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I’ll leave you with the words of Jacob Bethell who got the monkey off his back with a first international century, announcing himself – as if you didn’t know already – as a special talent.
I don’t listen to what people say to be honest. It was nothing to do with other people - I wanted it for myself and the team. It was a great feeling, an addicting feeling and hopefully more to come.”
A thumping win for England today but ultimately a series loss and plenty to ponder. Harry Brook and his men will look to level things up by winning the IT20 series – that gets underway in Cardiff on Wednesday and we’ll be here to OBO all the thrills and spills.
That’s us done for today though. Thanks for your company, goodbye.
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The captains have their say:
Harry Brook:
It was the ultimate performance, we were awesome with the bat and the bowling speaks for itself. On a good wicket like that, no reason we can’t get 400-450 with seven opening batters in the side. Bethell is good against spin and left-arm spin which means they have to hold their main threat back. Rooty is phenomenal and Jos can take teams apart. Jof was bowling rockets! To have that in your side… it’s a frightening attack. We’re a team that want to keep moving forward, what’s happened in the past is behind us now.”
Temba Bavuma:
The calf is sore now, I’ll know properly when I get back home. It was a poor showing for us, things went terribly wrong, we’ll have a debrief. After how we finished off in Australia, this is what we wanted to avoid. We dropped chances that were below our standard, a display like that doesn’t do us justice.
Chasing 400-plus, there’s no real formula. They put us under pressure, led by Archer, and we were a batter down. We didn’t have any answers to everything they threw at us. There are lots of positives to take from the series - coming to England with a fairly inexperienced side, we wouldn’t want today’s performance to diminish that. There are shining moments so we’ll try to highlight those. They can’t be wiped away by one performance.”
Jofra Archer is named player of the match for his mesmerising spell of fast bowling.
Before I bowled a ball I thought it would be difficult... I didn’t do anything different, I tried to hit the pitch hard. I do what I do for the team, got to get up and do it, even if you have a bad day. It feels good, didn’t think I’d have played this one, but to play three games in a row means a lot.”
Keshav Maharaj is named player of the series:
All the hard work is coming to fruition. Grateful to contribute to winning performances. The three venues posed three different conditions, tried to vary pace and angles on the crease. Kudos to England batters. We have good skills and pace, we have areas to improve. Back to drawing board but lots of positives, beating England 2-1 in own conditions. Want to start next series well. Win each ball and over at the time.”
Joe Root is named ODI Player of the Summer:
It was good, it was just key to put partnerships together on that kind of surface. There was some wind going across the ground so myself and Beth (Jacob Bethell) made sure one of us was making the most of that. Once you get 100 partnerships together, it’s hard to slow the game down when you’re not taking wickets and we took advantage of that really well.”
On his partnership with Bethell:
There wasn’t much helping going on! He knew exactly what he was doing. He is wise beyond his years. He is very clear on how he wants to play his cricket and he’s got wonderful options of where he wants to take the bowlers down and against different bowling types.
I’m so pleased for him, I’ve known him for a long time now so to play an innings like that was fantastic. Hopefully he will go from strength to strength, keep entertaining and keep playing match-winning knocks for England like that in the future.”
Articulate and humble as ever, Root then spoke about where he and the team are at in white ball cricket:
More than anything, as soon as you start feeling content with where you’re at, you will get caught out. Everyone will catch up with you so it’s important to keep looking to get better, to keep improving and adding to your game. The more you play, the more information there is on you and the opposition can use that against you. So you’ve got to keep looking to get better but also using that experience.
I’ll keep working on little things, tinkering here and there. It’s been fun and I think today is a glimpse of what this team is capable of in this format. The more we play together, the more games we get under our belt then we will get more comfortable and we will see more results like today.”
A topsy turvy series comes to a close after three matches, South Africa will lick their significant wounds by lifting the series trophy after a 2-1 win, their first in England since 1998.
SOUTH AFRICA 72 ALL OUT - ENGLAND WIN BY 342 runs!
It really doesn’t get more emphatic than that, South Africa capitulate to 72 all out as Bosch reverse laps Rashid straight to Brydon Carse at backward point. England seal the dead rubber by over three hundred runs, the biggest victory margin in ODIs.
Jofra Archer will take the match ball home – he was truly scintillating with 4-18 that destroyed the Proteas’ top order. He’ll duke it out with Centurions Root and Bethell for the player of the match gong.
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20th over: South Africa 72-8 (Bosch 20, Burger 2) South Africa managed to avoid their lowest ever defeat in ODIs but only just…
19th over: South Africa 69-8 (Bosch 19, Burger 1) South Africa draw level with their lowest ODI score as Corbin Bosch lofts Rashid over long on for a one bounce four.
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18th over: South Africa 62-8 (Bosch 13, Burger 0) Jofra wants his five-fer! He comes back for his eighth over but his first ball is too full and duly larrupped down the ground by Bosch. A short ball hits Bosch on the lid and Buttler jumps to take the catch high in one hand behind the stumps, England review but it was nowhere near the bat. No five-fer for Archer as of yet and confirmation that Temba Bavuma won’t come out to bat so getting this last wicket is his only chance.
WICKET! Codi Yusuf b Rashid 5 (South Africa 57-8)
Rashid slips in the googly and Yusuf is bowled!
17th over: South Africa 57-8 (Bosch 8, Burger 0)
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16th over: South Africa 52-7 (Bosch 8, Yusuf 1) Overton is worked for three singles as South Africa look to get to up to and past their lowest ever ODI score of 69.
15th over: South Africa 49-7 (Bosch 6, Yusuf 0) Cody Yusuf is the new batter, the sun comes out in Southampton just to mock the Proteas.
WICKET! Keshav Maharaj c Root b Rashid 17 (South Africa 49-7)
Rashid does in fact replace Archer and he picks up a classic leg-spinner’s dismissal off his second ball, flight, spin, edge and pouched by Centurion Root at slip. South Africa are well and truly staring down the barrel of their largest defeat by runs in ODI cricket history.
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Time for drinks. Which is apt because I’ve just read this entertaining missive from Liam Gallagher.
paul mccartney being at today’s oasis gig reminded me how funny this will always be 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/bTxVy6yKTY
— andy is seeing OASIS (@liampurrs) September 7, 2025
14th over: South Africa 48-6 (Bosch 5, Maharaj 17) Bosch is dropped by Buttler behind the stumps off Overton’s first ball! A tickle off the glove and Buttler dives too far down the leg side the ball hitting his wrists and then the turf. Overton was already haring off in celebration, a bad miss from Buttler and he looks to have injured himself in the process, though it could just be his pride that is stinging – he’s fine to continue. Maharaj runs an upper cut over the slips off the final ball to pick up another boundary.
13th over: South Africa 43-6 (Bosch 4, Maharaj 13) Archer has three slips and a short leg in place, he pushes Maharaj back with some short stuff. Maharaj does well to defend the last two and survive the over… Archer has a word with Brook and he wants one more! Great to see. Jamie Overton is coming on to replace Brydon Carse.
12th over: South Africa 42-6 (Bosch 4, Maharaj 13) Maharaj hits back with a drive down the ground and a cart of Carse over midwicket for SIX. Archer is coming back for his seventh over on the spin.
11th over: South Africa 28-6 (Bosch 4, Maharaj 0) Archer sends down an unplayable delivery to Bosch, the jaffa to end all jaffas. Pitched straight and nipped away late at high pace, beating the edge and skimming the stumps. Bosch does well to get on the front foot and drive the next ball through the covers for four. Archer signals to Brook at the end of the over… he’s saying he isn’t done yet.
10th over: South Africa 24-6 (Bosch 0, Maharaj 0) A heavily padded Keshav Maharaj arrives in the middle and is clanged on the thumb first ball by Carse. He shakes it like a Polaroid picture and winces as the over ends. Jofra is coming back for another, you try prising the ball from his mitts.
WICKET! Dewald Brevis c Overton b Carse 6 (South Africa 24-6)
Gone gone gone! Brevis cuts Carse away for SIX over point but the bowler has the last laugh, drawing Brevis forward and enticing the edge, Jamie Overton juggles the catch at third slip but takes it in the end. Carnage.
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9th over: South Africa 18-5 (Brevis 0, Bosch 0) Bish Bash Corbin Bosch is the new batter. He lets his first ball from Archer slam into his shoulder without offering a shot. That is going to sting.
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WICKET! Tristan Stubbs c Jacks b Archer 10 (South Africa 18-5)
Archer has another and Will Jacks gets his redemption! Archer is over 90mph with the first four balls of the over and Stubbs gets an edge to the fifth that loops to Jacks in the slips and he makes no mistake this time. South Africa are 18-5. This has been an outrageously good spell of fast bowling from Jofra Archer. he has four wickets for five runs in five overs! He’s had a chance dropped off him too!
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8th over: South Africa 18-4 (Stubbs 10, Brevis 0)Stubbs drives a full ball from Carse down the ground for four. They’ve not had much to drive so far this afternoon. DROP! Will Jacks spills a straightforward chance in the slips, Stubbs got a healthy edge and it flew at knee height but in and out of Jacks’ hands. That would’ve made it 18-5!
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7th over: South Africa 12-4 (Stubbs 5, Brevis 0)“We decide the series by aggregating the scores over the three matches, right?” says Andrew Goudie. Archer takes the edge of Stubbs’ bat as the batter fences unconvincingly at a back of a length ball, the catch falling just short of Will Jacks at second slip. Close! Stubbs edges over the slips this time! “Exhilarating fast bowling” drawls Eoin Morgan on the tv commentary.
Richard Liddle’s appetite is suitable whetted:
“I cannot wait for that first test in Perth. Good luck to the Australian top 3 with that level of intensity. (Whoever they may be)“
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6th over: South Africa 8-4 (Stubbs 2, Brevis 0) It’s a bit gloomier than earlier and the pitch looks to have come to life. It looks completely different to the one that England racked them up on and hour or so ago. Carse beats the edge of Brevis’ bat and narrowly misses the off stump. The next ball is slammed into the batter’s box and he has to take a breather. England have bowled very well, they have South Africa well and truly pinned at the moment.
5th over: South Africa 7-4 (Stubbs 1, Brevis 0) Dewald Brevis is the new man… the whole slip cordon and the keeper go up first ball as Archer beats the edge! The bowler is half-hearted in his appeal though, he knows it didn’t get the tickle. Archer then finishes his over with another snorter that spits off the pitch and flies past the edge. Brilliant fast bowling, Archer has three wickets for one run from his three overs.
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I can’t help but feel I’m having the best of the two OBO stints, sorry Tanya!
WICKET! Matthew Breetzke c †Buttler b Archer 4 (South Africa 7-4)
Jofra Archer is ripping South Africa apart! Another short ball at searing pace is flapped at by Breetzke and the catch loops to Buttler behind the stumps.
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4th over: South Africa 6-3 (Breetzke 4, Stubbs 0) Carse looks to have his dander up too, he peels off another maiden and gets the ball to jag about off a good length as well as spearing in a late 80s MPH bouncer for good measure too.
3rd over: South Africa 6-3 (Breetzke 4, Stubbs 0) Archer is up at 93 mph and whistles one past new batter Tristan Stubb’s snout! Another wicket maiden to the big man as he makes this pitch look like a sack of snakes rather than the largely benign surface which England just piled on 415 runs.
WICKET! Ryan Rickelton c †Buttler b Archer 1 (South Africa 6-3)
That’s lovely from Jofra Archer! Reminiscent of the delivery he bowled to get rid of Jaiswal on his Test comeback earlier in the summer, a beauty that nips away late and takes the edge. South Africa are on the skids in Southampton.
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2nd over: South Africa 6-2 (Rickelton 1, Breetzke 4) Matthew Breetzke is the new man, he arrives in the middle and crunches Carse through backward point for four off his first ball! It’s all happening.
WICKET! Wiaan Mulder c Brook b Carse 0 (South Africa 2-2)
Another one gone! Mulder plays a hack across the line to Carse and serves only to spoon the ball straight up and Brook snaffles the chance. The intimidating scoreboard is seemingly scrambling South African minds at the moment.
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1st over: South Africa 1-1 (Rickelton 0, Mulder 0) Wiaan Mulder is in at No. 3 with Temba Bavuma out of action with a crooked hamstring at the moment. He may well bat later after the bag of petit pois has worked its magic. We’ll see. Disastrous start from the Proteas, Bethell pulls off some snappy fielding at backward point to keep Mulder on nought.
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WICKET! Aiden Markram c †Buttler b Archer 0 (South Africa 0-1)
What a cruel game cricket can be! Aidan Markram has endured fifty overs of English blitzkrieg and then he nicks off second ball to Jofra Archer when he gets his turn with the bat. It was short and wide and Markram wafted at it, he can’t believe what he’s done and stands rooted to the crease in disappointment.
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Thanks Tanya and hello everyone. The players take to the field in Southampton, there was a smattering of rain during the innings break but the forecast looks clear. England will be hoping it has given the pitch a bit of zip. Harry Brook has plenty of runs to play with, it’ll be a decent game if South Africa get anywhere near this total.
And with Michael Atherton interrogating Richard Thompson, time for me to hand over to Jim Wallace for the second innings – thanks for your messages, bye!
Not the best start for South Africa with a chase of more than 400 imminent– news lands that Bavuma has a calf strain and will only bat if he has to.
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A couple of matches in and England have found their 50-over mojo. An explosive performance with the bat – with hundreds for old hand, Joe Root, and young thruster, Jacob Bethell – with Bethell displaying all the lace and baubles that have impressed McCullum and co so much.
Cameos for Smith at the start and Buttler at the close took England soaring over the magic 400. South Africa were uncharacteristically sloppy in the field, dropping a couple of important catches (Smith and Bethell) as well as giving away 27 extras.
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South Africa need 415 to win!
50th over: England 414- 5 ( Buttler 62, Jacks 19) Seventeen from Burger’s final over- starting with a rocket over cover from Jacks, ending with Buttler mashing Burger back over his head, with four dinked and shovelled by Buttler in between. England finishing on a brutal high – South Africa will need something extraordinary to even whisper in its ear.
Fifty for Jos Buttler!
49th over: England 397- 5 ( Buttler 50, Jacks 14) Bam-wham over long off for four. And with a couple off the next ball, Buttler brings up fifty off just 27 balls. Bosch finishes a whole-hearted, if expensive (0-78) spell by stopping a fierce Buttler drive with his foot. Somehow he isn’t taken off the field on a stretcher. With one over left, 400 in touching distance.
48th over: England 387- 5 ( Buttler 40, Jacks 14) In between a top-edged four and a lofted six from Jacks, the government’s seurity alarm goes off. England power on.
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47th over: England 372-5 ( Buttler 39, Jacks 1) 28 runs to reach the magic 400.
WICKET! Root c sub b Bosch 100 (England 371-5)
Root, slightly off balance, knocks the ball to point where a flying Maphaka holds on with both hands. The ground rises, Root lifts bat and helmet and turns round to acknowledge the crowd. On the way up the steps to the dressing-room he hands his gloves to a young boy, who smiles the hugest smile and hugs them close to his chest.
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A hundred for Joe Root!
46th over: England 364-4 (Root 100, Buttler 32) Yusuf starts with a wide – the decoration of choice for this innings. A run-out chance against Root ends up going for three, which turns into a free hit when replays shows Yusuf has overstepped. In the end, a simple single brings Root his 19th ODI century, from just 95 balls. A pat on the back from his old buddy Buttler, and a quiet smile and raise of the bat. Another garland for England’s greatest batsman.
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45th over: England 354-4 (Root 96, Buttler 28) The blows are raining down now on South Africa. A bit of relay fielding turns into a trip and bucket routine from the big top, then Buttler flays four, then six – which is well held by the man in the front row of the crowd.
44th over: England 339-4 (Root 92, Buttler 17) Yusuf a touch unlucky to be called wide as Buttler backs away, but his penultimate ball is a less borderline leg-side boomerang – making it 17 wides and counting for the innings. Four to finish as Buttler flicks him behind. And the problems pile up for South Africa as they’re now three overs behind the clock.
43rd over: England 328-4 (Root 90, Buttler 10) Maharaj restricts England to a run a ball.
Hello there, Tom Hopkins. “I’m very much enjoying Root in this mode, puts me in mind of Jayawardene back in the day - effortlessly gliding to a century off 80 balls without seeming to play any obtrusive shots.
”It’s heartening that in these days of Blasts and Bashes there’s still room for the delicate in this greatest of games.”
So true. I wonder if he’s like that around the house – you wake up one morning and he’s decorated the kitchen.
42nd over: England 322-4 (Root 86, Buttler 9) The lights are on at the Rosebowl, the light a bit murky. Doesn’t stop Mulder from bowling four wides. Doesn’t stop Root reverse-scooping Mulder for four. Doesn’t stop Buttler tonking over his left shoulder for a ramped four, then four more pulled to the rope. 20 from the over, Mulder collets his cap with a resigned air.
Hello Column Fordham. “I liked your observation about the interesting tustle between Jacob Bethell and South Africa’s number one spinner Maharaj.
”Bethell is really beginning to shine with the bat and, if he can get his maiden first class century and a wicket or two, can begin to prove his worth for England. I was beginning to doubt hid readiness but he is displaying his marvellous talent to the full today, and had hinted at it at Lords.
”To Bethell or not to Bethell? That is the question for England. In all formats or just white ball cricket. Test cricket seems a bit to much unless he is prepared to get some practice in county cricket.” He did seem to admit that was a mistake before play.
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41st over: England 302-4 (Root 79, Buttler 0) Surprise relief for South Africa and the end of a marvellous innings for Bethell.
WICKET! Brook run-out 3 (England 301-4)
Comedy cricket. Brook must shuffle away after surviving a top-edged sweep but run out coming back for a sloppy second.
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WICKET! Bethell st Rickleton b Maharaj 110 (England 299-3)
The crowd stand as one as Bethell is tempted by a wide one from Maharaj, is beaten and stumped .He floats up the stairs, getting a handshake from Brook on the way up. Cracking knock.
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A hundred for Jacob Bethell!
40th over: England 284-2 (Root 79, Bethell 110) And there it is – a fantastic riposte to the off-stage murmurs – four through the covers and his first professional hundred. He opens his mouth in celebration, raises his hands, pulls of his helmet, grins – but there is no angst-ridden Seb Coe/Nasser Hussain signal to the media. Root envelops him in a huge hug. Shackles off, he flays Burger twice in succession through mid-off. Welcome to the big time Jacob Bethell.
39th over: England 284-2 (Root 78, Bethell 97) Take that! Root , with unexpected fury thuds Bosch to the midwicket boundary. Bethell joins in, with four nibbled around and down. Can he reach three figures in one hit? No – but a couple more brings him closer.
38th over: England 268-2 (Root 69, Bethell 91) Bethell leans into an extra-cover drive against Burger and flays it away for four. I think my time of sharing the same number of professional centuries as Jacob Bethell is coming to an end. Although England risk a quick second from the last ball – Root’s call – and Bethell would have been mincemeat if the throw had hit.
37th over: England 259-2 (Root 65, Bethell 86) Bavuma plumps for a review of an lbw agains Bethell, but no cigar as the ball landed an outstretched arm outside leg stump. South Africa looking around rather desperately for inspiration at the moment, though that Bosch over only went for a respectable four runs.
36th over: England 254-2 (Root 64, Bethell 84) Yusuf again. An inelegant pull from Root falls safely, before Bethell sets fire to the covers with scorching drive.
35th over: England 246-2 (Root 62, Bethell 78) Root taunts the fielder with a pull that leads him on but ultimately crosses the line first. Then Bethell takes the aerial route – six, soaring like an aria, over long on. Brevis’ figures no longer look quite so hot.
34th over: England 232-2 (Root 56, Bethell 70) A short ball from Yusuf is signalled wide as Root shimmies out of harm’s way. With money in the bank, when do we see the fireworks? Bethell says watch me, swatting successive boundaries – hither a drive; thither a pull.
33rd over: England 221-2 (Root 55, Bethell 61) Brevis doing a decent job here, with three overs for 14. Bavuma prowls about, advising, ordering.
Fifty for Joe Root!
32nd over: England 218-2 (Root 54, Bethell 59) Mulder spoils a tight first three balls by sending down two high wides. Root then eases to fifty number 30985409 with a tickle to backward square. Beautifully, unobtrusively, and off just 56 balls. And a couple of balls later, with four through third man, he brings up the hundred partnership from just 94 balls. Time for DRINKS.
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Fifty for Jacob Bethell!
31st over: England 209-2 ( Root 49, Bethell 57) A couple of runs inched through the legside brings Bethell his second fifty in consecutive games (48 balls), and he celebrates by lofting Brevis for six, straight as an arrow with a stylish little twist of the bottom wrist. Gorgeous.
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30th over: England 200-2 ( Root 48, Bethell 49) England bring up the 200 in fine fettle, though South Africa have managed to slow things down a little.
29th over: England 196-2 ( Root 47, Bethell 46) Dewald Brevis with a One Direction hairstyle and occasional legspin. Root and Bethell prod watchfully.
28th over: England 194-2 ( Root 46, Bethell 45) Bethell survives a top-edged pull off Mulder, which falls just out of reach of the reverse-sprinting keeper. Followed by ANOTHER DROP by the usually velcro-handed South Africans, as Berger, dropping to his knees, lets a pull from Bethell fall to ground at mid-off. Uncharacteristically sloppy.
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27th over: England 191-2 ( Root 46, Bethell 42) Bosch spoils a miserly over with a last-ball yorker, perhaps a heartbeat overpitched, that Root steers away down to the rope.
26th over: England 184-2 ( Root 41, Bethell 40) I know it isn’t popular but I really like the Rose Bowl as a ground, space to breathe, trees, places for kids to play. The cameras pan to a buddleja in its final flower. Five from Yusuf’s over.
TMS Link
25th over: England 179-2 ( Root 40, Bethell 36) Nurdle, nurdle, but still seven from the over. A huge total beckons with this platform at the half way stage.
For those of you still looking for the TMS link“Try the “sounds” or to us old gits “radio” pages of the beeb website under 5 live extra.” Thank you Simon Scully-Horner.
24th over: England 172-2 ( Root 36, Bethell 35) Yusuf returns and manages to stem the boundaries until his last ball, which Bethell barely kisses to caress to the rope.
“As much I have loved the Bazball test era and have great admiration for the shot of adrenaline it has given the format, I’ll be interested to see how it gets looked back on in the future when compared to the Bayliss / Fairbrace/ Morgan ODI era.” muses Tom van der Gucht.
“For all the vibes and excitement and game-changing approach to both formats, Morgan’s team probably scaled higher heights: they were the best team in the world for an extended period; won the world cup; weren’t afraid to make tough calls that ignored sentimentality and bring in talent based on merit (such as Archer for Willey) whilst Pope and Crawley seem set in stone (although Foakes was dropped); adjust their approach based on the circumstances more readily; have the confidence to back a legspinner recognising the attacking prowess it brings....
“I’m not really sure where I’m going with this rambling and vaguely incoherent email and don’t want to sound ungrateful having been lucky to see two rollercoaster eras in such a short space of time...”
Like polititians, they all seem better through the rear-view mirror.
23rd over: England 163-2 ( Root 32, Bethell 30) Nine from the Maharaj over – Bethell so far overshadowing Root, finishing the over with an effortless reverse-sweep for four. On comms, they start talking that elusive first professional hundred…
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22nd over: England 154-2 ( Root 29, Bethell 23) Burger again. A paddle, a soft drive, then a powerful swivel-pull for four from Bethell.
“Hello Tanya”, hello there Andrew Benton.
“To find the TMS link, go to the BBC cricket page and click the link to the live coverage on the left - the link is given at the bottom of the ‘summary’ bar on the left hand side of that page. But its not there today, so maybe there’s no TMS coverage of this one?
“All I can say beyond that is....roll on the final stint of county games!”
Ah yes, it all starts again tomorrow – do join us on the County Blog to discuss the Championship run-up, the latest schedule reshuffle attempts, apple crumble and more.
21st over: England 147-2 ( Root 25, Bethell 18) Marharaj v Bethell. is a tantalising watch. Bethell flambes the first ball through the covers for four. I love the shapes he makes when he is batting, all flicked ankles, high knees.
20th over: England 139-2 ( Root 25, Bethell 14) Intelligent stuff from Burger, just two from it.
19th over: England 137-2 ( Root 23, Bethell 14) Bethell finishes Maharaj’s over by shimmying down the pitch and dispatching sweet and high and straight for six.
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18th over: England 128-2 ( Root 21, Bethell 7) Burger is back. Bethell interests the South African fielders with an aerial pull, but it obediently flies through the gap.
17th over: England 119-2 ( Root 18, Bethell 1) Maharaj with the breakthrough again, and Smith trudges off, adding another 39 after being dropped, but without lighting the touchpaper. And England send in Bethell at four again.
WICKET! Smith c Bosch b Maharaj (England 117-2)
Bosch smiles and puts his hand to his heart after holding on at long on. Smith trudges off, eyes bigger than stomach, aiming for another big blow.
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16th over: England 116-1 (Smith 62, Root 16) Smith launches into Mulder, like a man with a hangover attacking a fried egg sandwich, but a fabulous mid-air diving stop by Yusuf prevents the boundary. Mulder throws in a couple of short balls to finish which perplex Smith. And that is DRINKS, with England sitting pretty.
15th over: England 110-1 (Smith 57, Root 15) Bevuma calls up Maharaj to try and regain some control, but Smith leans into him too, sending him racing over midwicket for four.
Fifty for Jamie Smith
14th over: England 102-1 (Smith 51, Root 13) None of these South African bowlers have been able to stem the flow, the run-rate happily climbing to more than seven. The stands look full around the Rosebowl, and burst into applause as Smith sends four more whistling across the damp grass, stepping to one side with high elbow and making merry. And here comes the half-century, a shimmy off the pads: his third fifty in 16 matches, and from just 38 balls.
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13th over: England 92-1 (Smith 43, Root 12) Smith flicks Bosch over his shoulder for six, follows up with four, punched in mid-air, with a well-oiled rotation of the wrists. He has now added 20 off 13 balls since he was dropped.
12th over: England 78-1 (Smith 31, Root 11) Smith immediately rubs salt into South African wounds, whisking a dirty ball from Mulder down to the fine leg boundary.
11th over: England 70-1 (Smith 24, Root 10) South Africa nearly pouch another, in fact Smith had bat under arm and was marching off after sprawling the ball into the air. The leading edge loops up but Breetzke at extra cover has a moment of madness, his body almost recoils as the ball comes towards him, he seems to lose balance and ball bounces off his palms and goes to ground.
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10th over: England 67-1 (Smith 23, Root 8) Enter Wiaan Mulder/Ryan Gosling. His first ball is as ropey as an old onion and Root flicks it off his pads for four. England in a very healthy position with a fifth of the overs gone.
9th over: England 62-1 (Smith 23, Root 3) South Africa needed that, England’s momentum was starting to roll.
WICKET! Duckett c Markram b Bosch 31 (England 59-1)
A frisky top-edge stops the carnage, as Markram holds on at midwicket. Duckett trots off at double-speed, that’s him done till he hops on the next plane.
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8th over: England 58-0 (Smith 22, Duckett 31) An imperious punch down the ground by Smith. Nearly a repeat shot but Yusuf stops it with some, now painful, part of his body. He then beats the eager Duckett outside edge, but it doesn’t take long for the next boundary as Duckett eases onto his toes and cuts with panache.
7th over: England 49-0 (Smith 17, Duckett 27) England’s boots press on the accelerator as the fair-haired Bosch replaces Burger. Duckett whips a wide offering through point for four and another steams off the bat through midwicket. Two dots to finish the over.
6th over: England 40-0 (Smith 17, Duckett 19) Four dots from Yusuf and a stylish four from Smith, curling off his boots. We see a pensive Bethell staring through the dressing-room door.
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5th over: England 35-0 (Smith 13, Duckett 18) Four little boys wave Smiths’s drive off a widish ball from Burger through the covers for four – it shuffles rather than leaps over the rope. This is already by some distance England’s largest opening stand of the series – the previous efforts came to were 13 and nought.
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4th over: England 28-0 (Smith 9, Duckett 17) Yusuf feels the pressure from last-day-of-school Duckett, who flays him for two fours, one through backward square, one through point.
3rd over: England 20-0 (Smith 9, Duckett 9) Ben Duckett has played every England international since last November – the only player apart from Harry Brook. No wonder the poor man looks tired – he’ll get his rest in the T20 series. He wriggles his shoulders into action and whips Burger away for four through square leg, then Smith joins in, driving on the up and the ball dances away over the sunlit rope. The final ball of the over, a short, fa pie, also disappears, a hiccup short of being six.
Ali Martin helps out with the definition of a heavy length: “It pushes players back, back of a length and hits the bat hard.”
2nd over: England 7-0 (Smith 1, Duckett 4) Codi Yusuf with his first over in ODI cricket – starts with a wide but ends with a perfect acorn that nips away and turns Jamie Smith around. A low-key start this for England.
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1st over: England 3-0 (Smith 1, Duckett 1) Burger it is, in the green and gold, he bowls “a heavy length” says Stuart Broad – I’m not entirely sure what this means. Smith swings and misses at his second ball, which is given as a wide. He launches at the next, which flies up and just short of Stubbs at deep third man. Duckett is then lucky to survive as he defends a ball which almost wriggles into his stumps.
Good morning Rob (in the Dolomites)!
“Hope the rain eases up soon! In the meantime could you send/post the TMS overseas link for the ODI?”
The rain has eased off and the players are out – but I’ve had a brain fade and can’t remember how to find the TMS link – can any readers please help?
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Ali Martin dials in. “ I saw Codi Yusuf bowl for Durham at New Road earlier this summer - a slippery fast-medium who counts Dale Steyn among his admirers.”
Just going to grab a quick coffee, back soon.
Play to start at 11.15am
Stuart Broad speaks to Jacob Bethell, fresh from a tricky summer but a fantastic half century in the last game: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to bat at number four [at Lord’s], not pre-planned, just that they had two left-armed spinners so my job to show some intent.”
Your first summer. “I’ve really enjoyed it, obviously that West Indies series was a white-wash. Even though I didn’t play much in the Test series was great to be around the group. Got a chance in the last Test but couldn’t make the most of it.
“There has been a little bit of noise about how much I’ve played. If I’m honest I should have played slightly more when I wasn’t playing in the Test, but looking ahead there is a lot of cricket so I might be grateful for that.”
An interesting chat between Nick Knight, Shaun Pollock and Mike Atherton. Athers says that England are trying to bring the ODI and Test teams together whilst treating the T20 side as a different entity. That’s sensible on paper, he says, but brings a “real challenge because of the amount and volume of Test cricket England play. They are going to have to be quite strong about where their players play franchise cricket.”
South Africa XI
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (capt),Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiann Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Codi Yusuf, Nandre Burger.
England XI
England: Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (capt), Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid.
And umbrellas down… but there is a damp sheen on the grass and we will be starting a bit late.
And here comes the rain...
Umbrellas up….
Harry Brook, who looks so slimline and athletic these days, says England will “be aggressive with the bat, and aggressive with the ball.” So no change there. He’d have bowled too.
Team news: For England, Jamie Overton replaces Saqib Mahmood; while South Africa swap out Senuran Muthusamy and Lungi Ngidi and bring in Wiaan Mulder and Durham’s Codi Yusuf for his ODI debut.
South Africa win the toss and will bowl!
“Looks like there is something in the wicket,” he says, “and we will look to take advantage of it.”
But Ali tries to find some light in the fixtures congestion.
Our man in Southampton, Simon Burnton, has landed at the Rosebowl and reports that it is lovely and bright, though “thick clouds lie over yonder hill.”
The two sides’ 50-over prospects seem to be travelling in different directions: South Africa’s first ODI series win in England since 1998 is their second series win in a row as they build towards a home World Cup in 2027. England have now lost five ODI series in the last six. And the schedule continues to pile up.
Preamble
Good morning from an autumnal Manchester where the rain clouds are jostling into position. The Met office is painting a much happier picture down south for this third and final ODI – with symbols of frolicking sunshine and temperatures touching the twenties.
South Africa have already clinched the series after that splattering at Headingley followed by a close-run-thing at Lord’s, and Harry Brook’s England will want to finish with a morale-booster ahead of the T20 series. South Africa, though, have other plans, after their second successive ODI series win.
Play starts at 11am BST, do join us.
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