Pakistan – Michmutters
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Cricket news 2022: Marcus Stoinis seemingly accuses Muhammad Hasnain of illegal bowling action, The Hundred score

Australian cricketer Marcus Stoinis has sparked fury after seemingly accusing Pakistan paceman Muhammad Hasnain of having an illegal bowling action during the Southern Brave’s seven-wicket loss to the Oval Invincibles.

Stoinis top-scored for the Brave on Sunday evening, dismissed by Hasnain for 37 (27) after sharing a 55-run partnership with Captain James Vince for the second wicket.

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The 32-year-old all-rounder attempted to slap a 142km/h short delivery down the ground, instead gifting England’s Will Jacks a regulation catch at mid-off.

But as Stoinis made his way towards the pavilion, he implied the 22-year-old’s bowling action was illegitimate by miming a chucking motion – a not-so-subtle jab at his recent suspension from the sport.

In February, Hasnain was found guilty of having an illegal bowling action after a Big Bash League umpire reported him during the Sydney Thunder’s victory over the Adelaide Strikers.

Hasnain underwent biomechanics tests in late January, with the findings from the Lahore University of Management Sciences confirming his action breached the ICC’s 15-degree limit for elbow extension.

The Pakistani quick has since been declared fit to bowl again after undergoing remedial work, and Stoinis could face disciplinary action for the misdemeanour.

The Age’s Daniel Brettig tweeted: “This is poor. There’sa system in place to regulate bowling actions and it doesn’t include publicly questioning your opponent’s integrity.”

The Times’ Elizabeth Ammon posted: “Wonder if Stoinis will be in trouble for this implication.”

Stoinis is not the first Australian cricketer to accuse Hasnain of chucking; During last summer’s second Sydney Smash contest at the SCG, Sixers captain Moises Henriques yelled, “Nice throw, mate” to Hasnain after he unleashed a bouncer.

“Right from the first game he played and through to the tournament, it seemed that there was a few question marks there,” Henriques told reporters at the time.

“I didn’t have the protractor out.

“I guess from my point of view, we already knew it had been reported. I feel like the umpires are a little bit hamstrung in terms of what they can actually do on the cricket field, because they’re so worried about backlash and public opinion.

“I could definitely argue that what he was doing was not in the spirit of the game.

“And I also agree that possibly I got a little bit emotional and frustrated and I was a bit overt with my comments out in the middle. But you know, I called a spade a spade and that was my opinion.

“From afar, he seems like a good kid… hopefully he can get that action right and pass the test and hopefully he can have a long career.

“As long as he’s playing within the rules of the game that everyone else has to abide by.

“Good luck to him. It looks like he could have a long future if that all gets sorted.”

Hasnain has represented Pakistan in eight ODIs and 18 T20Is since making his international debut in 2019, taking 29 wickets at 33.68.

The Invincibles chased the 138-run target with 18 balls to spare on Sunday, thanks largely to a blistering century from Jacks – the second hundred in the competition’s short history.

The 23-year-old smacked an undefeated 108 off 48 deliveries at The Oval, clearing the boundary rope on eight occasions.

Hasnain finished with figures of 1/27 off 15 deliveries, while Invincible teammate Reece Topley claimed 3/24 to help restrict the Brave to 6/137 from their 100 balls.

Elsewhere, Australian superstar Glenn Maxwell scored an unbeaten 43 (25) and snared a wicket in the London Spirit’s victory over the Northern Superchargers in Leeds.

The Brave will next face the Manchester Originals at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl on Friday morning AEST, with the first ball scheduled for 4pm.

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Sports

Cricket news 2022: Marnus Stoinis seemingly accuses Muhammad Hasnain of illegal bowling action, The Hundred score

Australian cricketer Marcus Stoinis has sparked fury after seemingly accusing Pakistan paceman Muhammad Hasnain of having an illegal bowling action during the Southern Brave’s seven-wicket loss to the Oval Invincibles.

Stoinis top-scored for the Brave on Sunday evening, dismissed by Hasnain for 37 (27) after sharing a 55-run partnership with Captain James Vince for the second wicket.

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The 32-year-old all-rounder attempted to slap a 142km/h short delivery down the ground, instead gifting England’s Will Jacks a regulation catch at mid-off.

But as Stoinis made his way towards the pavilion, he implied the 22-year-old’s bowling action was illegitimate by miming a chucking motion – a not-so-subtle jab at his recent suspension from the sport.

In February, Hasnain was found guilty of having an illegal bowling action after a Big Bash League umpire reported him during the Sydney Thunder’s victory over the Adelaide Strikers.

Hasnain underwent biomechanics tests in late January, with the findings from the Lahore University of Management Sciences confirming his action breached the ICC’s 15-degree limit for elbow extension.

The Pakistani quick has since been declared fit to bowl again after undergoing remedial work, and Stoinis could face disciplinary action for the misdemeanour.

The Age’s Daniel Brettig tweeted: “This is poor. There’sa system in place to regulate bowling actions and it doesn’t include publicly questioning your opponent’s integrity.”

The Times’ Elizabeth Ammon posted: “Wonder if Stoinis will be in trouble for this implication.”

Stoinis is not the first Australian cricketer to accuse Hasnain of chucking; During last summer’s second Sydney Smash contest at the SCG, Sixers captain Moises Henriques yelled, “Nice throw, mate” to Hasnain after he unleashed a bouncer.

“Right from the first game he played and through to the tournament, it seemed that there was a few question marks there,” Henriques told reporters at the time.

“I didn’t have the protractor out.

“I guess from my point of view, we already knew it had been reported. I feel like the umpires are a little bit hamstrung in terms of what they can actually do on the cricket field, because they’re so worried about backlash and public opinion.

“I could definitely argue that what he was doing was not in the spirit of the game.

“And I also agree that possibly I got a little bit emotional and frustrated and I was a bit overt with my comments out in the middle. But you know, I called a spade a spade and that was my opinion.

“From afar, he seems like a good kid… hopefully he can get that action right and pass the test and hopefully he can have a long career.

“As long as he’s playing within the rules of the game that everyone else has to abide by.

“Good luck to him. It looks like he could have a long future if that all gets sorted.”

Hasnain has represented Pakistan in eight ODIs and 18 T20Is since making his international debut in 2019, taking 29 wickets at 33.68.

The Invincibles chased the 138-run target with 18 balls to spare on Sunday, thanks largely to a blistering century from Jacks – the second hundred in the competition’s short history.

The 23-year-old smacked an undefeated 108 off 48 deliveries at The Oval, clearing the boundary rope on eight occasions.

Hasnain finished with figures of 1/27 off 15 deliveries, while Invincible teammate Reece Topley claimed 3/24 to help restrict the Brave to 6/137 from their 100 balls.

Elsewhere, Australian superstar Glenn Maxwell scored an unbeaten 43 (25) and snared a wicket in the London Spirit’s victory over the Northern Superchargers in Leeds.

The Brave will next face the Manchester Originals at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl on Friday morning AEST, with the first ball scheduled for 4pm.

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Categories
Entertainment

Rushdie in hospital as outrage grows over stabbing

Salman Rushdie remained hospitalized in serious condition Saturday after being stabbed at a literary event in New York state in a shocking assault that triggered widespread international outrage, but drew applause from hardliners in Iran and Pakistan.

The British author, who spent years under police protection after Iranian leaders ordered his killing, underwent emergency surgery and was placed on a ventilator in a Pennsylvania hospital following Friday’s assault. His agent said he will likely lose an eye.

“Salman Rushdie — with his insight into humanity, with his unmatched sense for story, with his refusal to be intimidated or silenced — stands for essential, universal ideals. Truth. Courage. Resilience,” Biden said in a statement.

On Friday, a 24-year-old man from New Jersey, Hadi Matar, rushed the stage where Rushdie was about to deliver a lecture and stabbed him in the neck and abdomen.

Beyond Rushdie’s eye injury, the nerves in one of his arms were severed and his liver was damaged, according to his agent Andrew Wylie.

The fatwa followed publication of the novel “The Satanic Verses,” which sparked fury among some Muslims who believed it was blasphemous.

“For whatever it was, eight or nine years, it was quite serious,” he told a Stern correspondent in New York.

– Assailant raised in US –

Security was not particularly tight at Friday’s event at the Chautauqua Institution, which hosts arts programs in a tranquil lakeside community near Buffalo.

Matar’s family apparently came from a border village called Yaroun in southern Lebanon.

Matar was “born and raised in the US,” the head of the local municipality, Ali Qassem Tahfa, told AFP.

“I was very happy to hear the news,” said Mehrab Bigdeli, a man in his 50s studying to become a Muslim cleric.

In Pakistan, a spokesman for the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan –- a party that has staged violent protests against what it deems to be anti-Muslim blasphemy — said Rushdie “deserved to be killed.”

British leader Boris Johnson said he was “appalled,” while Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the attack “reprehensible” and “cowardly.”

– Write memoir in hiding –

But his 1988 book “The Satanic Verses” transformed his life. The resulting fatwa forced him into nearly a decade in hiding, moving houses repeatedly and being unable to tell even his children of him where he lived.

Since moving to New York, Rushdie has been an outspoken advocate of freedom of speech and has continued writing — including a memoir, “Joseph Anton,” named after his alias while in hiding.

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Categories
Sports

Rudi Koertzen dies, death, how did he die, age, cricket news, umpire, slow finger of death, doom

Former South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, labeled the ‘slow finger of death’ by the media, has died in a car accident, a family member told AFP on Tuesday.

He was 73.

“Rudi suffered fatal injuries after an accident near Stilbaai between Cape Town and Gqeberha,” said the family spokesperson, who requested anonymity.

“My father went to a golf tournament with some friends and they were expected to come back on Monday, but it seems they decided to play another round of golf,” his son Rudi told a Gqeberha radio station.

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The South African team will wear black armbands on Wednesday in honor of Koertzen when they face England at Lord’s in London in a Test match.

Koertzen first umpired in 1981, handled his maiden international assignment 11 years later, and retired in 2010 after a Test between Australia and Pakistan in Leeds, England.

Rudi Koertzen and Ricky Ponting in 2009.
Rudi Koertzen and Ricky Ponting in 2009.Source: AFP

He became known as the ‘slow finger of death’ because he very slowly raising his finger whenever indicating a batsman was out.

“Every umpire has their trademark and that was mine. The media labeled it the ‘slow finger of death’ and I found that pretty interesting. There is a story behind it,” Koertzen said in an interview.

“When my umpiring career first began, I used to hold my hands in front of me and every time there was an appeal, I would fold them against my ribs,” said Koertzen.

“The someone told me ‘Rudi, you cannot do that. Every time you raise your hands to fold them, the bowler thinks you are going to give him a wicket’.

“So I started clasping my wrists at the back. The finger comes out slowly because it takes time for me to release my grasp at the back.”

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Categories
Sports

Rudi Koertzen dead at 73: Killed in car crash, cricket world reacts, how did he die, cricket news

Former South African cricket umpire Rudi Koertzen, labeled the ‘slow finger of death’, has died in a car accident aged 73.

“Rudi suffered fatal injuries after an accident near Stilbaai between Cape Town and Gqeberha,” said a family spokesman.

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“My father went to a golf tournament with some friends and they were expected to come back on Monday, but it seems they decided to play another round of golf,” his son Rudi told a Gqeberha radio station.

The South African team will wear black armbands on Wednesday in honor of Koertzen when they face England at Lord’s in London in a Test match.

Koertzen first umpired in 1981, handled his maiden international assignment 11 years later, and retired in 2010 after a Test between Australia and Pakistan in Leeds, England.

He became known as the ‘slow finger of death’ because he very slowly raising his finger whenever indicating a batsman was out.

His death rocked the cricket world.

Umpire and long-time colleague Aleem Dar paid tribute to Koertzen: “It is a very big loss forever for his family and then for South Africa and cricket. I stood in so many games with him. He was not only very good as an umpire but also an excellent colleague, always very cooperative on the field and also always willing to help off the field. Because of the way he was, he was also well respected by the players.”

Australian great Jason Gillespie wrote: “RIP Rudy- very good umpire, nice man. Thoughts are with his family and friends of him. ”

Indian star Virender Sehwag wrote: “Ok Rudi Koertzen! Om Shanti. Condolences to his family from him. Had a great relationship with him. Whenever I used to play a rash shot, he used to scold me saying, “Play sensibly, I want to watch your batting.”

“Every umpire has their trademark and that was mine. The media labeled it the ‘slow finger of death’ and I found that pretty interesting. There is a story behind it,” Koertzen said in an interview.

“When my umpiring career first began, I used to hold my hands in front of me and every time there was an appeal, I would fold them against my ribs.

“The someone told me ‘Rudi, you cannot do that. Every time you raise your hands to fold them, the bowler thinks you are going to give him a wicket’.

“So I started clasping my wrists at the back. The finger comes out slowly because it takes time for me to release my grasp at the back.”

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Categories
US

Top Pakistan Taliban leader killed in Afghanistan roadside attack | Pakistan Taliban News

Abdul Wali, also known as Omar Khalid Khorasani, was allegedly behind some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan in recent years.

A late night roadside bombing in eastern Afghanistan has struck a vehicle carrying members of the Pakistan Taliban, killing a senior leader and three other members of the group, several Pakistani officials and the group said.

Abdul Wali, also known as Omar Khalid Khorasani, was a top commander of the Pakistan Taliban and was allegedly behind some of the deadliest attacks in recent years.

Wali’s vehicle was struck on Sunday night by a roadside bomb in the Afghan province of Paktika, along the border with Pakistan, according to Pakistani officials and the TTP members who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press news agency.

The three other men who were killed included his driver and two of his close aides, they said.

Wali’s death delivers a big blow to the armed group, known formally as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and comes a week after a US drone raid in Kabul killed al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Sunday night killing of Wali, who was on the US State Department’s most-wanted list and carried a reward of up to $3m for information on his whereabouts.

Pakistan Taliban on Monday confirmed the killing and blamed Pakistani intelligence agents for it, without offering evidence or elaborating.

A longer statement from the TTP is expected later on Monday.

Wali is thought to have been close to al-Qaeda founding leader Osama bin Laden and al-Zawahiri but it was not immediately known if there was any link between the August 1 drone attack and Sunday night’s bombing.

In 2014, Wali broke away from TTP and formed his own group, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, which carried out some of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan, including a bombing in the eastern city of Lahore in 2016 that killed at least 75 people from the minority Christian community on Easter Sunday.

The group also claimed responsibility for killing two Pakistani employees of the US Consulate in the northwestern city of Peshawar in March 2016.

Khorasani later dissolved Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and rejoined the TTP in the group’s drive to reunify several alienated groups.

The US State Department described him as a former journalist and poet who studied at several religious schools in Pakistan.

There has been a fragile truth between Islamabad and the TTP for the past two months as peace talks brokered by the Afghan Taliban’s Haqqani network take place.

The TTP has launched armed attacks in Pakistan during the past 14 years, fighting for stricter enforcement of Islamic laws in the country, the release of their members who are in government custody and a reduction of the Pakistani military presence in the country’s tribal-dominated regions .

The group has killed nearly 80,000 Pakistanis in almost two decades of violence, according to official estimates.

Islamabad has demanded that the new Taliban rulers next door prevent armed groups from using Afghan territory for attacks inside Pakistan.

Before the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, Islamabad and Kabul often traded blame and accused each other of sheltering armed groups.

Pakistan says it has finished the construction of more than 93 percent of a fence along the border with Afghanistan to prevent cross-border attacks.

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Sports

Commonwealth Games 2022: Fans cruelled by semi-final scheduling, New Zealand vs Australia start time, cricket news

The Australian women’s cricket team will face New Zealand in the Commonwealth Games semi-finals this weekend, but most Aussie supporters won’t be awake for the must-win contest in Birmingham.

The semi-final fixtures were unveiled on Friday morning AEST, with hosts England scheduled to take on powerhouse nation India on Saturday at 11am local time.

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Meanwhile, world champions Australia will battle their trans-Tasman rivals in the evening timeslot, meaning fans back home hoping to cheer on Meg Lanning’s side will need to set an alarm for 3am AEST on Sunday morning.

Kiwi viewers have been treated to a slightly less painful 5am start time.

Swapping the fixtures would have given three of the competing nations a prime broadcast timeslot for their respective audiences, but accommodating India’s massive fanbase has seemingly been prioritized.

Australia was undefeated in the group stage, defeating India, Barbados and Pakistan to cruise through the knockouts.

New Zealand, meanwhile, suffered a horror collapse in their final group stage match against England on Thursday, managing just 9/71 from their 20 overs after winning the toss and electing to bat first at Edgbaston.

Maddy Green top-scored for the Kiwis with 19 as veteran seamer Katherine Brunt rattled the New Zealanders with a classy spell of 2/4 from three overs in the Powerplay.

“We were well below par and it wasn’t through lack of effort or lack of planning or anything like that, I think you just get days like that,” New Zealand captain Sophie Devine said.

“It’s never nice to be a part of but we’ve got to flush it down the dunny pretty quickly and move on to something that’s actually really exciting for us, playing in a semi-final against Australia at a Commonwealth Games.”

England chased the 72-run target with more than eight overs to spare and seven wickets in hand.

Regardless, Australia remain firm favorites to return home with the coveted gold medal around their necks, having not lost a 20-over match since March 2021.

“I think a lot of the pressure is going to be on Australia,” Devine said.

“They’ve certainly come into this competition as favorites and hopeful of taking that gold medal whereas a lot of people didn’t think we’d maybe make the semi-finals.

“We can really take that on board and just play with a bit of freedom and take it to the Aussies. We obviously know them really well, so I think our plans are going to be pretty spot on and likewise they know us really well too. It’s always just a great battle against the Australians.”

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Sports

Commonwealth Games 2022: Tahlia McGrath masterclass steers Australia to victory over Pakistan, cricket news

Tahlia McGrath just can’t be stopped.

The Australian put together another superb all-round performance in Wednesday’s Commonwealth Games match against Pakistan in Birmingham, extending her golden run in the T20 format.

McGrath top-scored with an unbeaten 78 (51) before claiming three wickets to help the Aussies secure a convincing 44-run victory at Edgbaston.

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The 26-year-old smacked 10 boundaries and a six over fine leg in the penultimate over, combining with opener Beth Mooney for an unbeaten 141-run stand as Australia registered a team total of 2/160.

It ranks as the largest third-wicket partnership for Australia in women’s T20Is.

McGrath later collected career-best figures of 3/13 from three overs with the ball, finding herself on a hat-trick in the 17th over after removing Bismah Maroof and Tuba Hassan in consecutive deliveries.

The South Australian’s career stats are nothing short of absurd – since making her T20I debut in October last year, McGrath has scored 339 runs at 169.50.

Her strike rate of 156.22 is arguably even more impressive.

McGrath has only been dismissed for less than 70 eleven in 12 T20 internationals; during last week’s thrilling victory over India.

“When I got out the first time, I did joke that I was going to retire and keep that average for the rest of my career,” McGrath told reporters after the win.

“I’m quite enjoying the T20 format, I just get to go out there, play with a bit of freedom, play my shots and I know that if it doesn’t come off, I’ve got that many explosive batters coming in behind me

“(My form) is a big surprise and I’m still pinching myself. But I just love playing in the Australian shirt and I love every moment I get to do it.

“So at the moment, it’s nice that I’m contributing to some team success and I’m just riding the wave and enjoying my cricket because it’s been a lot of fun.”

McGrath’s bowling has been equally as damaging in the T20 format, taking 10 wickets at 11.00 with a strike rate of 10.2.

She joins Pakistan’s Mohammed Hafeez on an illustrious list of cricketers to score 70+ runs and take 3+ wickets in a T20I more than eleven.

McGrath has essentially made herself undroppable, pushing superstar all-rounder Ellyse Perry out of the national T20 line-up.

“She just seems really clear on her role in our team, and also has got some great clarity on her own process within her own game,” Mooney said.

“She just comes out and takes the pressure off the other batter out there, which was me today, which I was really grateful for.

“She’s just really clear on her own game plan and she comes out with that confidence when she first walks out there, too, so that helps as well.”

Australian wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy and skipper Meg Lanning were cheaply dismissed in the Powerplay, each returning to the sheds for 4.

Healy’s form with the bat in the game’s shortest format may be cause for concern – since the start of 2021, she has averaged 8.77 with the bat in T20 internationals.

Aussie seamers Megan Schutt and Darcie Brown each snared early breakthroughs in the Powerplay before McGrath combined with spinners Jess Jonassen and Alana King to roll through Pakistan’s middle order.

Lanning’s side, who were undefeated in the group stage and remain red-hot favorites to win the coveted gold medal, will next face either England or New Zealand in the semi-finals on Saturday.

“Pressure is a bit of a privilege in my eyes,” Mooney said.

“There’s certainly no amount of pressure that’s more than what we put on ourselves to perform day in and day out.

“The challenge that awaits us is really exciting. Semi-finals are sometimes harder than finals. You have to be on your game from ball one.

“You want a spot in that gold medal match. We know on our best day we can beat anyone.”

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Sports

South Africa defeats England by 90 runs, Jos Buttler, record as captain, Matthew Mott, Tabraiz Shamsi, latest, updates

Tabraiz Shamsi’s maiden five-wicket Twenty20 international haul sealed South Africa’s 90-run thrashing of England on Sunday as the Proteas completed a 2-1 series win.

The 32-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner took 5-24 as England, set 192 for victory, collapsed to 101 all out with 20 balls to spare at Southampton after losing their last eight wickets for 49 runs.

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Earlier, in-form South Africa opener Reeza Hendricks hit 70 — his third fifty of the series — and Aiden Markram made an unbeaten 51 as the Proteas posted a competitive 191-5.

Recalled left-arm quick David Willey took 3-25.

Shamsi’s haul was all the more impressive given his expensive return of 0-49 in England’s series-opening win in Bristol.

But South Africa have been much improved in the field since that 41-run defeat and this win gave them a first T20 series success in England, as well as their first white-ball bilateral series victory in the country since 1998.

By contrast, defeat left England still searching for a first series win under new white-ball captain Jos Buttler following one-day international and T20 reverses against India and a drawn ODI campaign with the Proteas.

Moeen SMACKS fastest 50 ever for England | 01:46

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Jonny Bairstow (27) was the only England batsman to make more than 20, but Buttler and white-ball coach Matthew Mott do have at least seven matches at this level scheduled in Pakistan in September in which to turn things around before the T20 World Cup in Australia.

England’s chase suffered an early setback when Buttler was out for 14, caught at short third man off spinner Keshav Maharaj.

The out-of-form Jason Roy fell for 17, caught behind off Anrich Nortje — in after South Africa decided against risking fellow fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s injured ankle ahead of next month’s three-Test series in England.

And when Moeen Ali was brilliantly caught one-handed by a leaping Tristan Stubbs off part-time spinner Markram, the hosts were 59-4.

Shamsi then cleaned up Liam Livingstone before taking two wickets in two balls, with Sam Curran caught in the deep before Willey was clean bowled.

Jos Buttler is still yet to win a white-ball series as England skipper.  (Photo by Steve Bardens / AFP)
Jos Buttler is still yet to win a white-ball series as England skipper. (Photo by Steve Bardens / AFP)Source: AFP

Chris Jordan survived the hat-trick only to be lbw to Shamsi. Adil Rashid holed out off Shamsi before Maharaj ended the match when he dismissed Bairstow with the aid of a catch by David Miller — a memorable way for the South Africa captain to finish his 100th T20 international.

England’s decision to recall Willey in place of Richard Gleeson reaped an early reward when he had potential danger man Quinton de Kock chopping onto his stumps for a three-ball duck.

But South Africa recovered, with the Proteas 53-1 at the end of the powerplay. Hendricks completed a 42-ball fifty and he then upped the tempo with three boundaries in a 16th over bowled by Curran.

He was eventually well caught by wicketkeeper Buttler off the expensive Jordan (1-52).

But Markram, back in South Africa’s T20 team for the first time since last year’s World Cup, having first provided solid support, went on to a 36-ball fifty before Miller chipped in with a quickfire 22.

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