[Watch] Reece Topley sends back Quinton de Kock in 1st over of ENG vs SA 2023 World Cup match
England pacer Reece Topley provided an early breakthrough to his team against South Africa in their 2023 World Cup match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday, October 21. He dismissed Quinton de Kock cheaply, caught behind by captain Jos Buttler.
Topley bowled a fuller-length ball outside off that shaped away from the left-handed batter. De Kock went for the drive but only got an outside edge before Buttler completed the formality.
Surprisingly, the on-field umpire Kumar Dharamsena gave it not out, but the replays confirmed a faint edge as England used the review to their advantage. The dismissal came after De Kock smashed Topley for a first-ball boundary.
Watch the dismissal below:
Topley, however, left the field after bowling 3.5 overs. He sustained a finger injury. Joe Root completed his fourth over. The left-arm pacer has a history of injuries.
England opt to field against South Africa in World Cup match
England captain Jos Buttler won the toss and opted to field against South Africa in the World Cup match on Saturday. England made three changes as Ben Stokes, Gus Atkinson, and David Willey were drafted into their playing XI.
At the toss, Buttler said:
"We are going to bowl first. Generally a good ground for chasing, that's the reason behind it. It's not about looking back, need to look forward. Need to be at our best. Stokes comes in, Willey and Atkinson come in for Woakes and Curran.”
Meanwhile, Aiden Markram is leading South Africa in the absence of Temba Bavuma (ill). Reeza Hendricks replaced Bavuma in the playing XI. He said:
“Bavuma is ill, so Reeza comes in. Nice opportunity for him.”
England lost their last match against Afghanistan by 69 runs, while the Netherlands stunned South Africa by 38 runs. At the time of writing, South Africa were 134/2 after 21 overs, with Reeza Hendricks and Aiden Markram at the crease.
Follow the SA vs ENG 2023 World Cup live score and updates here.