Eoin Morgan produced one of his best knocks in the opening game of the three-match series against South Africa as he smashed 107 runs off 93 balls to help England reach a mammoth total of 339 runs for the loss of six wickets in the first innings at Leeds.
The series acted as an ideal platform for the two teams to fine-tune their skills and finalise their combinations before the ICC Championship Trophy was scheduled a couple of weeks later in England.
All set for our 1st training session before the series against 🇿🇦 @sf_stanford @CaptainMorganEU pic.twitter.com/uqWGNLHSBQ
— Eoin Morgan (@Eoin16) May 22, 2017
Asked to bat first, England scored 101 in 17 overs before Alex Hales was dismissed for 61 runs, ending a 98-run stand for the second wicket along with Joe Root.
Walking in at number four, Morgan anchored the innings by manoeuvring the ball around for ones and twos and capitalised on the loose deliveries. The southpaw reached his half-century off 40 balls and stitched a crucial 68-run stand with Ben Stokes for the fourth wicket.
The 34-year-old has been a catalyst behind the revolution of the England team in the white-ball format, and this match provided us with glimpses of the direction he wanted to take England cricket towards.
With wickets tumbling at the other end, Morgan continued to take the attack to the opposition and notched up his 11th ODI hundred with a six, courtesy of a pull shot off Kagiso Rabada.
Watch the Highlights of Eoin Morgan’s masterclass here:
Video hosted on England and Wales Cricket Board’s YouTube channel
The scintillating century from the skipper was studded with seven fours and five sixes and propelled the home team to a massive total in the first innings.
The only player to reach 200 One-day International caps for the England team, Eoin Morgan's heroics with the bat ensured a comprehensive 72-run victory for the host nation.
