Proteas hit ground running with solid win against England.

By Neil Manthorp.

Rassie van der Dussen scored a brilliant century on a sweltering day to lead South Africa to an imposing total of 333-5 and a comprehensive victory by 62 runs after choosing to bat first in the first one-day international against England at the Riverside Stadium in Chester-le-Street outside Durham on Tuesday.

Van der Dussen finished with 134 from 117 balls and featured in two century partnerships with Janneman Malan (57) and Aiden Markram (77) after Quinton de Kock was bowled by left-arm seamer Sam Curran for 19 from 22 balls.

England appeared well placed in the run chase after an opening stand of 102 between Jonny Bairstow (63) and Jason Roy (43) but Keshav Maharav had Roy caught by David Miller at long off before Aiden Markram’s part-time off-spin trapped both Bairstow and Ben Stokes (5) lbw within the space of two overs and the hosts were suddenly 142-3 after 28 overs. Markram finished with 2-25 from four overs.

Joe Root fought hard to keep England in the game with a battling 86 from 77 balls (5×4, 2×6) but Tabraiz Shamsi’s dismissals of captain Jos Buttler (12) caught off his own bowling and Moeen Ali (3) top-edging a slog sweep proved crucial in the end. When Root was bowled by Nortje (4-53) in the 45th over and Curran (18) was trapped lbw two balls later the game was all but over.

Van der Dussen’s innings was as notable for his physical stamina as it was for the impeccable shot selection and execution in temperatures reaching 40 degrees. Boundaries were hard to come by at England’s largest first-class venue and Van der Dussen collected just 10 in his innings which required hard running between the wickets. So hard, in fact, that he had to undergo rehydration treatment during the first half of England’s innings.

Malan, too, managed only five fours from the 77 balls he faced before perishing in pursuit of a six when his slog-sweep against spinner Moeen was caught by Liam Livingstone on the deep midwicket boundary. His stand with Van der Dussen was worth 109 for the second wicket.

Markram was at his imperious best punching the seam bowlers through cover and mid-off and working the spinners through the leg side before slog-sweeping a legspinner from Livingstone to Bairstow on the deep square-leg boundary having added 151 for the third wicket.

SUFFERING IN THE HEAT

A tired van der Dussen was bowled by Livingstone two deliveries later by a ball which kept low but his fourth ODI century was marked by the ease and success with which he played the reverse-sweep against both Moeen and Adil Rashid and the fact that he was able to rotate the strike at will. And keep running for so long.

Heinrich Klaasen (12 from 10 balls) was caught at long-on in the closing overs but David Miller finished with an unbeaten 24 from 14 balls (4×4) as England’s dragged themselves off the field at that halfway stage clearly suffering the effects of the heat.

The match was the 105th and final ODI for World Cup-winning hero and test captain, Ben Stokes, who announced his retirement from the format on Monday. The crowd gave their local hero an enthusiastic reception and goodbye but it was not the result they had hoped for.

The second match is at Old Trafford in Manchester on Friday with the final game at Headingly in Leeds on Sunday.

ENGLAND: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (capt & wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Brydon Carse, Matty Potts

SOUTH AFRICA: Quinton de Kock (wk), Janneman Malan, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj (capt), Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi.

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