Morgan, Moeen set up comfortable England win

Eoin Morgan, the England captain, scored a fine century to lay the platform for a 72-run win over South Africa in the day-night first One-Day International at Headingley on Wednesday (May 24). Morgan’s 107 off 93 balls was well complemented by an all-round show by Moeen Ali, who hit 77 not out off 51 before taking 2 for 50 in nine overs.

Victory over South Africa, the No. 1-ranked ODI side in the MRF ICC rankings, gave England a morale boost just a week before it hosts the ICC Champions Trophy 2017 featuring the world's top eight 50-over sides, and put the home team 1-0 up in this three-match series.

South Africa, set 340 to win, made steady progress while the experienced Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis shared a second-wicket stand of 112. But they both fell in quick succession as South Africa slid from 145 for 1 to 149 for 3.

The visiting side couldn’t recover from that double blow, and though AB de Villiers made a typically aggressive 45 off 38, none of the batsmen to follow crossed 20 as South Africa was bowled out for 267 in 45 overs.

Earlier, Morgan's 107 -- his 10th ODI hundred for England -- was the cornerstone of his team’s 339 for 6. The home team had slumped to 198 for 5 but Morgan's sixth-wicket stand of 117 with Moeen, his fellow left-hand batsman, turned the tide. Both batsmen struck five sixes apiece.

Moeen, who ended England's innings with a six off Chris Morris, was named Man of the Match for his all-round show, which included the important wicket of de Villiers while bowling his off-spin.

"It was a pretty good day at the office for us," said Morgan. "The partnerships we built gave us the best opportunity to get a par score and beyond."

De Villiers, the South African skipper, accepted his side had been well beaten, telling Sky Sports: "England played phenomenally well with the bat in hand. Morgs really dominated with the hundred.

"We didn't bat well enough, we definitely should have come a lot closer. We lost Faf and Hash in close succession and that probably stopped us a little bit."

De Villiers chose to field first on a sunny day seemingly ideal for batting. His decision was quickly rewarded when Jason Roy (1) was caught behind off Wayne Parnell, the left-arm swing bowler, in just the second over.

Both Alex Hales and Joe Root, the Test skipper, made runs on an easy-paced pitch before they each fell to Andile Phehlukwayo.

Phehlukwayo, 21, struck with his first ball on Wednesday when Hales, on 61, flat-footedly chased a wide ball and got a thin edge to Quinton de Kock behind the stumps.

Phehlukwayo then undid Root (37) with a bouncer that the local hero mis-hooked to Amla. But Morgan twice lofted Phehlukwayo for six.

Ben Stokes, back from impressing in the Indian Premier League, holed out for 30 and Jos Buttler, his fellow IPL star who replaced in-form Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow, glanced to short fine-leg on seven.

But Morgan went to his hundred in grand fashion when he hooked Kagiso Rabada over long-leg for six.

He holed out off Morris soon afterwards to end a 93-ball innings but Moeen kept going as England plundered 102 runs in the last 10 overs.

England then had an early breakthrough when de Kock fell for just five after skying Chris Woakes to Buttler, his opposing number behind the stumps. But Amla made a typically elegant 73 off 76.

Mark Wood, the paceman, eventually had Amla lbw but only after England successfully reviewed the original not out call. Soon after, du Plessis was caught behind off Liam Plunkett.

De Villiers looked good during his knock that included seven fours, but he fell in similar fashion to several teammates when he holed out off Moeen.

The match ended when Rabada was caught behind off Woakes, who took 4 for 38.

Before play, teams and officials were joined by spectators in observing a minute's silence in memory of the victims of Monday's terror attack in nearby Manchester that killed 22 people and injured dozens more.

The series continues in Southampton on Saturday and concludes with next Monday's match at Lord's.