Proteas hold their nerve at the death to close out 2-0 series win over England in Lord's thriller

The Proteas created more special memories at Lord's on Thursday evening when they eked out a five-run victory over England in the second ODI to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

It ensured the Proteas' second-ever white-ball ODI series victory in the UK dating back to 1994.

The contest proved to be a slow boiler that exploded into a thriller with England requiring 16 runs off Senuran Muthusamy's final over, but it was the Proteas that held their nerve in the big moments of England’s run-chase.

Harry Brook’s team were well set at 216/4 halfway through the 37th over in pursuit of the Proteas’ 330/8, but the skipper’s demise to a big-turner from left-arm spinner Muthasamy allowed the visitors to claw their way back into the contest. 

And when Jos Buttler (61 off 51 balls) was deceived by another brilliant slower ball from Lungi Ngidi four overs later, it left Will Jacks (39 off 33 balls) and the tail just with too many to complete what would have been a record run-chase at Lord’s. 

It had started in the worst possible fashion with Nandre Burger (3/63) having Jamie Smith caught behind off the very first, but then experience of Joe Root and the exuberance of 21-year-old Jacob Bethell combined to rebuild England’s challenge.

Root (62) eased towards his 43rd ODI half-century, but it was Bethell (58, 40b 5x4 3x6) that displayed a unique range of ball-striking that has seen him being named England’s youngest captain for the next series against Ireland.

His 19-run take down of the World’s No 1 ODI bowler Keshav Maharaj in the 19th over was particularly memorable. 

But the Proteas never panicked and the ever-improving Corbin Bosch, who enjoyed a good all round day out at Lord’s, had the youngster caught at backward point to halt England’s momentum.

Earlier, the Proteas’ innings was built upon middle-order batter Matthew Breetzke’s world record half-century.

Breetzke, returning to the Proteas side after missing the last two matches due to a hamstring strain, struck 85 off 77 balls (7x4, 3x6). It was the attacking right-hander’s fifth consecutive score in excess of 50, becoming the first batter in ODI history to achieve this feat in their first five matches. The Netherlands’ Tom Cooper and India’s Navjot Singh Sidhu had previously done it in their first four matches. 

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t was a typical Breetzke innings, punctuated with flamboyant drives and his trademark flamingo-like aerial shots, and it was almost fate that he should pass Herschelle Gibbs’ 74 - the previous highest score a by South African in an ODI at Lord’s - for the 26-year-old plays the game with a similar swagger and flair. 

Breetzke once again combined excellently with Tristan Stubbs. The pair play their domestic franchise cricket together at the Warriors, and know each other’s games intimately. 

They backed up their series-winning partnership in Australia a couple of matches ago with another superb 147-run stand off only 126 balls that put England under serious pressure. 

Breetzke was the initial aggressor before Stubbs started to find his rhythm when he struck Will Jacks for six and two boundaries off consecutive balls to rapidly move to his third ODI half-century. 

The Proteas’ progression was halted though when Breetzke was trapped LBW by an Archer slower ball yorker before Stubbs was involved in a horrible mix-up with Dewald Brevis. 

But the latter made up for his miscalculation with another brutal assault to get South Africa’s innings back on track. Brevis (42 off 20 balls, 3x4, 3x6) belted his first delivery for a boundary and simply kept his foot on the pedal with another entertaining cameo before his former U19 rival Bethell had him caught at point.

Second ODI, Lord’s

South Africa: 330/8 (Breetzke 85, Stubbs 52, Markram 49, Brevis 42, Bosch 32*, Archer 4/62 Rashid 2/33)

England: 325/9 (Buttler 61, Root 61, Bethell 58, Burger 3/63, Maharaj 2/59)

South Africa won by 5 runs, and win the series 2-0