NEIL MANTHORP: Media tears England apart after drubbing by Proteas

One of the more surprising results of SA’s overwhelming 90-run victory in the third and deciding T20 international against England in Southampton on Sunday is the level of hand-wringing and consternation it has induced in the home camp.

Not content with putting their woeful white-ball summer form down to a schedule of 12 matches and four series within just 25 days, suddenly England appear to have run out of credit — and they had an awful lot of it in reserve having been collecting it since 2016.

“Series surrender shows extent of England’s batting decline”, declared The Times along with a story from captain Jos Buttler under the headline “Booed England were too timid, admits captain”. And that was at the kinder end of the coverage.

The analysis across the media of England’s decline this year — during which they lost 2-1 to India in one-day internationals (ODIs) and T20s and again 2-1 in the T20s against SA after a 1-1 draw in the ODIs — is typically comprehensive and intense. Featuring in every dissection is the form of opener Jason Roy, who scored 76 runs from 98 balls in six T20 internationals. All sorts of reasons are offered for the destructive batsman’s sudden inability to hit the ball off the square. The way the Indians and South Africans bowled at him is not one of them.

Then there is the England squad’s advancing years. Eight of the squad who played the last T20 World Cup are 34 or over, and the management is accused of failing to plan a succession path and to rebuild. The problem, of course, is that Eoin Morgan was “the management” and the former captain has now retired. Australian Matthew Mott is the new head coach and he’s been in the job for only a month, as has Jos Buttler, Morgan’s successor.

But enough of all this. The English media can’t be expected to give the Proteas adequate column inches or sufficient credit for the way they played in the second and third games resulting in victories which were, frankly, embarrassingly one-sided. T20s between two of the top teams in the world are just not supposed to be won by 58 and 90 runs, certainly not consecutively.

Of all the SA players to sign Kolpak contracts over the past two decades and turn their backs on international cricket, the one who seemed least likely to return to Proteas colours was Rilee Rossouw. The former Knights left-hander was afforded every privilege and endless support after starting his international career with five ducks in his first 10 innings. He was given the ODI opening slot alongside Hashim Amla and was intrinsic to the team’s World Cup plans. When he told the coach, Russell Domingo, that he had signed a long-term deal with Hampshire, he did so by text. And spelt his (Domingo’s) name wrong.

Fortunately, time heals most things, including badly burnt bridges, and Rossouw is a devastatingly good addition to the Proteas squad as 131 runs at a strike rate of over 170 in his first taste of international cricket in almost six years prove.

While Rossouw travelled the world between English seasons playing T20 leagues in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia and Pakistan, Reeza Hendricks stayed in SA and worked tirelessly and patiently at his game. His series yielded three consecutive half-centuries and 180 runs at a strike rate of 156.5. There are many routes to the top. He wouldn’t even have played had captain Temba Bavuma been fit, and may still not when he returns.

The one player who has caught the eye of the English media is Tristan Stubbs, whose extraordinary innings of 72 from 28 balls in the first game (which SA lost by 41 runs after a rotten bowling and fielding performance during which they dropped five catches). It has been valued, by T20 league experts, at $1.5m based on the future earnings he could make from contract offers based purely on that single match.

As always, the bowlers never receive due credit for their contributions towards victory. Lungi Ngidi was outstanding in all three games. They yielded seven wickets but, far more importantly, saw him deliver his overs at a cost of less than seven runs each against the team with the most aggressive, counterattacking batsmen in the world. Keshav Maharaj, too, conceded just over 7.5 runs per over — and both bowled during the power-play.

The Proteas play Ireland in another couple of T20s on Wednesday and Friday before attention turns towards the keenly anticipated Test series. A four-day game against the England Lions (A team) will take place in Canterbury on August 9-12 before the series gets under way at Lord’s on August 17.

Whatever happens it is unlikely that The Times will be accusing the Test team, captained by Ben Stokes and coached by Brendon McCullum, of being too “timid”.