ENG vs SA 2nd ODI: Matthew Breetzke stars with 85 as South Africa clinch first ODI series win in England since 1998 after final-ball thriller at Lord’s

Temba Bavuma-led South Africa defeated England by five runs in a nail-biter in the second ODI at iconic Lord's Stadium in London. With that win, the Proteas clinched a historic ODI series victory in England, marking the first time since 1998. Remarkably, Breetzke wasn’t even born when South Africa last won a bilateral series on English soil. Now, at 26 and returning from a hamstring injury, he played a crucial role in helping his team take an unbeatable 2-0 lead ahead of Sunday’s final game in Southampton.

Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs put up a 147-run stand that helped South Africa to put a mammoth total of 330 runs after the visitors were struggling at 93 for 3. After the duo's iconic batting, Dewald Brevis added quick runs to push the total close to the ground’s record. Breetzke, whose innings was the highest by a South African in an ODI at Lord’s, has now passed fifty in each of his first five matches. His aggressive approach put England’s part-time spinners under pressure, as Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell were taken apart, conceding 112 runs from 10 overs between them.

ALSO READ: Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium set to host KSCA's pre-season red-ball tournament three months after stampede

ALSO READ: Star spinner returns as defending champions Australia announces squad for ODI World Cup 2025

While chasing a big total, England failed to get a good start as Jamie Smith fell on the first ball of the innings. Joe Root was looking in good touch as he managed a 66-run stand with Ben Duckett, but Duckett’s struggle ended on 14, reverse-sweeping Keshav Maharaj. Bethell pushed up the order, counterattacked with a 28-ball fifty, but both he and Root fell soon after. Root was stumped for the first time in an ODI in 10 years.

England's middle order tried to shift the momentum of the game as Harry Brook and Jos Buttler added 69 but after Brook chipped one to cover, the asking rate started climbing. Buttler tried hard, hitting a memorable reverse-slap six and reaching fifty emotionally after his father’s recent passing. However, Lungi Ngidi dismissed him with a slower ball, and Nandre Burger cleaned up the lower order.

Jofra Archer also tried to shift the things in England's favour with some big hits, needing six off the final ball to force a Super Over. But his inside edge off  Senuran Muthusamy only gave a single, and South Africa held on. This was England's eighth defeat in 11 ODIs this year.