South Africa Edge England in Thrilling ODI at Lord’s
What a game it was at Lord’s! England and South Africa served up a true one-day international classic in the second ODI of their series. By the time the dust settled, South Africa had just managed to squeeze home, winning by five runs and sealing the series with one match still to play.
England had been set a stiff chase of 331 after South Africa posted 330 for 8 from their 50 overs. That total was powered by Matthew Breetzke, who made a classy 85 off 77 balls, and supported by Tristan Stubbs with 58. Dewald Brevis added real fireworks, hammering 42 from only 20 balls. The scoreboard kept ticking, and when the innings closed, it looked like a target perhaps just beyond England’s reach. Jofra Archer had tried to keep things in check with four wickets, and Adil Rashid was tight as ever, returning figures of two for 33, but South Africa’s batting depth showed.
Also Read:England’s reply began in the worst possible fashion. Jamie Smith fell to the very first ball of the innings, and soon Ben Duckett followed for 14. But then Joe Root and young Jacob Bethell steadied things. Root was measured with his 61, while Bethell raced to a fifty from just 28 balls, injecting life into the chase. Together they put on 77 runs, and suddenly the belief was back in the English camp.
Harry Brook, the stand-in captain, chipped in with 33, and Jos Buttler played a captain’s knock of 61 from 51 balls. His dismissal, deceived by Lungi Ngidi’s slower ball, proved a major turning point. The game ebbed and flowed, and partnerships kept England in the hunt, but wickets at key moments always left them just behind the rate.
And then came the drama of the final overs. With 17 needed from the last eight balls, Jofra Archer almost pulled off the impossible. He blasted 27 not out from only 14 deliveries, including audacious reverse pulls that had the Lord’s crowd roaring. By the time the final ball arrived, England needed a six to force a super over. Spinner Senuran Muthusamy held his nerve, though, and South Africa claimed victory by the slimmest of margins.
After the match, South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma admitted his side had let England back into the contest more than they should have, but praised his players for holding their nerve under pressure. For England, Harry Brook called it “a very good effort,” though he conceded that South Africa had probably set a score ten or fifteen runs above par.
This result means South Africa now lead the three-match series 2-0, ensuring they can’t lose it. For England, the final game at Southampton is now about pride and avoiding a whitewash. Despite the defeat, there were encouraging signs with the bat, especially from Bethell, and the crowd certainly got their money’s worth from this nail-biter at the Home of Cricket.
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