LONDON (AP) — South Africa clinched the ODI series against England with a game to spare Thursday after a five-run win in the second match that was set up by a record-breaking 85 by Matt Breetzke at Lord's.
Brought in to the Proteas lineup to replace the ill Wiaan Mulder, Breetzke became the first player in ODI history to score at least a half-century in his first five matches, according to the ESPNcricinfo website.
The 26-year-old middle-order batter's 77-ball knock added to a 49 from opener Aiden Markram and 58 from Tristan Stubbs as South Africa, which was put into bat, made 330-8 from its 50 overs.
“It was a more than competitive score. I definitely would have taken that when we were three wickets down,” Proteas captain Temba Bavuma said.
England was skittled for 131 on the way to losing the first match by seven wickets at Headingley on Tuesday but competed much better two days later, despite losing Jamie Smith to the first over of the reply.
It went down to the last over, off which England needed 16 with one wicket remaining, but some inspired hitting by tailender Jofra Archer (27 off 14 balls) couldn't prevent the hosts falling just short on 325-9.
Before that, Jacob Bethell illuminated the home of cricket with a 58-ball 40, including hitting four consecutive boundaries, and put on 77 runs for the third wicket with Joe Root (61 off 72 balls) to give England a chance.
Jos Buttler then smashed 61 off 51 balls before being deceived by a slower ball from Lungi Ngidi and getting bowled.
Will Jacks kept alive English hopes with two sixes but was one of two wickets to fall in the 47th over, bowled by Nandre Burger (3-63). Archer hit two fours and two sixes but ran out of balls as the South Africans — back at Lord's 2 1/2 months after beating Australia there to win the World Test Championship — prevailed again.
“They probably got 10, 15 too many, but to get within one blow of their score, I thought was a good effort,” England captain Harry Brook said.
The third ODI is at Southampton on Sunday.
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The Associated Press
