A determined South African side secured a five-run victory over England at Lord’s, clinching the one-day international series with a game to spare. The visitors successfully defended their 330-run target in a nail-biting finish that went down to the final over.
Chasing 331 for victory, England mounted a spirited challenge but ultimately fell short at 325-9. The hosts saw promising contributions throughout their innings, with Jacob Bethell’s aggressive 58 from 40 balls providing early momentum. Joe Root anchored the middle order with 61 runs before being stumped, while Jos Buttler’s 61 from 51 deliveries kept England in contention.
The match reached its climax in the final overs as Will Jacks threatened to steer England home with a brisk 39. However, regular wickets kept the pressure on the batting side, leaving tailender Jofra Archer with the task of scoring 16 runs from the last over. Despite some clean hitting, Archer couldn’t complete the chase against Senuran Muthusamy’s bowling.
South Africa’s innings was built around solid partnerships, with Matthew Breetzke’s 85 and Tristan Stubbs’ 58 forming the backbone of their total. The pair added 147 runs for the fourth wicket before Dewald Brevis provided late fireworks with 42 from just 20 deliveries.
England’s bowling effort was led by Jofra Archer, who claimed four wickets, while Adil Rashid delivered an economical spell of 10 overs for just 33 runs. The leg-spinner’s performance included the key wickets of both South African openers.
The result marks South Africa’s first ODI series victory in England since 1998 and continues their successful summer at the historic venue, following their World Test Championship triumph earlier in the season. For England, it represents their fifth series defeat in their last six ODI campaigns.
The teams now move to Southampton for the final match of the series on Sunday, where England will be looking to salvage some pride before the T20 fixtures that follow.
