South Africa lead overall ODI head-to-head 36-30, but trail 10-17 in England
South Africa win the first ODI comfortably with 175 balls to spare
South Africa will miss Kagiso Rabada and Matthew Breetzke due to injury
England take on visiting South Africa in the second One-Day International (ODI) at Lord's, London, on Thursday. Watch the England vs South Africa cricket match today live.
A dramatic batting collapse at Headingley, Leeds, brought a swift end to the opening ODI of the tour on Tuesday, as South Africa cruised to victory in just 20.5 overs.
The match also witnessed Sonny Baker out for a golden duck in what turned out to be a brutal introduction to international cricket. The 22-year-old fast bowler conceded 76 runs in seven overs without success, now the worst figures by an England bowler on his ODI debut, an unwanted record previously held by Liam Dawson (70, in 2016).
The Three Lions were bundled out for a modest 131 in 24.3 overs, with left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj wreaking havoc through the middle order, claiming 4 for 22 in just 5.3 overs. While Maharaj earned Player of the Match honours for his clinical spell, it was Aiden Markram's blistering 86 off 55 balls that powered the Proteas to a commanding seven-wicket win, 175 balls to spare.
A defeat today, and England will concede an unassailable 2-1 lead in the three-match ODI series. Harry Brook, who started his ODI captaincy with a series win in the West Indies, now faces a reality check.
England Vs South Africa ODI Head-To-Head Record
South Africa lead England 36-30 in the ODI head-to-head record, with one tied match and five no results. The two teams met for the first time in this format at the 1992 World Cup, rather belatedly, after South Africa's 1970-1991 international exile in the apartheid era.
The Three Lions chased down the revised target of 226 with one ball to spare for a three-wicket win. The two teams met again, in the second semi-final, and the match became infamous for the revised target, set for the Proteas: from 22 runs off 13 balls to an impossible 22 runs off 1 ball.
The Three Lions clinched a thrilling three-wicket victory by chasing down a revised target of 226 with just one ball remaining. When the two sides clashed again, in the second semi-final, the contest took a dramatic turn into cricketing infamy. The Proteas, who needed 22 runs off 13 balls, were given an impossible 22-run target off 1 ball.
England vs South Africa, 2nd ODI: Weather Forecast, Pitch Report
Lord’s has been a busy venue this season, and the surface has already shown its character across formats. During the recent Hundred fixtures, spinners found plenty of joy, which hints at how the pitch could behave in the coming games.
Historically, teams batting first at the ground have enjoyed a fair share of success, with scores in the range of 260 generally proving competitive. With that in mind, captains winning the toss might lean towards putting runs on the board before conditions begin to favor the bowlers.
The wicket at the Home of Cricket usually offers a fair contest, starting out with nice carry and bounce that rewards stroke play. But as the match progresses, seamers can extract movement while spinners find grip, bringing bowlers into play. Batters will have to negotiate the new ball carefully and rely on placement rather than brute force to build their innings, as discipline will be just as important as flair on this surface.
England vs South Africa, 2nd ODI: Team News And Playing XIs
The England Vs South Africa, 2nd ODI Playing XIs will be announced after the toss.
Full Squads:
England: Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Sonny Baker, Jamie Overton, Saqib Mahmood, Tom Banton, Rehan Ahmed
South Africa: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi, Senuran Muthusamy, Matthew Breetzke, Kwena Maphaka, Codi Yusuf, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada
England vs South Africa, 2nd ODI: Live Streaming
When and where will the 2nd ODI between England and South Africa be played?
The 2nd ODI between England and South Africa will be played at Lord's, London, on Thursday September 4th 2025 starting at 5:30 PM IST.
Where will the 2nd ODI between England and South Africa be live telecasted/streamed?
The 2nd ODI between England and South Africa would be telecast live on the Sony Sports network, and it would be live-streamed on the Sony LIV app.
England Vs South Africa ODI Series Schedule
England Vs South Africa, 1st ODI at Headingley on September 2, 2025. The match started at 5:30 pm IST.
England vs South Africa, 2nd ODI at Lord's on September 4, 2025. The match starts at 5:30 pm IST.
England Vs South Africa, 3rd ODI at The Rose Bowl on September 7, 2025. The match starts at 3:30 pm IST.
The ODI series will be followed by the T20Is, also a three-match series, starting September 10.
