South Africa Clinch ODI Series in Cricket’s Home After 27 Years

Lord’s – the dream stage of world cricket. And it was here that South Africa tasted an ODI series victory after a long wait of 27 years. On Thursday (September 4), Temba Bavuma’s side defeated England by 5 runs in the second ODI, sealing the series with one match to spare. This was South Africa’s first ODI series win on English soil since 1998.

Batting first, the Proteas posted 330/8. The night belonged to young batter Matthew Breetzke, who lit up Lord’s with a dazzling 85 off 77 balls, featuring 7 fours and 3 sixes. He became the first player in ODI history to score fifty-plus runs in each of his first five innings. Tristan Stubbs also contributed a valuable 58 off 62 balls. For England, Jofra Archer was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4 wickets.

Chasing a daunting 331, England suffered early setbacks but fought back through Joe Root (61), Jos Buttler (61), and Jacob Bethell (55). Later, a late surge from Will Jacks and Archer kept England’s hopes alive, taking the game to a dramatic final over.

England needed 16 runs off the last 6 balls against left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy. Archer managed just 1 run off the first two balls, then struck boundaries on the third and fifth deliveries, bringing the game tantalizingly close. However, needing a six off the last ball, Archer could only manage a single, leaving England five runs short.

This loss added to England’s ODI woes – since the 2023 World Cup, they have lost five of their last six bilateral ODI series, and in 2025 alone, they have been beaten in 8 of 11 ODIs.

For South Africa, Nandre Burger was the standout with the ball, taking 3/63, while Keshav Maharaj chipped in with 2 wickets. The third and final ODI will be played on Sunday (September 7) in Southampton.

Brief Score:

South Africa: 330/8 (Breetzke 85, Stubbs 58; Archer 4/62, Rashid 2/33)

England: 325/9 (Buttler 61, Root 61; Burger 3/63, Maharaj 2/59)

Result: South Africa won by 5 runs

Player of the Match: Matthew Breetzke