21 Feb 2016 | Cricket
England ended their tour of South Africa with a nine-wicket defeat in Johannesburg to hand the Proteas a 2-0 Twenty20 international series victory.
Chasing 172 to win following a dramatic England collapse, the hosts romped to their victory target with 32 balls remaining after a 125-run opening partnership between AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla in just 8.2 overs.
De Villiers cracked six fours and the same amount of sixes in amassing 71 from 29 balls and recorded the fast half century by a South African in IT20 cricket, while Amla weighed in with an unbeaten 69, his second T20I half-century to finish the job.
England were well placed for a competitive score on a flat Wanderers pitch at 157 for three in the 16th over, having lost the toss, courtesy of a 96-run stand from 55 balls from half-centurion Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan.
But the tourists, playing their last sprint-format match before heading to next month's World Twenty20 in India where they will meet South Africa again, paid the price for losing their last seven wickets for 14 runs in 21 deliveries to be dismissed for 171 two balls short of their 20 overs.
After a great start to the tour and taking the Test series, England have now lost their last five games in white ball cricket, after being 2 nil up when Robert Croft left the camp to return to take up his position as Glamorgan Head Coach.