Watch: Marais Erasmus' Brainfade Moment; forgets to watch entire ball in ENG vs SA ODI
The first match between England and South Africa at Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein, ended with a thrilling finish. Eventually, it was the hosts who won the first game by 27 runs, but until the halfway point, England was crusing towards a win.
South Africa pulled them back. However, apart from the action-packed game, something else caught the attention of the cricket world during the game. Although it is not related to any player, this time the world-recognized umpire, Marais Erasmus, became the centre of attention.
The South African umpire is part of the ICC’s Elite Panel of Umpires, but during the game on Friday, he missed watching a legal delivery. He was standing at the square leg, but at the time of the delivery, he was watching the other side of the action with something in his hand.
It happened on the last ball of the 24th over, when Jason Roy was batting at the crease and Anrich Nortje was the bowler. The pacer bowled a full ball, and Roy played it for a backfoot cut shot. The cameraman focused on Erasmus at the same time, who had his back towards the batter and missed watching the ball.
He turned after the batter played the ball. It was a rare sight, as it does not happen regularly. Meanwhile, Erasmus is among the top umpires in the world.
— 🗂️ (@TopEdgeCricket2) January 27, 2023
Speaking of the game, after winning the toss, South Africa batted first. They had some good contributions in the middle, with van der Dussen scoring a brilliant century. He made 111 runs with six fours and one six. The Proteas made a challenging score of 298/7 in their first inning. Chasing the target, England had a dream start, with both openers adding 146 runs for the first wicket.
Dawid Malan scored 59 runs, while Jason Roy struck a brilliant century. He made 113 off 91 with 11 fours and four sixes. But once the partnership was broken, England lost regular wickets and got dismissed for 270 runs in 44.2 overs, losing the game by 27 runs. South Africa has taken a 1-0 lead with two matches left.