The series, level at 1-1, concludes with the third T 22 at Centurion on Sunday at : (GMT.
) England hold their nerve … just
Chris Jordan took 2 – off his four overs
In the first T , England lost a match they should have won but here they found a way to win from what appeared to be a losing position late on.
Curran was loose in conceding 40 runs off his first three overs but Eoin Morgan backed his experience of bowling at the death in giving him the final over.
After a dot ball to start, Pretorius seemed to be striking South Africa to a series win , so for Curran to come back and produce two excellent final deliveries was especially impressive.
England’s seamers had to step up with spinners Moeen and Rashid uncharacteristically expensive and Stokes, Jordan and Mark Wood all made telling contributions.
De Kock had ruthlessly punishe d Moeen – hitting three sixes in an over, including one onto the roof – before bringing up his half-century off just (balls.)
But he smacked a full toss from Wood straight to Stokes, with the third umpire ruling it was below waist height, before Wood had opener Temba Bavuma caught down the leg side by Jos Buttler for 35.
David Miller smacked a delivery from Rashid out of the stadium, before he picked out Jordan at long on off stokes to fall for .
Jordan sent down two fine yorkers to bowl JJ Smuts and Andile Phehlukwayo in consecutive balls , only to then concede (off the) th over as Van der Dussen produced some mighty blows.
Yet this time South Africa could not find a way, with England’s victory confirmed once the umpires ruled Rashid had not left the inner ring too early on the final ball, ensuring an absorbing series will have a fitting decider.
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