Kagiso Rabada, rested for the series opener after his Test match exertions, and a fit-again Kyle Abbott replaced Marchant de Lange and Chris Morris.
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Alex Hales is the only man to have been dismissed on 99 in both one-day and Twenty20 internationals but he is keen to avoid going down in the records as the eighth opener to have tried and failed to partner England captain Alastair Cook successfully in Tests.
Hashim Amla was clean bowled by Topley after scoring just 4 runs while in-form De Kock was sent back to hut by Ben Stokes. A team effort is required if South Africa have to keep the series alive.
The England all-rounder nearly instantly had his revenge, though, with a very good catch – running back to deep midwicket, to take a skier over his head, when De Villiers got underneath a big hit at Stokes.
The Duckworth-Lewis method determined a 39-run victory in favour of England but South Africa will no doubt be wondering what they might have been able to achieve had the match gone on uninterrupted.
Hales took England close to their target with a patient 99 from 124 balls as they reached 263 for five from 46.2 overs. But England adjusted to the conditions easily and cruised home with another strong batting display after racking up 399 for 9 to win the first game. Duminy was misjudged out leg before to Topley for 47 from 66 balls. He added over a hundred runs at a strike-rate comfortably below hundred.
South Africa’s total was competitive on a slow pitch at St. George’s Park that could be hard to bat on at times. The skipper batted little cautiously today and focused on building the innings rather than going loose on the English bowlers.
De Villiers top scored with 73 before he was brilliantly caught by Chris Jordan and Duminy followed in the next over.
Shrubsole returned to get du Preez for 38 and bagged the first four wickets to fall with her testing inswingers.
The last four wickets fell for 14 in 23 balls as Jenny Gunn and Rebecca Grundy cleaned up the tail before the batsmen avoided major hiccups to put England 1-0 up in the three-match series.
Duminy hit only two fours in a 66-ball innings.
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A score of 262-7 would have been a winning one the last time England played a game in Port Elizabeth, but with 22 balls remaining when the game was won, it was way short. Spinner Moeen Ali was the only bowler who curbed Proteas batsmen with his spell of 43 runs for three in six overs, but given Port Elizabeth’s pitch is expected to assist pacers, it will be up to England to how they use him in the second ODI.
