The bandwagon rolls into Southampton for the third and final ODI between England and South Africa at the Hampshire Bowl. The Proteas have already wrapped up the series with back-to-back wins. For Temba Bavuma and his men, it has been a year of milestones as they seem to have made a habit of creating history at Lord’s. Earlier in the year, they lifted the World Test Championship mace there and have now followed it up by securing their first bilateral ODI series win in England since 1998. For England, it is yet another setback in a format where their struggles do not seem to end. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, they have managed to win just one of their six bilateral series in the format. The opener was a one-sided affair, dominated entirely by South Africa, while the second ODI was far more competitive. Chasing 331, the hosts fought hard but fell just six runs short. Harry Brook and his side will need to rethink their balance after the gamble of going in with just four specialist bowlers backfired at Lord’s. The attempt to cover the fifth bowler’s quota through Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell proved costly. They have options in Jamie Overton and Rehan Ahmed, who can both add depth with the bat as well. On the batting front, the lack of meaningful conversions has been a concern. Harry Brook and Ben Duckett, in particular, have struggled to make an impact. With the series already lost, there is a possibility that Duckett, who has been rested from the T20I series, could sit out the final game, potentially allowing Tom Banton to feature. For South Africa, winning back-to-back ODI series in Australia and now in England without Kagiso Rabada is a remarkable achievement. In his absence, Nandre Burger and Lungi Ngidi have stepped up admirably. Just as vital has been Keshav Maharaj, who continues to underline why he holds the top spot in the ODI bowling rankings. In both matches, Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton have provided solid starts, ensuring South Africa avoided early setbacks at the top. Returning at number four after missing the opener with a hamstring concern, Matthew Breetzke picked up right where he left off. He etched his name into the record books by becoming the first batter in ODI history to score a half-century in each of his first five innings. With the series already secured, the Proteas might look to rotate their squad for the final game. More history beckons for South Africa, who have never completed a clean sweep against England in an ODI series, either at home or away. For the hosts, the focus will be on salvaging pride and carrying some momentum into the upcoming T20I series. Who are you backing to come out on top?
The bandwagon rolls into Southampton for the third and final ODI between England and South Africa at the Hampshire Bowl. The Proteas have already wrapped up the series with back-to-back wins. For Temba Bavuma and his men, it has been a year of milestones as they seem to have made a habit of creating history at Lord’s. Earlier in the year, they lifted the World Test Championship mace there and have now followed it up by securing their first bilateral ODI series win in England since 1998. For England, it is yet another setback in a format where their struggles do not seem to end. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, they have managed to win just one of their six bilateral series in the format. The opener was a one-sided affair, dominated entirely by South Africa, while the second ODI was far more competitive. Chasing 331, the hosts fought hard but fell just six runs short. Harry Brook and his side will need to rethink their balance after the gamble of going in with just four specialist bowlers backfired at Lord’s. The attempt to cover the fifth bowler’s quota through Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell proved costly. They have options in Jamie Overton and Rehan Ahmed, who can both add depth with the bat as well. On the batting front, the lack of meaningful conversions has been a concern. Harry Brook and Ben Duckett, in particular, have struggled to make an impact. With the series already lost, there is a possibility that Duckett, who has been rested from the T20I series, could sit out the final game, potentially allowing Tom Banton to feature. For South Africa, winning back-to-back ODI series in Australia and now in England without Kagiso Rabada is a remarkable achievement. In his absence, Nandre Burger and Lungi Ngidi have stepped up admirably. Just as vital has been Keshav Maharaj, who continues to underline why he holds the top spot in the ODI bowling rankings. In both matches, Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton have provided solid starts, ensuring South Africa avoided early setbacks at the top. Returning at number four after missing the opener with a hamstring concern, Matthew Breetzke picked up right where he left off. He etched his name into the record books by becoming the first batter in ODI history to score a half-century in each of his first five innings. With the series already secured, the Proteas might look to rotate their squad for the final game. More history beckons for South Africa, who have never completed a clean sweep against England in an ODI series, either at home or away. For the hosts, the focus will be on salvaging pride and carrying some momentum into the upcoming T20I series. Who are you backing to come out on top?