Morris ensures South Africa continue unbeaten streak in 'Pink' ODIs

Johannesburg The South African team has never lost an ODI while decked in pink and they continued their winning ways this time against England at the Wanderers on Friday thanks to a brilliant rearguard action by allrounder Chris MorrisMorris 62 off 38 balls saw the Proteas come back from the dead to win by one wicket in the fourth ODI to set up a series decider in Cape Town on SundaySouth African batsman Christopher Morris celebrates after scoring half century 50 runs during the fourth One Day International ODI cricket match between England and South Africa at Wanderers in Johannesburg PicAFPThe Proteas had won the last three ODIs played at the Wanderers which were all played in pink and continued with that trend on Friday as they leveled the fivematch series 22England on the other hand will rue the missed opportunity to win the series at Johannesburg especially after Joe Root hit his second successive century but as luck would have it he again finished on the losing sideManofthematch Morris dropped on 14 when South Africa were eight down and still 52 runs short of victory slammed 62 off 38 ballsAdil Rashid the man who dropped Morris a straightforward chance at midoff from the bowling of Reece Topley was brought on to bowl with the scores level and bowled Morris with a googlyBut lastman Imran Tahir punched the next ball square for the winning boundaryEngland captain Eoin Morgan rued three dropped catches JP Duminy and AB de Villiers were dropped before Morriss escape and some missed runout opportunities but praised Root and the England bowlersAt the halfway stage it was South Africas game to lose said MorganWe pegged it back with some great bowling but we had chances in the field and thats disappointingThat the match went so deep seemed unlikely when England were floundering at 108 for six after being sent in to batBut Root made 109 and steered England to a total of 262We had an opportunity to bowl them out for 150 but we thought 260 was very chaseable said de Villiers We didnt need a ninedowner but what a fantastic gameBatting at number eight Chris Woakes scored 33 and helped Root put on 95 for the seventh wicketWoakes followed up by bowling Faf du Plessis and running out de Villiers South Africas star batsman with a superb piece of fielding off his own bowlingStuart Broad was brought in to strengthen what had proved an ineffectual bowling attack in Centurion and bowled Centurion centurymaker Hashim Amla for nought in the first over of the South African inningsThe rest of Broads match was less successful although he had de Villiers dropped on nine off the first ball of his second spell with Jason Roy diving far to his right but failing to hold on to a fiercelystruck cutDe Villiers immediately went on the attack hitting Broads next two balls for four and sixHe hurried to 36 off 27 balls and was threatening to swing the match back in South Africas favour when Duminy pushed a ball from Woakes to leg and called for a quick singleWoakes reacted instantly getting to the ball quickly and hitting the stumps at the batsmans end with an underarm throwBroad was brought back late in the match but was hit for 6 4 4 by a rampant MorrisNo South African batsman was able to score more than Farhaan Behardiens 38 until Morris took full advantage of his letoff hitting three sixes and four foursLuckily they dropped me and I thought this is a chance to play cricket for your country when its in your arc you can hit it said MorrisLegspinner Tahir took three wickets in seven balls to spark an England collapse after Root and Alex Hales 50 had taken the tourists to 87 for oneSeamer Abbott followed up with two wickets in successive overs to plunge England into disarrayRoot who made a careerbest 125 in a losing cause at Centurion reached his eighth oneday international century off 119 balls and faced a total of 124 deliveries hitting 10 fours and a sixHales made his fourth halfcentury in as many innings before he was caught on the midwicket boundary off Tahir after putting on 69 for the second wicket with RootAdil Rashid hit a rapid 39 off 26 balls before he was last man outKagiso Rabada took four for 45 while Tahir claimed three for 46 It was the first time in the series that a team was bowled outEnglands butter fingers cost them the matchMorris should have been the ninth man out for 14 when he sent a simple catch up to Adil Rashid at midoff but the Yorkshire leggie dropped it and the all rounder made him pay in the most painful way of allInstead of trudging back with 52 still needed to win Morris began batting as if he were AB de Villiers Viv Richards and Kevin Pietersen rolled into one to take his team to a onewicket win and a decider in Cape Town No wonder the Delhi Daredevils parted with 1 million to secure his services in the IPLIt was an extraordinary innings that brought England to their knees after they had done so well to get into a winning positionIt is disappointing to lose but we had a lot of chances to win the game and we probably should have won the game said skipper Eoin Morgan I dont know why those chances were dropped There were three of them that went down and they were all significant but people make mistakesAt the halfway stage it was South Africas to lose but we managed to peg it back with some decent bowling The game ebbed and flowed but ultimately it was our game to winIn truth South Africa made heavier work than they should have of chasing down Englands 262 all out but what will hurt coach Trevor Bayliss the most is that it was dropped catches that cost his side after Root had done so well to make a game of it from the low of 1086Jason Roy dropping AB de Villiers at point when he had made just nine looked like it might cost England the game until Woakes ran him out brilliantly on his follow throughAles Hales dropping JP Duminy at 2nd slip when he had made just one also appeared costly until Rashid had him trapped lbw for 31England were just doing enough to keep their noses in front and when Farhaan Behardien fell to leave the score at 2108 the game should have been put to bedBut with the noisey crowd jeering Rashids drop and then cheering every strike from Morris bat they carried the home team to the win that sets up Sundays decider in Cape Town When the catch went up I thought idiot and my heart went through my bum said Morris But it was my turn to get the benefit from a dropped catch and it was my night