In the last game of the three-match ODI series against the hosts South Africa, the visitors England survived suffering from a whitewash by winning the match by 59 runs. After the opener Dawid Malan and skipper Jos Buttler’s centuries rescued the troubled English batting line-up, Jofra Archer shined with his bowling as the 27-year-old recorded his maiden ODI five-wicket haul with a six-fer.
Before that ODI at Kimberley, South Africa already secured the home ODI series by leading it 2-0. After the hosts sent the visitors to bat first, England were deeply struggling on 14/3 in the sixth over.
However, the opener Dawid Malan and captain Jos Buttler slowly rescued the team and set up a strong 232-run partnership for the fourth wicket to guide the team to a big total. While Malan scored 118 off 114 balls (seven fours and six sixes), Butler smashed 131 runs off 127 balls (six fours and seven sixes). Moeen Ali also had a crucial contribution with the bat by scoring 41 runs in 24 balls as England scored 346/7 in 50 overs.
In reply, South Africa fought well, but Jofra Archer destroyed the hosts. The right-arm fast bowler’s 9.1-1-40-6 led the English side to bowl out the Proteas for 287 runs (43.1 overs). Reeza Hendricks’ 52 off 61 and Heinrich Klaasen’s 80 off 62 were not enough for the hosts to secure a clean sweep in the series as it finished with a 2-1 in favour of the home team.
Jofra Archer: 9.1-1-40-6 vs South Africa at Kimberley
(Best ODI bowling figures by a pacer vs South Africa)
First pacer to record an ODI six-wicket haul against South Africa. The previous best ODI bowling performance for a pacer against the Proteas was 6.1-0-16-5 by Wasim Akram at East London on 15th February 1993.
(3rd bowler with an ODI six-wicket haul vs South Africa)
After West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine (6/27 at Providence on 3rd June 2016) and Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya (6/29 at Colombo, RPS on 12th August 2018), Archer became the third bowler to claim an ODI six-wicket haul against South Africa.
(3rd English bowler to record ODI six-fer outside the home venue)
After Chris Woakes (twice; 6/45 vs Australia in Brisbane and 6/47 vs Sri Lanka in Pallekele), Jofra Archer became the second English bowler to claim a six-wicket haul in ODI cricket. Archer’s 6/40 are now the best ODI bowling figures for an English bowler outside the home venue.
(4th English bowler with ODI six-fer)
Fourth English bowler to record an ODI six-wicket haul. However, it was the fifth ODI six-fer for the England Cricket team.
Also Read | Record Breaker Shubman Gill's T20I Century Leads India's Giant Victory
