ICC World Cup 2019: England vs South Africa: Three talking points from the match

Ben Stokes was the star of Game 1 of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, as England began their quest to win their maiden World Cup title with a resounding 104-run win against South Africa at The Oval. Here are the talking points from the match.

Tahir becomes first spinner to bowl first over in a World Cup opener

Faf du Plessis came up with the ingenious idea of giving the new ball to Imran Tahir, and it paid rich dividends as Jonny Bairstow edged one in the first over itself to Quinton de Kock. It was only the third time a leg-spinner had taken the new ball in ODIs; the first time time a leg-spinner had bowled the first ball in a World Cup, and it was the first time that a bowler other than a right-arm pacer had been given the honours of starting off proceedings.

Quinton de Kock survives despite ball hitting the stumps

Adil Rashid spun one inton Quinton de Kock’s leg stump in South Africa’s innings, and he soon went up in celebration as the ball edged the stumps en route the keeper. The bails did light up but they remained firmly in their place. For a batter to be dismissed, the bails need to be dislodged, and it was a case of “so near yet so far” for Rashid.

Archer breathes fire

Jofra Archer sent a 145kmph bouncer straight into Hashim Amla’s grille, which forced the South African to walk off the field for a brief period. Archer, who had been in the news in the recent past after he became eligible to play for England, bowled with good pace and bounce as he went on to scalp 3 wickets to make it a memorable outing for the Three Lions.