Jason Roy hundred earns England warm-up win in South Africa
Watch the first ODI between South Africa and England live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am on Tuesday
Sunday 2 February 2020 08:11, UK
Jason Roy thumped 104 to rescue World Cup winners England and pave the way for a 77-run win over a South Africa Invitation XI, in Paarl.
Opener Roy struck eight fours and two sixes in his 99-ball knock, which steered the tourists to 240 all out off 44.1 overs in their first 50-over match since winning the World Cup last year.
Speaking afterwards, Roy said: "It was nice to get the shirt back on. I was pretty giddy getting on the plane back home to come out here. Obviously I haven't represented England for a while now so it's quite nice to get going.
"Playing a warm-up game in Paarl when the last game you played was in the World Cup final is quite difficult but we've got to build foundations again going forward for the next few years.
"[The World Cup win] is a memory that we can keep close to us but we've got to move forward and work hard for the next four years now until the next World Cup."
Joe Root wand skipper Eoin Morgan were both out first ball as England slipped to 16-3 after electing to bat but Roy rallied the innings, in conjunction with Joe Denly (29) and Chris Woakes (38).
Together they saved England's blushes although the tourists, missing the rested Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, failed to bat out their full allocation as Stephan Tait (2-32) and Imran Manack (2-38) applied pressure.
Roy reached his century off 94 balls only to pick out long-on shortly after off the bowling of Justin Dill (1-38) - at which point England were 187-7.
Woakes and Tom Curran (13) helped England move beyond 200 with some risk-free strokeplay, rotating the strike, before the latter chopped on to his stumps.
England's innings ended when last man Matt Parkinson edged Imran Manack to slip, where Jean Du Plessis took a comfortable catch, leaving Chris Jordan unbeaten on 14 from 17 deliveries.
The hosts were bowled out for 163 off 38.4 overs in reply, with Woakes, Jordan, Curran and Parkinson picking up two wickets apiece. Moeen Ali, back in the England side for the first time since deciding to take a break from Test cricket last year, bowled five overs but did not bat as the tourists tinkered with their line-up.
Curran made the breakthrough in the fourth over of the home side's reply, bowling Kabelo Sekhukhune, but Jacques Snyman then took 14 from a Curran over, including a pull over long leg for six.
The home side were well-placed at 91-1 in the 18th over before Parkinson ended a 75-run stand between Snyman and Du Plessis, who was stumped by a wide delivery after inching outside his crease.
Snyman brought up a 52-ball half-century soon afterwards but Parkinson then bowled Jesse Christensen as the hosts slipped to 105-3.
Curran trapped Snyman (65) in front with a yorker while the seamer also accounted for Qaasim Adams, whose loose drive was excellently caught by Morgan.
The hosts had slipped to 123-6 by the time Andile Mokgakane was run out following Denly's throw in the deep before late braces of wickets for Woakes and Jordan sealed England's victory.
The teams will regather to face each other again at the same venue on Saturday.
Watch the first ODI between South Africa and England live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am on Tuesday.
