Driving on an excellent half-century from star batter Hashim Amla, South Africa defeated England by seven wickets to report its first win of the Worldwide Masters League 2025 on the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Monday.
Each South Africa and England headed into the competition in a bid to open their account within the match after shedding their opening matches respectively.
Amla anchored South Africa’s pursuit of 158 with a rigorously curated half-century and acquired nice assist from Petersen, who scored 49, that helped the aspect overcome a shaky begin.
Diminished to 38 for 2 after the early dismissals of Henry Davids for a duck and skipper Jaques Kallis (8), Amla and Petersen joined forces to pile distress on the English bowlers.
The precise-hander pair matched stroke by stroke with one another to assist resurrect the South African innings, with Amla reaching his fifty off 37 balls whereas Petersen consumed 39 deliveries, that nearly put the crew over the road earlier than Farhaan Behardien accomplished the formalities with a first-ball boundary.
Amla remained unbeaten on a gritty 57-ball 90, laced with 12 hits to the fence and as soon as over it.
Earlier, South Africa reaped wealthy dividend from its determination to subject as its new ball pair of Vernon Philander and Garnett Kruger eliminated the English openers – Phil Mustard and Ian Bell – for geese.
Tottering at 9 for 2, Tim Ambrose led England’s restoration with a calculative half-century and was complemented properly by skipper Eoin Morgan because the duo joined forces to regular the ship with a 73-run third wicket partnership.
Morgan, who perished after scoring a 34-ball 36, together with 4 fours and a six, took the assault to the opposition at the same time as his associate, Ambrose was blissful to play the second fiddle.
After Morgan’s departure, Ambrose held one finish, and within the course of, accomplished his fifty off 41 balls, at the same time as he felt the strain of shifting gears. Darren Maddy gave him firm for the following 30 balls, producing mere 21 runs, as South African bowlers — Makhaya Ntini and Thandi Tshabalala — began tightening the noose across the English batters.
Lack of boundaries ultimately led to dismissals of each Maddy (10) and Ambrose (53), who ended up miscuing of their makes an attempt of upping the ante.
Tim Bresnan (11) ended England’s boundary drought after 38 deliveries, with a 4 off the primary official supply he confronted, earlier than his associate Chris Schofield (20 not out) broke the shackles with back-to-back sixes off Ntini. Within the closing over, Chris Tremlett (19 not out) smoked three consecutive sixes to offer England the much-needed impetus because it ended on 157 for six.