Recent Match Report - South Africa vs England 1st ODI 2022/23

England need 76 runs from 16.1 overs.

Current RR: 6.59

 • Required RR: 4.70

 • Last 5 ov (RR): 28/2 (5.60)

Curran claims three wickets, Miller chips in with half-century at Bloemfontein

Innings break South Africa 298 for 7 (van der Dussen 111, Miller 53, Curran 3-35) vs England

Rassie van der Dussen's 111 from 117 deliveries helped South Africa set England 299 in the first ODI against England at Bloemfontein.

With the hosts batting first after skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss, van der Dussen's fourth hundred in the format, and second against Jos Buttler's charges, was the bedrock of South Africa's innings. Alas, it was an innings of 298 for 7 that bubbled along nicely without ever threatening to boil over and set England a more daunting total. That substantial knock, along with David Miller's 53 at the back end - the pair scoring 110 in a fifth-wicket partnership - gives them something to defend on a pitch which looked comfortable to bat on beyond the odd bit of turn.

Quinton de Kock and Bavuma set about a solid opening platform of 61 in the powerplay, only for the captain to hack Moeen Ali to a diving Sam Curran at mid-on. The breakthrough, in the ninth over, was necessary given the ease with which both batters were scoring off David Willey and Jofra Archer, who was making his England return 678 days since his last international appearance.

An opening spell of five overs, 0 for 41 was as encouraging for his own return from a myriad of stress fractures as it was for South Africa's prospects of scoring easily against pace. But once the fielding restrictions were over, the run-rate was restricted leading to the demise of de Kock, edging behind when trying to pull Curran to the leg side. When Olly Stone struck with his first delivery of the innings - Aiden Markram caught well by Dawid Malan at cover - the score had only moved on to 116 for 3 at the start of the 21st over having been 75 for 1 after the first 10.

Henrich Klassen's 32-ball 30 added impetus, not least with two sixes - his only boundaries - to put on 55 for the fourth wicket with van der Dussen. Adil Rashid accounted for the former lbw, but the latter was able to use that stand to spring to a higher gear.

Having reached fifty from 63 deliveries, the move to three figures required 47 more. And once that was pocketed, the remaining 5.4 overs could be used to swing for the fences, especially with Miller set at the other end.

The pair would make it to 100 in tandem off 95 deliveries thanks to a huge six from van der Dussen off the first of two free hits in an expensive 47th over from Archer that reaped 20. Curran then showcased the death-bowling skills that elevated him to Player of the Tournament in England's recent T20 World Cup success to remove the centurion: a cutter across the right-hander that drew a thick edge, well caught by Ben Duckett charging in from deep cover.

A score in excess of 300 still looked on the cards, even with a comeback wicket for Archer, dismissing Wayne Parnell, which gave figures of 1 for 81 a little gloss. Miller's boundary off the first ball of the final over took him to his ninth fifty-plus ODI score. But some exceptional work on the long-on fence from Willey - calmly relaying a catch to himself as he stepped beyond the boundary in between - ended the knock two balls later. With that, Curran conceded three off the remaining three deliveries to ensure only 18 came off the final three overs.

Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo

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