• Pretorius impresses for Proteas

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    Proteas all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius took four wickets as England were dismissed for 201 in the rain-affected second ODI on Friday.

    Pretorius finished with career-best figures of 4-36, including removing star batsmen Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow in the space of three balls, during a match reduced by rain to 29 overs per side at Old Trafford.

    Left-arm wrist-spinner Tabraiz Shamsi (2-39) and fast bowler Anrich Nortje (2-53) took two wickets apiece.

    Only all-rounders Liam Livingstone (38) and Sam Curran (35) managed more than 30 for England with David Willey adding a useful run-a-ball 21 late on before he became Pretorius’ fourth wicket.

    England, sent into bat by Proteas captain Keshav Maharaj, collapsed to 62-4 inside nine overs.

    Jason Roy (14) and No 3 Phil Salt (17), recalled following the ODI retirement of England World Cup final hero Ben Stokes, both hit several boundaries.

    But, looking to force the pace they each perished to catches at midwicket off Nortje and Pretorius respectively.

    Pretorius, in for the concussed Andile Phehlukwayo in the only change to the South Africa side that won by 62 runs at Chester-le-Street on Tuesday, then struck twice in his second over to remove Root and Bairstow.

    Star batsman Root, who had made just one, charged down the pitch only to top-edge the ball high into the air, with wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock making no mistake with the catch.

    He then fooled Bairstow (28) with a slower ball the batsman tried to drive.

    And 62-4 became 72-5 when Moeen Ali fell for just six, swinging left-arm spinner Maharaj straight to deep square leg.

    England’s hopes of a competitive total now appeared to rest with captain Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone.

    Buttler, one of the world’s best white-ball batsmen, was out for just 19 when deceived into slicing a ball from Shamsi, that turned away from rather than into the right-hander to third man.

    The skipper’s exit left 50-over world champions England 101-6 in the 18th over.

    Renowned big-hitter Livingstone tried to revive the innings with three huge sixes and an edged four off successive Nortje deliveries.

    But the fifth ball of the 21st over proved his undoing when Livingstone, on his Lancashire home ground, smashed a slower ball to midwicket.

    Curran fell in similar fashion to Livingstone when, having struck Shamsi for two fours and a huge six off successive deliveries, he promptly holed out off a slower ball from the spinner.

    Willey added late impetus before he was caught in the deep off Pretorius as the 33-year-old paceman surpassed his previous ODI best of 3-5 against New Zealand at Wellington five years ago.

    Adil Rashid’s run-out in the last over meant England had been bowled out in all five ODIs this season.

    © Agence France-Presse

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    Simon Borchardt