, paceman Chris Jordan conceded just three runs, with Andile Phehlukwayo defeated by several yorkers.

It was a decisive over, with South Africa also paying dearly for several fielding errors earlier in the match. "CJ (Jordan) changed the momentum of the game, a brilliant over," said Buttler.

Stubbs launched Richard Gleeson