England Lions 349 for 7 (Livingstone 129, Malan 84, Markram 4-45) beat South Africa A 205 (Markram 50, Dawson 4-41) by 144 runs
Scorecard
Liam Livingstone smashed 129 off 83 © Getty Images
England Lions took a decisive 2-0 lead over South Africa A in their three-match Royal London One-Day Series after recording their second emphatic victory in three days – this time by 144 runs at Northampton.
James Vince’s side piled up 349 for 7 thanks largely to contrasting innings from Liam Livingstone, who made an explosive 129 from 83 balls with ten fours and eight sixes, and Dawid Malan, whose 84 from 89 balls included 13 fours, one six.
Livingstone’s maiden List A century was a violent affair, cleanly-hit and spectacular, but he was dropped twice and rode his luck. Malan’s classy innings was the better, containing barely a false shot until he became one of four victims for South Africa A captain, Aiden Markram, who also contributed 50 with the bat.
Markram got their reply off to a decent start but, under scoreboard pressure, the tourists’ chase never really took flight. They mustered only 205 all out as slow left-armer Liam Dawson took 4 for 41.
England Lions made one team-change, a rotation in the seam department as George Garton replaced Sam Curran.
After South Africa A chose to bowl, Duane Olivier inflicted brisk damage in an impressive opening spell of 6-0-17-2. Ben Duckett reached only two on his home ground before chipping to short midwicket. An inducker then trapped Daniel Bell-Drummond lbw for three.
Fresh from making an unbeaten 125 in the first game, Malan continued his excellent form but lost another partner when Vince lifted a pull to deep midwicket off Junior Dala.
Malan and Livingstone added 74 in 63 balls before their stand ended surprisingly when Malan charged at Markram and offered Heino Kuhn a simple stumping.
Livingstone and Dawson clattered 98 in 12 overs, the former reaching a 68-ball century, the second 50 of which arrived from 24 balls, a third of which went for four or six.
Dawson holed out to deep square-leg but Livingstone responded by lifting Jason Smith over the candy-floss stall into a neighbouring garden before perishing, caught at long-on, in pursuit of his ninth six.
After Ben Foakes swung and missed, Craig Overton and Tom Curran kept the pressure high with an unbroken stand of 50 from 25 balls.
South Africa A were never in the hunt after losing Reeza Hendricks, lbw to Curran, in the third over. Markram reached 50 but he edged Steven Finn and, nine balls later, Dawson turned one into JJ Smuts’ stumps, leaving the tourists 81 for 3. Steady decline followed. Theunis de Bruyn lifted Dawson to long on, Temba Bavuma nicked Garton to the keeper and Kuhn belted a Livingstone full-toss straight back to the bowler.
Khaya Zondo’s attempt to smite Dawson over the indoor centre landed in the hands of Overton at mid-on. The spinner’s fourth wicket was Olivier, bowled through a failed slog. Livingstone bowled Dala and a thoroughly dominant Lions display was rounded off when Jason Smith drove Finn into the hands of Vince at mid-off.
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo