ENG vs SA 2022: "That team are crying out for a captain" - Fans fume as England's batting unit crumbles again to lose T20I series

England slumped to their third consecutive series loss under Jos Buttler's captaincy

England suffered a humiliating 90-run defeat in the third T20I against South Africa at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on July 31. The Proteas handed the hosts their joint-heaviest defeat in the shortest format as they secured a comeback to win the series by a 2-1 margin.

Electing to bowl first despite their chasing debacle in the last fixture in Cardiff, the Jos Buttler-led side struck early by dismissing Quinton de Kock for a duck. Despite the early blow, the visitors responded strongly with 53 runs in the powerplay.

Reeza Hendricks scored a well-compiled 70 and was joined by the in-form Aiden Markram, who also recorded a half-century. David Miller applied the finishing touches with a nine-ball 22-run cameo to propel South Africa to a mammoth 191/4 in their 20 overs. Rilee Rossouw scored a handy 31 off 18 balls as well.

England's famed batting unit once again failed to impress in their pursuit of the target with the series on the line as they were bowled out for just 101. Buttler's captaincy and the performances of Jason Roy, Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone earned the wrath of ardent English fans.

One fan tweeted:

"That team are crying out for a captain. Need to start playing the extra batter again too."

Here are some more reactions:

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England put in a meek display to suffer defeat against South Africa

Chasing 192 with a destructive batting unit, expectations were high from England in the second half of the game. However, the hosts suffered yet another batting collapse against a disciplined bowling attack.

Buttler's additional responsibilities as captain seem to have hampered his batting after he fell for 14 following yet another bright start. Meanwhile, Jason Roy's woeful run of form was prolonged with a 18-ball 17-run stint at the crease.

Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals as the Englishmen failed to build any kind of momentum. Malan holed out to the big boundary at deep square leg while Moeen Ali had to depart following a marvelous catch by the young Tristan Stubbs.

The introduction of Tabraiz Shamsi made things worse for the hosts as they were forced to take him on against the rising required rate.

England had to wait until the 11th over to score their first six. The likes of Livingstone, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid and Jonny Bairstow all failed to clear the boundary as Shamsi claimed his first five-wicket haul in the format.

Only four batters were able to register double figures in the run chase, with the hosts eventually getting bowled out for a meager 101.

Should Buttler continue as the white-ball captain despite his shaky start at the helm? Let us know what you think.