Jonny Bairstow stars again as England win T20 series opener against South Africa

Jonny Bairstow’s golden summer continued with another match-winning knock as his career-best 90 and Moeen Ali’s 16-ball half-century ushered England to victory as runs flowed in the first Vitality T20 international against South Africa.

England feasted on the short boundaries at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium as they smashed 234 for six – their second highest total in the 20-over format and enough for a 41-run win.

They rained down a record 20 sixes, with Bairstow and Moeen (52) doing the bulk of the damage during a domineering fourth-wicket stand of 106 in 37 balls.

Bairstow has hit four centuries in his last five Test innings but fell just short of registering his maiden T20 ton, holing out off the penultimate delivery of the innings as he looked to take 10 off two balls. The Yorkshireman needed some luck along the way, dropped on 12, 57, 72 and 77 in a ragged fielding display, but there was nothing fortunate about the ball-striking ability that allowed him to cash in.

South Africa’s hopes of chasing down a mammoth target nose-dived when the in-form Reece Topley removed Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw in the second over of the reply, but a fearless 72 from Tristan Stubbs in his first international innings kept things interesting.

With tension rising late on, Chris Jordan’s precise death bowling saw England safe and Richard Gleeson claimed three wickets in the night’s penultimate over.

The hosts were put in by David Miller, who saw Lungi Ngidi end a dangerous cameo from Jos Buttler and a stodgy one from Jason Roy to leave England on 41 for two.

That brought Bairstow to the crease for his first T20 innings in eight months, a result of England’s compressed calendar rather than a reflection on his first-choice status, and