CHESTER-LE-STREET – A fourth-wicket stand of 90 between Jacques Kallis and Jean-Peal Duminy guided South Africa to a comfortable seven-wicket win over England in the opening Twenty20 match here Saturday.



The Proteas were set a target of 119 to win after a spin inspired bowling attack restricted England.



England pacer Jade Dernbach (2-31) sent an early scare through the South African top-order, but it failed to sway Kallis and Duminy who cruised toward the total with an over remaining.Batting from start to finish, recalled all-rounder Kallis struck an unbeaten 48 from 44 balls, top scoring for South Africa, while Duminy chipped in with 47 from 54 balls.



Earlier, right arm off-spinner Johan Botha and Robin Peterson both claimed two wickets each.



Opener Kieswetter top scored with 25 from 24 balls, but there was little scoreboard impact from the English batsmen who were no match for the tourists.



Yuvi’s India return washed out



Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh’s keenly-awaited return after battling cancer ended with a damp squib as the first Twenty20 game against New Zealand was washed out in Visakhapatnam Saturday. The game was abandoned without a ball being bowled as heavy rain lashing the southern coastal town since late afternoon showed no signs of relenting. — Agencies

Scoreboard

 

England

C. Kieswetter lbw b Botha     25

A. Hales run out (Kallis)     11

R. Bopara c Botha b Steyn     06

E. Morgan b Botha     10

J. Bairstow c Botha b Morkel     15

J. Buttler b Peterson     06

S. Patel c Kallis b Peterson     04

S. Broad not out     18

G. Swann not out     18

Extras (b2, lb3) 05

Total (7 wkts, 20 overs)     118

Falls: 1-27 (Hales), 2-40 (Kieswetter), 3-50 (Bopara), 4-66 (Morgan), 5-76 (Buttler), 6-80 (Bairstow), 7-85 (Patel).

Did not bat: S. Finn, J. Dernbach.

Bowling: Peterson 4-0-27-2; Steyn 4-0-13-1; Tsotobe 2-0-22-0; Morkel 3-0-12-1; Botha 4-0-19-2; Kallis 3-0-20-0.

South Africa

R. Levi c Swann b Dernbach     08

J. Kallis not out     48

F. du Plessis lbw b Finn     04

De Villiers c Kieswetter b Dernbach     10

JP Duminy not out     47

Extras (lb1, w1)     02

Total (3 wkts, 19 overs)     119

Falls: 1-9 (Levi), 2-14 (Du Plessis), 3-29 (De Villiers).

Did not bat: J. Ontong, A. Morkel, J. Botha, R. Peterson, D. Steyn, L. Tsotsobe.

Bowling: Finn 4-0-22-1; Dernbach 4-0-31-2; Broad 4-0-18-0; Bopara 2-0-20-0 (1w); Swann 4-0-16-0; Patel 1-0-11-0.

Man of the match: Dale Steyn.