South Africa recovered from a precarious 93/3 to post a formidable 330/8 in their 50 overs, after being asked to bat first, to beat England by a thrilling five runs and secure their first ODI series win in England since 1998.
Matthew Breetzke, coming in for the injured Tony de Zorzi, top-scored with 85, forging a crucial 147-run fourth-wicket partnership with Tristan Stubbs (58).
Very happy, tricky at the start. Thought a good score was 280. It was a bit of old-school cricket at the start — read the conditions, then score at the back end. It's been good so far with five ODI fifties in a row; hope it continues.
Lower-order contributions from Dewald Brevis (42) and Corbin Bosch (32 not out) added vital runs, complementing the 73-run opening stand between Aiden Markram (49) and Ryan Rickelton (35). Jofra Archer (4-62) and Adil Rashid (2-33) were England’s pick of the bowlers.
England Fall Short in Nail-Biter
England’s chase of 331 began well, with Joe Root (61) and Jacob Bethell (58) providing stability. However, the hosts faltered when the wickets fell in quick succession, leaving them 147/4 and under pressure. Jos Buttler (61) battled valiantly, but Lungi Ngidi’s dismissal broke the momentum.
Nandre Burger took 3-63, including the wicket of Will Jacks (39), while Keshav Maharaj continued his tight bowling with 2-59. A dramatic final over from Archer brought the match to the last ball, but England fell just short at 325/9.
They probably got 10-15 runs too many, but to get within one blow at the end was a good effort. We need minute improvements; early wickets would help.
South Africa’s Dominance Continues
With this win, South Africa have beaten both Australia and England in quick succession, and combined with their World Test Championship triumph and T20 World Cup runner-up finish, the Proteas have proved their dominance across formats.
Very proud. More than a competitive score, definitely. Breetzke and Stubbs built their confidence. With the ball, Keshav showed his class, and our fielding was much improved. Bosch gave us control in and outside the powerplay. Despite injuries, we’ll enjoy the victory and prepare for Southampton with the best team possible.
Brief Scores: South Africa 330/8 in 50 overs (Matthew Breetzke 85, Tristan Stubbs 58, Dewald Brevis 42; Jofra Archer 4-62, Adil Rashid 2-33) beat England 325/9 in 50 overs (Joe Root 61, Jacob Bethell 58, Will Jacks 39; Nandre Burger 3-63, Keshav Maharaj 2-59) by five runs.
