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England_vs_South_Africa_Harry_Brook_says_rain-reduced_opening_T20_was_shambles_of_a_night_-_BBC_Sport.txt
'Shambles of a night' - Brook on poker friends episodiorain-reduced T20To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.This video can not be playedMedia caption, South Africa beat England in rain-reduced T20ByFfion WynneBBC Sport Journalist in Cardiff Published11 September 2025818 CommentsCaptain Harry Brook described the rain-reduced T20 between his England team and South Africa in Cardiff as a "shambles of a night".With the start delayed until 20:50 BST, the match was reduced to nine overs a side and the tourists reached 97-5 after 7.5 overs before another downpour, which gave England a revised target of 69 from five. The hosts fell short on 54-5 to go 1-0 down in the three-match series, though Brook felt there was nothing to glean from the contest."They got nine overs, we got five overs. You can't take much from it," said Brook."It was a bit of a shambles. It was a long, long day but I don't think we need to make any excuses up."We probably didn't execute as well as we should have done with bat and ball but it's hard when you only bat for five overs." The original playing conditions stated there would be a 2.4 over powerplay and that four bowlers could bowl a maximum of two overs each and one bowler could bowl one, which curiously did not change once England's target was adjusted.Earlier, England made a late change to their team to remove Jofra Archer from the XI considering the conditions, and he was replaced by Luke Wood who took 2-22. "It would have been stupid to play him with the amount of cricket we've got coming up," Brook added."If he'd have gone out and done what Adam Hose did in The Hundred and broken his leg or whatever, that would have been a shambles."Archer has been reintroduced to international cricket this summer with his first Test in four years and the hope that he will be fit for the winter's Ashes in Australia. Brook would not be drawn on whether the game should have gone ahead, adding that it was simply "up to the umpires". The series continues at Old Trafford on Friday, where there is also a mixed forecast.England beaten by SA in rain-reduced opening T20Published2 days agoWhy isn't cricket played in the rain?Published25 JuneIndia dismiss UAE for 57 in winning start to Asia CupPublished3 days ago'It devalued international cricket' - what you saidSam, Colchester: "What was the point in that 12.5 over bash? The ground is half full (at best), the chance of injury is high and this England team is cooked. In an era when we bang on about player welfare, why organise these pointless T20s at stupid times of year! These players play plenty of franchise T20 and don't really need to refine their skills, it might be a better idea to only play IT20s at T20 World Cups. Tonight was a farce which devalued international cricket."Jim Adams, Matlock: "I'm really not sure what the point of all that was. Is anyone a winner here?"Matt B, London: "In 45 years of watching cricket this is the weirdest game I have ever seen."Greg: "What a complete shambles, having a five-over chase in international cricket. It's the equivalent of not bothering with a 90-minute match in football and just having a penalty shootout with the side going second only being allowed 4 attempts!"Martin Tooth: "Utter farce to decide an international cricket match on the basis of a five-over innings. We all know cricket is about the ebb and flow of an innings. No room for that in five overs."Related topicsEngland Men's Cricket TeamSouth AfricaCricketComments can not be loadedTo load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browserView comments | 818
