South Africa won a thriller at Lord’s against England on Thursday. The visitors beat England by five runs in the second ODI and clinched the three match series. The lead is two nil with one game left.
South Africa post 330 at Lord’s against England
Batting first South Africa reached 330 for eight. Matthew Breetzke set up the total with 85 off 77 balls. While, Tristan Stubbs added 58 off 62. Moreover, Aiden Markram made 49 and Dewald Brevis chipped in with 32.
Jofra Archer was the best England bowler. The pacer took four wickets and kept pressure at the death.
The rest of the attack could not hold back the late overs surge. Fielding remained tidy but South Africa found gaps and rotated strike well.
England fall short in chase
England replied with 325 for nine. Where Joe Root made 61 off 72 and Jos Buttler struck 61 off 51 with clean hits down the ground. Whereas, Jacob Bethell kept hopes alive with 58 off 40. However, the chase stayed within reach until the final overs.
Nandre Burger turned the match with three wickets. Similarly, Keshav Maharaj took two and controlled the middle with tight lines. In addition, support from the seamers forced dots and risky shots.
The last pair needed a boundary off the final balls but South Africa held their nerve.
Series sealed by the mighty test championship winners of last year cycle
The result gives South Africa the series with a game to spare. The batting looks deep and the bowling has balance.
England showed fight yet lacked a finishing stand. The hosts will aim to avoid a vlean sweep in the final ODI.
Whereas, South Africa will look to test bench strength and build momentum for future tours. Fans at Lord’s saw a close match decided by discipline in the last overs.
Read more: Year of earthquakes: Islamabad jolted 11 times in 2025
