England beaten to lose South Africa ODI series

Second Metro Bank one-day international, Lord’s

South Africa 330-8 (50 overs): Breetzke 85 (77), Stubbs 58 (62); Archer 4-62

England 325-9 (50 overs): Root 61 (72), Buttler 61 (51): Burger 3-63

South Africa won by five runs, lead three-match series 2-0

England’s poor form in white-ball cricket continued as they were beaten by South Africa to lose the second one-day international and the series with a game to spare.

Though not nearly as one-sided as the hammering at Headingley on Tuesday, a five-run margin did not reflect the nature of the contest.

Set 331, which would have represented the highest successful chase in an ODI at Lord’s, England fell short on 325-9.

The series defeat is England’s first since Harry Brook took charge of the white-ball team at the beginning of the summer, and their fifth in six ODI series since the 2023 World Cup.

In damp conditions, England chose to field and reduced South Africa to 93-3, only for Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs to rebuild. Breetzke made 85 and Stubbs 58.

Dewald Brevis’ 42 from only 20 balls lifted South Africa to 330-8. Though Jofra Archer claimed four wickets, a combined 10 overs of spin from Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks cost 112.

England lost Jamie Smith to the first ball of the reply and Ben Duckett for a scratchy 18, yet the pursuit was ignited by Bethell’s 58. With Joe Root in superb touch for 61, England were in in the hunt at 143-2.

Bethell cut to point and Root was stumped by a distance, the two wickets falling for the addition of only four runs.

From then on, England never got on top of the chase. Jos Buttler made 61, Brook 33 and Jacks 39 without ever being in control.

Archer kept a thinning crowd entertained and, in the company of last man Saqib Mahmood, needed 16 from the last over. Spinner Senuran Muthusamy held his nerve and Archer could not find the six from the final delivery that would have tied the scores.

England were better than at Headingley, though that is not saying much. They have now won only three of their past 12 ODIs, all against a poor West Indies side in May.

Somehow, England have a mix of players that look exhausted at the end of a gruelling summer, and under-prepared for a format they rarely play.

Perhaps more concerning was the exposure of the balance of the team, which admittedly looked a strong formula against the Windies.

All-rounders Bethell and Jacks have to fill the role of the fifth bowler, sending down 10 overs of spin between them.

The way in which they were targeted by the Proteas left England crying out for a seam-bowling all-rounder, but they are in short supply.

Jamie Overton is an unused member of the squad, Sam Curran is out of favour and the injured Ben Stokes’ white-ball international future is in doubt.

Under Brendon McCullum, there is plenty of crossover between England’s Test and limited-overs squads, and there are only white-ball internationals between now and the Ashes.

If there is a positive for England to take from this, it was the innings of Bethell, who has endured a curious summer.

The rising star of English cricket had not passed 50 in any format since making 82 against the Windies at the end of May.

Here, promoted to number four, he climbed into the South African spinners with five fours and three sixes. Root maintained his effortless rhythm and England hauled themselves into contention.

Bethell reached 50 from 24 balls, only to be stifled when the seamers returned. He chopped Corbin Bosch to Brevis and, in the next over, Root needlessly swiped at Keshav Maharaj.

Brook threatened to carry the fight, but after he miscued Muthusamy, it was left to former skipper Buttler.

Buttler reached 50 from 43 deliveries and was just about keeping pace with a required rate of nine an over when he was bowled by an outstanding Lungi Ngidi slower ball.

South Africa have claimed the World Test Championship on this ground this summer and returned to show England how they have fallen behind the best one-day sides in the world.

The Proteas were already without the rested seamer Kagiso Rabada, then lost batter Tony de Zorzi to injury and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder to illness. Breetzke and Muthusamy seamlessly stepped in.

After rain delayed the start by 15 minutes, England had helpful conditions in which to bowl, only to drop too short in an opening stand of 73 between Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton.

Archer and the excellent Adil Rashid combined for three wickets in the space of six overs, before Breetzke and Stubbs built a match-winning partnership of 147. Breetzke became the first player in ODI history to pass 50 in each of his first five matches.

England were regularly trying to hide the overs of Bethell and Jacks, with Bethell coming in for some brutal treatment from Brevis.

Ex-England bowler Stuart Broad on Sky Sports: “With the Test side, Brendon McCullum was so clear on what he wanted to do. Even the press and the players knew what he wanted to do, so we ourselves could back it.

“I have not really heard any white-ball messages from the group other than Harry Brook saying ‘I want to be aggressive with the bat and take wickets with the ball’.

“The group look tired. I always look at body language in the field and bowlers. It felt a very flat bowling and fielding performance.

“Compared to the energy that Tristan Stubbs brings to the group or Dewald Brevis – it feels a bit of a problem. Hence, you have lost the series.”

England captain Harry Brook: “We are disappointed obviously but it was a very good effort to chase that amount of runs. To get within one blow of their score was an awesome effort.

“Baz [McCullum] and I reckoned they were 10 or 15 over par. With our batting line-up we want to chase these big scores. Tonight was not our night but it was a good game to watch.