England has beaten South Africa by six wickets in the fourth one-day international at Lords to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Ian Bell hit 88 from 137 balls, with a six and eight fours, as England closed on 224-4, overhauling South Africa’s 220-8 with 20 balls to spare on Sunday.
Bell put on a second-wicket stand of 141 with Jonathan Trott, who was England’s next highest scorer with 48.
Dale Steyn had South Africa’s best bowling figures with 2-47.
Earlier spinner James Tredwell atoned for dropping two catches by claiming 3-35, while medium pacer Ravi Bopara took 2-34.
Wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter had three stumpings and two catches while Hashim Amla, who was dropped on 4 by Tredwell, was the tourists’ top scorer with 45.
Scoreboard
South Africa
Graeme Smith c Kieswetter b Dernbach 29
JP Duminy st Kieswetter b Tredwell 18
AB de Villiers st Kieswetter b Tredwell 39
Faf du Plessis b Bopara 1
Dean Elgar c Kieswetter b Finn 35
Wayne Parnell st Kieswetter b Tredwell 5
Robin Peterson not out 31
Ryan Mclaren run out (Dernbach) 1
Dale Steyn not out 3
Extras- (7b, 6w) 13
TOTAL- (for eight wickets) 220
Overs- 50.
Fall of wickets- 1—68, 2—100, 3—106, 4—115, 5—166, 6—174, 7—214, 8—215.
Did not bat- Lonwabo Tsotsobe.
Bowling- Steven Finn 10—0—33—1 (3w), James Anderson 7—0—32—0 (1w), Jade Dernbach 9—0—51—1 (1w), Ravi Bopara 9—0—34—2 (1w), Samit Patel 7—0—28—0, James Tredwell 8—0—35—3.
England
Alastair Cook lbw b Steyn 2
Ian Bell c de Villiers b Steyn 88
Jonathan Trott lbw b Elgar 48
Ravi Bopara c de Villiers b McLaren 6
Eoin Morgan not out 36
Craig Kieswetter not out 21
Extras- (3b, 7lb, 11w, 2nb) 23
TOTAL (for four wickets) 224
Overs- 46.4.
Fall of wickets- 1—2, 2—143, 3—156, 4—186.
Did not bat- Samit Patel, James Tredwell, James Anderson, Steven Finn, Jade Dernbach.
Bowling- Dale Steyn 9.4—0—47—2 (2w), Lonwabo Tsotsobe 8—0—36—0 (3w), Ryan McLaren 9—0—52—1 (6w), Dean Elgar 5—0—15—1, Wayne Parnell 8—0—39—0 (2nb), Robin Peterson 7—1—25—0.
Toss- England.
Result- England wins by six wickets.
Umpires- Simon Taufel, Australia, and Richard Illingworth, England.
Third umpire- Kumar Dharmasena, Sri Lanka. Match referee- Andy Pycroft, Zimbabwe.
