England vs South Africa | South Africa tour of England, 2025 | 2nd ODI

Right then, that’s all we have from this exciting clash, where South Africa sealed the series and will go for the clean sweep, while England will play for pride now. The third and final ODI of the series will be played at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton on Sunday, 7th September, with the action starting at 10 am GMT. As always, we’ll be live well before the first ball with all the build-up and updates. Until then, take care and goodbye!

Temba Bavuma, the victorious skipper of South Africa, says that he is very proud of his team. Adds that it was a good game of cricket and the fans were entertained. Mentions that they got a good total on board, and they would have taken that, given they were in a tricky position early on. Says that the fielding was excellent and Keshav Maharaj showed once again why he is the best in the world. Further adds that Corbin Bosch gave them a lot of control as well. Ends by saying that they do not have many options, given the injuries, and will look to put together the best possible team in the next game in Southampton.

Harry Brook, the captain of England, says that they probably got 10-15 runs extra, but still, to be just one hit from the total, it is a great effort from the team. Adds that Jacob Bethell tried to unsettle the spinners and attacked them. Mentions that they were a bit unlucky in the Powerplay, as things did not go their way with the ball. Says that they will take the learnings from this game and make the minor improvements needed. Ends by saying that they will focus on picking up early wickets, which can put them in better positions in the game.

Matthew Breetzke is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his fantastic knock of 85 off 77. He says that he and Tristan Stubbs found the wicket a bit tricky early on and were aiming for 280-290, but as the game went on, batting became a bit easier. Mentions that they played according to the conditions and on the merit of every ball. Says that he does not want to think too much about the incredible start that he has got in ODIs and just wants to keep contributing for the team.

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South Africa got off to a dream start as Nandre Burger struck with the very first ball of the innings. They kept things tight early on but had to wait for the second breakthrough, which came courtesy of Keshav Maharaj. The middle overs saw some inconsistency, with England taking them on, but Corbin Bosch chipped in with a vital wicket, and Maharaj removed the big fish, Joe Root. Just as the game was slipping away, Lungi Ngidi delivered by dismissing Jos Buttler, and Burger returned to grab two more scalps at the death. Even so, the hosts stayed in the hunt, but Senuran Muthusamy held his nerve brilliantly in the final over to seal the win.

Earlier in the game, South Africa were asked to bat first, and boy, did they make it count! Markram looked in fine touch, adding 73 for the opening stand with Ryan Rickelton before falling one short of a fifty. Then Matthew Breetzke took over, looking like a natural in this format as he powered his way to a fourth ODI fifty in just five games. Tristan Stubbs played the perfect foil, bringing up his own half-century, and together they added a mammoth 147-run stand to put England under pressure. Dewald Brevis came in late and went bang, his cameo firing South Africa well past 300. For England, Jofra Archer was electric in his second spell, claiming four wickets in total, while Adil Rashid’s guile earned him two. Jacob Bethell chipped in with one, but overall they were a bit expensive.

England needed a hero, and Jos Buttler stepped up. The skipper anchored the chase brilliantly, first finding support from Harry Brook and then Will Jacks, keeping the hosts within touching distance of the target. Just as they needed a final push, Lungi Ngidi produced a peach to remove Buttler for 61, swinging the momentum back South Africa’s way. Jacks fought hard to keep the hosts alive but fell at a crucial moment, and though Jofra Archer’s late fireworks took them even closer, it just wasn’t meant to be.

England were rocked early, losing their star from the previous game, Jamie Smith, off the very first ball. Ben Duckett struggled but dug in alongside Joe Root, who looked in sublime touch and began steadying the innings. The real momentum shift came when Jacob Bethell joined Root, and the pair put on a masterclass. The youngster took the attack to the Proteas, showing exactly why his talent is rated so highly around the world. Both brought up their fifties in a 77-run stand and looked in complete control, but their quick dismissals in succession left England wobbling at 147/4.

South Africa seal the series with an unassailable 2-0 lead! It got tense towards the end, but they held their nerve to get across the line. This marks just their second bilateral series win in England, the last coming way back in 1998. The hosts fought hard in pursuit of a daunting target and deserve credit for taking it deep, but they fell just short. Still, the crowd definitely got their money’s worth!