England Hammered South Africa By 118 Runs In 2nd ODI

Cricket Image for England Hammered South Africa By 118 Runs In 2nd ODI (Image Source: Google)

The returning Reece Topley sparked a dramatic collapse as England hammered South Africa by 118 runs in the second one-day international at Old Trafford on Friday to level the three-match series at 1-1.

South Africa, chasing 202 for victory in a match reduced by rain to 29 overs per side, were bowled out for just 83.

Topley, whose career has been stalled by several stress fractures, sparked a top-order slump to 27-5 during a spell of 2-17 in four overs.

Spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali shared five wickets between them as South Africa were dismissed with nearly nine overs remaining for their equal second-lowest completed ODI total, behind a 69 all out against Australia at Sydney in 1993 and level with an 83 against England at Nottingham in 2008.

"It feels great, it's great for us to get the win," said England captain Jos Buttler.

"The guys are bowling brilliantly. Topley coming back in and getting early wickets, Dave (Willey) doing the same."

The in-form Topley, rested from England's 62-run defeat in the first ODI at Durham on Tuesday, removed Janneman Malan and Rassie van der Dussen for ducks just three days after they had scored a fifty and a hundred respectively.

Malan chipped to mid-on attempting to flick one off his pads and Van der Dussen feathered a thin edge through to wicketkeeper and England captain Jos Buttler.

Willey, like Topley a left-arm quick, had the dangerous Quinton de Kock chipping to cover. And South Africa were 6-4 when Aiden Markram was run out without facing a ball by Buttler.

Sam Curran, another left-arm seamer, then bowled David Miller for 12 to leave the Proteas 27-5 inside nine overs.

And there was no way back from there for the Proteas against 50-over world champions England, for all that Heinrich Klassen made 33 -- one of just three double-figure scores in the innings -- against a disciplined England attack.

- Pretorius strikes -
Earlier, Dwaine Pretorius marked his return to South Africa duty by taking four wickets as England were dismissed for 201.

Pretorius finished with career-best figures of 4-36, including removing star batsmen Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow in the space of three balls.

Left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (2-39) and fast bowler Anrich Nortje (2-53) took two wickets apiece.

Only all-rounders Liam Livingstone (38) and Sam Curran (35) managed more than 30 for England, with Willey adding a useful run-a-ball 21 late on before he became Pretorius's fourth wicket.

But, as it turned out, England had more than enough runs to play with as they levelled the series ahead of Sunday's decider in Leeds.

"I thought that it was a score that could be chased on that wicket," said South Africa captain Keshav Maharaj.

"We just didn't adapt well enough with the bat, there were a lot of soft wickets and when you lose four wickets in the powerplay it's hard to adapt."

England, sent into bat by Maharaj, slumped to 62-4 inside nine overs.

Pretorius, in for the concussed Andile Phehlukwayo in the only change to the side that won  on Tuesday, then struck twice in his second over to remove Root and Bairstow.

Star batsman Root, who had made just one, charged down the pitch only to top-edge the ball high into the air, with wicketkeeper De Kock making holding the catch before Pretorius fooled Bairstow (28) with a slower ball.