Morgan rues fielding lapses in Pakistan defeat

The new Twenty20 tournament being planned by the England and Wales Cricket Board will not hurt the existing 18 counties, England's limited overs captain Eoin Morgan has said.

None of England's county sides are due to feature in the event due to start in 2020. Instead, it will involve eight city-based teams playing 36 games in 38 days and hopes to rival the Indian Premier League and Australia's Big Bash.

"I don't think it will damage county cricket at all," Morgan told British media. "It's not a gamble. It's proven in other countries that it is possible to have it all. We are never going to lose our core cricket fans."

The counties are being asked to agree a change to the ECB constitution, which currently says each competition must be open to them all. In return, each county would receive a financial inducement of 1.3 million pounds ($1.62 million) annually for five years.

The ECB announced on Tuesday that its board had given its unanimous support to trigger the formal process.

"And so even if this doesn't work, we can always go back. Although I think it will," Morgan added.

"Change is always difficult but I don't see this as change. It probably should have happened a while ago. The purpose of this tournament will be to grow the game."

England's Eoin Morgan has retired from international cricket with immediate effect, the World Cup-winning white-ball captain said on Tuesday.

Morgan, who led England to 50-over World Cup glory in 2019, captained England in a record 126 ODIs and 72 T20s. His 118 wins as skipper across the two formats is also a record.

He retires with a slew of records to his name, including most ODI runs for England (6,957), most T20I runs for England (2,458) and most sixes for England in both formats.

"To call time on what has been without doubt the most enjoyable and rewarding chapter of my career hasn't been an easy decision," Morgan said.

"But I believe now is the right time to do so, both for me, personally, and for both England white-ball sides I have led to this point.

"I have been lucky enough to play in two World Cup winning teams, but I believe the future for England's white-ball teams is brighter than ever. We have more experience, more strength and more depth than ever before."

The 35-year-old, who made his ODI debut as a 16-year-old with Ireland in 2006 before he was called up by England in 2009, has played 248 ODIs and 115 T20Is, scoring 10,159 runs in total. He has also played in 16 tests, scoring 700 runs.

But injuries and a lack of runs in T20s and ODIs had raised questions about his form ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year as well as England's defence of their 50-overs title in 2023.

"To what lies ahead for me, I will continue to enjoy playing at a domestic level while I can," Morgan added.

"I'm really looking forward to playing and captaining London Spirit in the second edition of The Hundred this year."

England captain Eoin Morgan has played down injury concerns for all-rounder Ben Stokes, who left field with a sore knee during Wednesday's comprehensive victory over South Africa.

Fresh from his impressive maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) stint, Stokes made 25 with the bat in the first of the three one-dayers against South Africa but bowled just two overs before leaving the field.

Stokes, who turns 26 next month, returned to the field but did not bowl again.

"When he came back onto the field he was fit to bowl," Morgan said after his century helped secure England's 72-run victory at Headingley.

"I felt bowling him again even though he was fit wasn't worth the risk. He doesn't even have swelling -- there are no significant signs of an injury -- but we can assess that over the next couple of days.

"He did the right thing to go out and get it checked. A knee can be quite a significant injury if it does happen."

Morgan's 107 off 93 balls was his third century in eight ODI innings and the left-hander wished he could continue the form going into the Champions Trophy beginning next week.

"I feel in good form. I felt like this against Ireland, I felt like this in India, I felt like this in the Big Bash," the 30-year-old added.

"I have never gone through a stage this long where I have been able to keep it up. I'm not sure what it is down to. Maybe a bit of experience," added Morgan, who has helped galvanise the side since their group stage exit from the 2015 World Cup.

The three-match series against South Africa continues at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Saturday and concludes at Lord's on Monday.

England captain Eoin Morgan's fine century laid the platform for a 72-run win over South Africa in the day/night first one-day international at Headingley on Thursday.

Victory over the Proteas, the world's number-one ranked ODI side, gave England a morale boost just a week before they host the Champions Trophy tournament featuring the world's top eight 50-over sides and put them 1-0 up in this three-match series.

South Africa, set 340 to win, made steady progress while the experienced Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis shared a second-wicket stand of 112.

But they both fell in quick succession to leave the Proteas 149 for three.

South Africa's innings never recovered and they were dismissed for 267 with five overs to spare.

Earlier, Morgan's 107 -- his 10th ODI hundred for England -- was the cornerstone of the hosts' 339 for six.

England had slumped to 198 for five but Morgan's sixth-wicket stand of 117 with fellow left-hander Moeen Ali, who made a dashing 77 not out on his return, turned the tide.

Both batsmen struck five sixes apiece.

Ali, omitted from the preceding 2-0 series win over Morgan's native Ireland, ended the innings in style when he hoisted the last ball, from Chris Morris, high over deep square leg.

Ali was named man-of-the-match after also taking two wickets with his off-spin.

South Africa skipper AB De Villiers opted to field first after winning the toss despite sunny blue skies above Headingley seemingly offering good batting conditions.

His decision was quickly rewarded when Jason Roy (one) was caught behind off left-armer Wayne Parnell in just the second over.

Both Alex Hales and England Test skipper Joe Root made runs on an easy-paced pitch before they each fell to Andile Phehlukwayo.

The 21-year-old seamer struck with his first ball Wednesday when Hales, on 61, flat-footedly chased a wide ball and got a thin edge to wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock.

Phehlukwayo then undid Root (37) with a bouncer the local hero mishooked to Amla.

But Morgan twice lofted Phehlukwayo for six.

Ben Stokes, back from impressing in the Indian Premier League, holed out for 30 and fellow IPL star Jos Buttler, replacing in-form Yorkshireman Jonny Bairstow, glanced to short fine leg on seven.

Morgan, however, went to his hundred when he hooked fast bowler Kagiso Rabada over long leg for six.

He holed out off Morris soon afterwards to end a 93-ball innings but Ali kept going as England plundered 102 runs in the last 10 overs.

England then had an early breakthrough when dangerman de Kock fell for just five after skying Chris Woakes to opposing keeper Buttler.

But Amla again proved a thorn in England's side with a typically elegant near run-a-ball 73.

Fast bowler Mark Wood, however, removed the stylish South African when he had Amla lbw but only after England successfully reviewed Australian umpire Rod Tucker's not out call.

There was rather less doubt when du Plessis was caught behind off Yorkshire fast bowler Liam Plunkett.

De Villiers looked good while making 45 off 38 balls, including seven fours, but with his side falling behind the run-rate, he fell in similar fashion to several team-mate when he holed out off Ali.

His exit left South Africa 225 for seven and the contest ended when tailender Rabada was caught behind off Woakes, who took four for 38.

Before the match started, players and officials were joined by spectators in observing a minute's silence in memory of the victims of Monday's terror attack in nearby Manchester that killed 22 people and injured dozens more.

The series continues at Southampton on Saturday and concludes with next Monday's match at Lord's.