Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan share monster partnership to set England on road to victory

Both made centuries, and their fourth-wicket stand of 232 ranks fourth in England's all-time partnership standings, for any wicket. It is the sixth highest fourth-wicket stand in men's ODI history among all nations

Kimberley: England 346-7, South Africa 287 - England won by 59 runs

Scorecard

Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan turned a position of fragility into a platform for victory as England ended a five-match losing streak in ODI cricket.

Buttler and Malan came together with England 14 for 3 early in the first innings at Kimberley, having been asked to bat by South Africa captain Temba Bavuma, and a second straight series whitewash seemed the most likely eventuality.

However, the pair survived the early onslaught spearheaded by Lungi Ngidi, and played themselves and their side back into the game, before unleashing a ferocious assault in the final 20 overs to give the visitors their second highest score in 50-over cricket in South Africa. 

Buttler was eventually dismissed for 131, made from 127 balls, while Malan hit 118 in 114.

Their fourth-wicket stand of 232 ranks fourth in England's all-time partnership standings, for any wicket. It is the joint fifth-highest fourth-wicket stand in men's ODI history among all nations. 

^{Jos Buttler and Dawid Malan both hit centuries for England against South Africa [Getty Images]}

^{Buttler's 131 came from 127 balls [Getty Images]}

With Moeen Ali providing a late cameo in blasting 41 from 23 balls, the tourists finished on 346 for 7. At the 30-over mark they were languishing on 129 for 3. 

At various points in the chase, South Africa were primed to make a good go of reaching their target, but a superb spell of fast bowling from Jofra Archer put paid to their chances. 

Archer mixed his pace and bowled with ferocity at the bodies of the Proteas batsmen in returning match figures of 6 for 40 - his first five-wicket haul in ODI cricket - which included the key scalps of David Miller, Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen. 

Bavuma made a quick 35 at the top of the order, before he misjudged a drive off Chris Woakes and was caught in the covers by Reece Topley, while Archer had van der Dussen for 5, caught well by Jason Roy at backward point. 

^{Malan made 118 for England [Getty Images]}

^{Lungi Ngidi claimed four wickets for South Africa [Getty Images]}

Reeza Hendricks woke up from a slovenly start to make his sixth ODI score of 50 or more, and he shared in a third-wicket stand worth 50 with Markram before being bowled by a delivery from Adil Rashid which skidded off the strip, struck a leg and rebounded onto the stumps.

His captain followed soon after for 39, slashing at an Archer short ball and skewing a catch to Moeen in the legside. Moeen did well not to lose the chance in the Kimberley twilight. 

Miller hit two boundaries in his seven-ball stay but departed after edging Archer through to Buttler, and momentum continued to leak from the hosts' innings when Marco Jansen got a bottom edge on an attempted sweep to give Buttler another catch, this time off Rashid. 

Heinrich Klaasen and Wayne Parnell combined to scare England with a seventh-wicket partnership worth 85 in nine overs to once again give the home fans a sniff of a third straight win over the world champions, but once Archer returned to pick up Klaasen - who hooked to Ben Duckett at fine leg for a rapid 80 - there was nothing left in the tank.

^{Jofra Archer was the star of the show with the ball for England [Getty Images]}

^{Reeza Hendricks made a half-century [Getty Images]}

Sisanda Magala was Rashid's third victim (3-68), Archer bowled Parnell (34) to complete his five-for, and Archer knocked over Tabraiz Shamsi's stumps to complete the win.

Earlier, England's top order briefly looked like falling apart in abject capitulation. Roy played a nasty drive straight to extra cover, Ben Duckett swiped at a short-ish delivery and nicked through, and Harry Brook became the third touring batsman out of three to gift-wrap his wicket to Ngidi, when he got an inside edge through to Klaasen to a wide delivery. 

That, however, was before the Buttler-Malan show.

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