England vs South Africa 2017: Jason Roy becomes the first batsman to get out Obstructing the Field in T20Is
England opener Jason Roy created history by becoming the first batsman to get out obstructing the field in the T20I format during his team’s second T20I against South Africa at Taunton.
The incident took place in the first ball of the sixteenth over bowled by Chris Morris as the batsman, Liam Livingstone, dabbed the ball to the backward point region where Andile Phehlukwayo collected it and threw at the non-striker’s end. Jason Roy, the non-striker, was halfway down the pitch when he was sent back by Livingstone. The ball hit his boots as the South Africans led by Morris started appealing for obstructing the field and the umpire Michael Gough immediately signalled a dead ball and went upstairs with a soft signal not out.
The third umpire took a lot of time and the replays suggested that Roy had a look at the fielder before changing his direction and ran across the pitch before the ball hit him on his foot. This was enough for the TV umpire to send the batsman back to the pavilion. Though it could have been unintentional, Roy running across the pitch and getting between the fielder’s throw and the stumps would have made the umpire give his verdict in favour of the fielding team.
This triggered a mini collapse in the England innings as the hosts slumped from 133-2 in 15 overs to 171-6 in 20 overs and eventually lost the match by 2 runs. England needed just 42 runs in the last five overs with skipper Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler still waiting for their turn. Some brilliant death bowling by South Africa along with an ordinary batting from the Poms helped the Proteas run away with the match and take the game into the decider.
Roy top-scored for England with 67 off 45 balls and was backed well by Jonny Bairstow, who scored a 37-ball 47. Debutant Liam Livingstone had a match to forget as he struggled to score freely towards the end before he was dismissed in the last over for 16 off 18 balls. Chris Morris was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/18 in his four overs and was named the player of the match.
Earlier in the day, South Africa made 174-8 in their 20 overs, thanks to a 45 off 35 balls from Jon Jon Smuts and AB de Villiers' 20-ball 46 that included four fours and three sixes. Yet another debutant in the England XI, Tom Curran was the pick of the English bowler with figures of 3/33 in his four overs.
The third and final match of the series will be played on Sunday (June 25) at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.