South Africa vs England: Jason Roy century and Jofra Archer don’t return enough to stop opening defeat

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It was 678 days ago England could have appealed Jofra Sagittarius and, it felt, almost as long since they had seen the best of it Jason Roy.

Here in Bloemfontein the double wait came to an end, but a day that began with Archer’s return to action, and included Roy’s emphatic return to form in the form of an 11th International Hundred, ended in defeat when South Africa claimed victory in a lively conclusion to the First One-Day International.

Roy’s 113 from 91 balls came in response to another century from Rassie van der Dussen, but being limited to 298-for-7 meant the Proteas didn’t seem to take full advantage of a flat surface at Mangaung Oval. Going 146 without a loss and again 196-for-three, the tourists looked well ahead in the chase, but a brilliantly hostile spell from Anrich Nortje turned the tide. England erred and fell 28 runs short of victory as South Africa took a 1-0 lead in a run vital to their hopes of automatic qualification for this year’s World Cup.

Even before becoming Nortje’s fourth and final victim, Archer’s return was not one he had dreamed of, figures of one for 81 his most expensive in ODI cricket, but both he and England must have the patience for the long game after so much time apart. For Roy, the sense of imminent danger was much greater.

The 32-year ODI return – including a century in the Netherlands in July – had given slightly less cause for alarm. But with few chances to remind him of his prowess in this format, the Surrey batsman arrived in South Africa with serious questions about his place at the top of the league for the first time since making it his own.

But only three deliveries into his run, Roy was out, ball racing off the center of the bat and through the midwicket for four, something that you say this might just be his day.

What followed was a throb of composure and aggression in equal parts, played with great pace and a knack for picking moments that can only come when you’ve been doing this job for so long.

Aiden Markram attempted to sneak a part-time off spin at the end of the power play and got a belt for six. A one-hundred partnership with Dawid Malan was brought up and Nortje also hooked high over the ropes. When Tabraiz Shamsi went too far, the resulting free hit went in the same direction.

After heading into the 1980s, Roy’s attack was briefly put on hold as the first Malan (59) fell and then both Ben Duckett and Harry Brook followed in successive overs, the latter trapping lbw for nothing on his debut, one of three scalps for the impressive Sisandra magala.

Reaching his century, with just 79 balls, Roy nearly dislocated his shoulder with an airborne uppercut in pent-up celebration. Nine months away from the World Cup, with rivals in line and in fine form in the various franchise leagues in the world, it was an innings that couldn’t have been more timely. In hindsight, however, England could have done more.

Timely: Roy returned to form despite England’s defeat

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A trip to India in October is also the target for Archer, although there is of course the prospect of a Test return and the Ashes series on the horizon before then, everything should go according to plan.

Buttler and Matthew Mott had each tried to temper expectations and Archer had stated that he was only 80 percent fitbut having seen the 26-year-old come back to competitive cricket earlier this month with a wicket-maiden in his first over for MI Cape Town, it wasn’t hard to get carried away.

But in the end, Archer’s opening spell of five overs was just solid, consistently reaching speeds in the high eighties without quite upsetting the 90 mph mark that signals a really fast pace.

The main positive of Archer’s ten overs on his comeback was the fact that he had endured quite a few of them, although it had clearly become a drag towards the end: a first international wicket in almost two years came in his last over, following the previous one had two no-balls included and cost 20.

Instead it was Sam Curran, player of the tournament at the T20 World Cup late last year, who picked up where he left off in England’s colours, the bowlers’ choice, as he also took three-for-35 in nine overs. as a great dive catch to send off Temba Bavuma (36) and make the first break after the Proteas skipper won the coin toss and made a positive start to the power play alongside Quinton de Kock.

It’s a measure of Curran’s prestige as his sacking later felt like the moment England’s hopes faded. The reason why he deflected the last ball of Kagiso Rabada’s spell and fell behind is a mystery, but eight-down with 33 still needed, the game was up.