Rain washes out Trent Bridge decider as England and South Africa share T20I series 1-1
Brook and Markram eye upcoming tours after an anticlimactic finish to the summer
Salt named player of the series after record-breaking 141 at Old Trafford
Rain drenched Nottingham and washed away the T20I series decider between England and South Africa at Trent Bridge.
In an anticlimactic finish, Harry Brook and Aiden Markram posed with the trophy as the series ended 1-1, South Africa winning the rain-hit opener in Cardiff before England hit back with a dominant victory in Manchester.
The series started with South Africa making a strong statement in the England vs South Africa 1st T20I, building on their ODI success to take an early lead. However, their heavy defeat in the next game highlighted flaws they were desperate to address before the decider, as they looked to regroup and push for a series win before heading home.
The ENG vs SA second match, meanwhile, saw England in full flow, smashing a record 304 for two, the highest total ever by a full-member nation in men’s T20Is, and cruising to a 146-run victory, with Harry Brook’s side eager to carry that dominance into the final clash.
After the abandonment, both captains reflected on the series with mixed emotions. England skipper Harry Brook called it "a shame" not to get the chance to play but said he was proud of how his side had performed.
"That last game was amazing, good fun. We’ve got a lot of confidence going forward, and I completely believe in guys like Salt and Jos. It won’t be the only time we get 300. It’s been my first summer as captain, and I’ve really enjoyed leading this group, it’s a good collective. Now I’ll take a holiday before the winter tours," he said.
South Africa captain Aiden Markram admitted his team had been outplayed in Manchester but felt the series offered valuable lessons.
"The first game was a quick one, and in the second we were completely outplayed. You have plans, but on the day you need to be adaptable. From Australia to here, we’ve picked up a lot of lessons and we’re tracking towards the World Cup," he said.
"We’ve had good conversations in the group, and you can never take things for granted. You always go back to your skill sets and improve. Today was an exciting opportunity, but with the weather like this, you can’t do much. Now we get three or four weeks off before hitting the road again," he added.
South Africa will tour Pakistan for two Tests, three T20Is and three ODIs, with the Proteas skipper set to use the short break before what promises to be a challenging series.
Brook too will enjoy some time off before England’s busy winter, which begins with Jacob Bethell captaining the T20I side in Ireland, followed by tours to New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka and India.
Phil Salt was named player of the series after bouncing back from a first-ball duck in Cardiff with a match-winning unbeaten 141 in Manchester, powering England to a record victory at his home ground.
