Ali Martin’s report is in, so I’ll call it a night. Cheers for joining me!
Stuart Broad says England looked a tired team, with players having gone straight from a Test series into the Hundred, into this. “I think there’s some jaded minds.”
That’s South Africa’s first ODI series win in England since 1998. They’re building a decent side ahead of a home World Cup in two years.
Matthew Breetzke, who is averaging a cool 92.6 in ODIs, is the player of the match for his 85. Tidy numbers.
That was terrific fun. England gave it a very good go in the chase but, ultimately, that’s five ODI series defeats in six. They have fallen far in this format. South Africa’s quicks were particularly impressive, especially Corbin Bosch, who claimed just one wicket but went at under four an over. Lungi Ngidi’s slower balls were joyous and Nandre Burger took three.
South Africa win the second ODI by five runs to claim the series
Mahmood finds one off Muthusamy down the ground … and Lord’s is loud again. Archer swings and misses: 15 needed off four balls. And then a switch-hit/reverse/I-dunno-this-is-great from Archer to the cover rope for four! Amazing!
Eleven needed from three … Archer finds the fielder and they won’t run a single. Another reverse swat brings Archer four!
Seven needed from the final ball … six for a SUPER OVER!
And Archer inside-edges for one. What a cracking game.
50th over: England 325-9 (Archer 27, Mahmood 2)
49th over: England 315-9 (Archer 18, Mahmood 1) Archer digs out for a single before Mahmood’s stumps narrowly avoid a yorker. Mahmood bunts the final ball behind point … and they run a single! I reckon they thought two was initially on. Mahmood will take the strike for the final over.
England need 16 from six balls.
WICKET! Rashid run out Breetzke-Burger 2 (England 313-9)
Ouch. Ngidi is down at deep backward square, his knee digging into the turf after stopping a boundary. Archer then thumps Burger over midwicket for six more, seizing on a juicy length ball! THIS IS SO ON! Rashid is run out as they try and nab two, but Archer is the danger man.
48th over: England 304-8 (Archer 8, Rashid 2) Jofra! He swipes Ngidi’s slower ball over long-on for six. And then five wides down the leg side! Surely not, right? A spearing yorker follows and Archer digs it out for one.
England need 27 from 12 balls.
47th over: England 291-8 (Archer 1, Rashid 1) Plenty of empty seats at Lord’s now. Adil “10 first-class hundreds” Rashid is out in the middle.
England need 40 from 18 balls.
WICKET! Jacks c Maharaj b Burger 39 (England 290-8)
Jofra Archer can smack ‘em … and he takes a single off his second ball. Four men wait in the deep on the leg side … as Burger delivers a flawless slower-ball bumper that completely bemuses Jacks. A wide follows before Jacks miscues a full toss to backward point. Huge.
WICKET! Carse c Markam b Burger 7 (England 288-7)
Carse launches off Burger … to Markam’s safe mitts at long-on.
46th over: England 288-6 (Carse 7, Jacks 39) Here’s Muthusamy, who’ll probably have to bowl two of these final five overs. Jacks begins with a reverse sweep for two but Muthusamy responds with a couple of dots. Jacks then shuffles across the crease to swat to the leg-side rope – smartly done. Jacks doesn’t beat point with the next delivery … but he does reverse sweep for six! Game on!
England need 43 from 24 balls.
45th over: England 276-6 (Carse 7, Jacks 27) Ngidi is precise with his yorkers and Jacks, yet to find the boundary, is struggling to cut loose … ignore me, he waits on the slower ball and smacks it over deep midwicket for six! Is this still on?
England need 54 from 30 balls.
44th over: England 267-6 (Carse 7, Jacks 19) Brydon Carse! He shows that Bosch is not unplayable, hopping across the crease to drive through the off side for four. A fine yorker is dug out for a single. Jacks cuts for two and England keep ticking, even as people make their way out of Lord’s.
England need 64 from 36 balls.
43rd over: England 259-6 (Carse 2, Jacks 16) That ball dropped so late on Buttler, sneaking under the bat to hit the stumps. A wonderful delivery.
WICKET! Buttler b Ngidi 61 (England 256-6)
The stumps light up – a 69mph off-cutter by Ngidi does the trick, leaving Buttler bemused. That’s brilliant death bowling, and that should be the game, too.
42nd over: England 251-5 (Buttler 58, Jacks 14) Buttler shapes up for a scoop over the leg-side before adjusting the bat face to guide the ball to third. Bosch is the bowler and it’s another good over for South Africa.
England need 80 from 48 balls.
41st over: England 245-5 (Buttler 56, Jacks 10) Jacks greets Ngidi with a single behind point, and Buttler clips a 68mph ball for another run. Ngidi loves the slower ball and he thuds one into Jacks’ pad. A 69mph dropper is followed by a pace-on, fuller delivery. It’s a fine over, no boundaries off it.
England need 86 from 54 balls.
Half-century for Jos Buttler!
40th over: England 238-5 (Buttler 51, Jacks 8) Buttler has his half-century off 43 balls, with Jacks still trying to settle in at the crease.
39th over: England 231-5 (Buttler 49, Jacks 3) That’s stunning from Buttler, reverse-sweeping Muthusamy for six, with some serious elevation on it.
England need 100 from 66 balls.
38th over: England 223-5 (Buttler 42, Jacks 2) Burger’s back and Buttler’s still fighting: he pumps a fuller delivery over mid-off for four. Burger comes back well, going short to keep Buttler quiet.
England need 108 from 72 balls.
37th over: England 217-5 (Buttler 37, Jacks 1) Will Jacks played a match-winning knock in the Hundred final here four nights ago. Time to do it again. Muthusamy runs through an excellent over.
England need 114 from 78 balls.
WICKET! Brook c Bavuma b Muthusamy 33 (England 216-5)
Where’s that come from? Muthusamy gets a delivery to grip and turn, surprising Brook, who ends up lobbing the ball into the night sky. Bavuma collects at cover.
England need 115 from 81 balls.
36th over: England 215-4 (Buttler 36, Brook 33) Ouch. Bosch thuds one short into Buttler, who wears it on the arm and on to the helmet. He’s good to go after a break and Bosch remains a tough man to get away.
35th over: England 212-4 (Buttler 35, Brook 32) England will definitely attack Muthusamy … and here comes Buttler, lofting over long-on for six. From there it’s about running hard between the wickets, with 12 taken off the over.
England need 119 from 90 balls.
34th over: England 200-4 (Buttler 26, Brook 29) Brook wallops Bosch … and it beats the fielder at deep point for a flat six! Brook steps out to the leg side again to slap Bosch but he can’t beat mid-off. Bosch comes back well from the six and, in his seventh over of the innings, is still able to clock 90mph.
England need 131 from 96 balls.
33rd over: England 193-4 (Buttler 26, Brook 22) Maharaj will bowl out here, and England have no desire to do anything silly. Buttler sprints to nab two. The No 1-ranked bowler finishes with two for 59 off 10.
32nd over: England 188-4 (Buttler 23, Brook 20) Bosch has been a nightmare to get away today and he begins a new spell by getting the ball to leap past Buttler’s prod. The England keeper-bat has to do something different to combat the quick and does so with a charge down the ground, swatting the ball straight for four. Brook is nearly bowled when he jumps to the leg-side to try and launch. Time for drinks.
England need 143 from 108 balls.
31st over: England 182-4 (Buttler 18, Brook 19) Brook splits the field with an excellent sweep behind square off Maharaj as England threaten to pick up the pace.
30th over: England 174-4 (Buttler 16, Brook 13) Here comes the release: Buttler sees a little bit of flight and takes it in, thumping Muthusamy over long-on for six.
29th over: England 166-4 (Buttler 9, Brook 12) The required rate is running towards eight as Maharaj skips in for another over of singles.
28th over: England 162-4 (Buttler 7, Brook 10) Muthusamy darts the ball in and the batting pair opt for singles.
27th over: England 159-4 (Buttler 6, Brook 8) Jos Buttler lets out the reverse sweep to find the boundary. Maharaj responds with gorgeous turner past the bat – this’ll be a tasty battle.
26th over: England 152-4 (Buttler 1, Brook 7) Senuran Muthusamy gets a go and he’s too short as Brook pulls away for his first boundary of the night.
25th over: England 147-3 (Buttler, Brook 2) We’re halfway through the chase and England must rebuild with two new batters.
WICKET! Root st Rickelton b Maharaj 61 (England 147-4)
Bavuma returns to Maharaj, who has Root stumped! It was a charge out of nowhere, with the swipe across the line bringing no joy. Two quick wickets and the game is now in South Africa’s control.
24th over: England 145-3 (Root 60, Brook 1) Harry Brook emerges with England not even halfway to the target. The captain dabs into the off side immediately to get his first run.
WICKET! Bethell c Brevis b Bosch 58 (England 143-3)
Bosch, who bowled a very tight opening spell, returns. Bethell has a lovely late cut in his locker, which he uses to score two. And here comes that cut again … into the hands of Brevis at backward point. That was a fun innings but he looked set for so much more.
23rd over: England 140-2 (Root 58, Bethell 56) Ngidi nearly ends the party, unfurling a slower ball to befuddle Bethell, who made room for a swipe and nearly had his stumps rattled. Root walks across the crease to clip through midwicket for four, and Ngidi responds with another cracking change-up, a wickedly slow off-cutter that Root edges.
22nd over: England 134-2 (Bethell 55, Root 53) Bethell swishes and misses against Burger – he doesn’t want to settle down.
Kim Thonger offers some high praise:
That’s a brilliant display of batting from the 21 year old. I was lucky enough to watch Gary Sobers in his prime, and I’m reminded of his fluidity and the way he was able to calmly watch the ball onto the bat and time it to perfection.
If only Jacob could bowl like the great man too.
21st over: England 129-2 (Root 51, Bethell 52) Ngidi is back after Bethell’s onslaught against Maharaj. The quick lowers the volume at Lord’s with a two-run over.
Half-centuries for Joe Root and Jacob Bethell!
20th over: England 127-2 (Root 50, Bethell 51) Burger’s back and Bethell plays a stylish dab to third man to move to 47. Root drives for one to bring up his gazillionth half-century. Bethell celebrates his with a pull over mid-on, done off just 28 balls, his fourth in ODIs. Will this be the day of his first professional century?
19th over: England 121-2 (Root 49, Bethell 46) Maharaj bowls a rare poor ball and Bethell is quick to pull for six. The next ball is pumped over mid-off for four – this is really impressive from the 21-year-old. And then another lofted drive down the ground! That’s the 50 partnership off 35 balls … before Bethell pulls to the deep midwicket rope for four more! A single closes a 20-run vibe-shifting over.
18th over: England 101-2 (Root 48, Bethell 27) Markram continues and Bethell doesn’t mind that: he sweeps for four and is on the attack, trying to pummel the leg side. When Markram drops short, Bethell rocks back to pull for six – turning to the part-time offie has not worked for South Africa.
17th over: England 87-2 (Root 47, Bethell 14) After Adil Rashid’s brilliance in the first half, we’re seeing another veteran spinner do his thing. Maharaj runs through his six with little bother.
16th over: England 85-2 (Root 47, Bethell 13) Aiden Markram is going to have a twirl, ready to threaten Bethell’s outside edge. The left-hander flicks away for two, and a cut follows for two more. And here comes the big one: Bethell gets down to sweep behind square leg for six.
