Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow lead England to 'brilliant' T20 win over South Africa

England took the lead in their T20 international series against South Africa on Wednesday evening after Jonny Bairstow continued his excellent season and Moeen Ali set a new batting record in Bristol.

Bairstow made 90 in the 41-run win, while Moeen compiled England's quickest T20 fifty, off just 16 balls, in the hosts' 234-6 – their second highest total 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 player 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.

Lungi Ngidi took an excellent 5-39, his