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ENG vs SA 2nd ODI: Disheartened England out to restore pride against aggressive Proteas

Wednesday, 03-Sep-2025, 05:38 AM
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Turning their attention to the next game, England and South Africa are set to face each other in the high-octane second encounter on Thursday at Lord's. The three-match series, already in the Proteas' favour, saw a dominant performance from the visitors in the opening game, where they thrashed England by seven wickets to take a 1-0 lead.

South Africa's dominant display in the first ODI demonstrated their ability to outmanoeuvre full-strength England. Asked to bat, England were rolled for 131 in 24.3 overs, with SA's Keshav Maharaj and Wiaan Mulder taking four and three wickets, respectively. England lost eight wickets for just 49 runs, suffering a disappointing loss. Opener Jamie Smith was the top scorer for England, firing a much-needed 54 to guide the side to a respectable score. Meanwhile, chasing the total, Aiden Markram slammed a heroic knock of 86 to lead the side to a powerful win. Ryan Rickelton contributed with a crucial knock of 31* off 59.

Now, with the series on the line, South Africa will be keen to maintain their momentum and claim a series win with a game to spare.

For England, the first ODI served as a wake-up call. Their batting collapsed under pressure, with Joe Root, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook and Jos Buttler failing miserably. Going into the 2nd game, England would eye a drastic turnaround in order to level the series 1-1. They will need to fight back to keep the series alive in home conditions.

England possible XI: Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Sonny Baker

South Africa possible XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiaan Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi

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