AB de Villiers, the cricket legend from South Africa, has a clear take on why the Proteas crumbled in the second T20I against England. He points to their failure to use cutters effectively – those tricky deliveries that gripped the Nottingham pitch and proved toughest to smash.
England bounced back with a bang, leveling the three-match T20 series 1-1. They smashed a stunning 304/2 in just 20 overs, then bowled out South Africa for a measly 158 in 16.1 overs. That gave the hosts a massive 146-run win – their biggest ever in T20 internationals. Now, the decider heads to Nottingham on Sunday.
In his latest YouTube video, de Villiers broke it down. “That 304 for two was a monster total. We woke up too late with the ball. In those first 10 overs, we didn’t realize cutters were the hardest to hit on that pitch. By the last six or seven overs, we started using them and thought, ‘Hold on, this is the delivery for the day!'”
He didn’t hold back on England’s smart play either. “England knew exactly what to bowl in the second innings. No excuses for South Africa – these are experienced players who should adapt faster. We kept pitching it up, and the ball flew everywhere. We never went to those fast cutters gripping the deck, which should’ve been our go-to.”
England’s explosive batting rewrote the record books. Their 304/2 tops their own previous high of 267/3 against West Indies in 2023 and marks the first time they’ve crossed 300 in T20Is. It’s now the third-highest T20I total ever, behind Zimbabwe’s 344/4 vs Gambia in 2024 and Nepal’s 314/3 vs Mongolia in 2023. Only the second time a Test nation has hit 300-plus.
De Villiers added that England prepared well, making life hell for South Africa’s batters. “They forced us to hunt boundaries against those cutters, and that’s how you lose wickets. The silver lining? We got all out with four overs left. If we’d built some partnerships, maybe we’d have reached 250 – a less embarrassing loss.”
In the chase, Aiden Markram top-scored for South Africa with 41 runs. Jofra Archer starred for England, grabbing 3/25. South Africa’s bowlers took a pounding, with Bjorn Fortuin their only bright spot at 2/52.
With the T20 series tied, all eyes are on the final clash in Nottingham. Can South Africa turn it around, or will England seal the deal?
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