Proteas ready to capitalize on huge Headingley result as series heads to Lords
England v South Africa | 2nd ODI | Thursday, 4th September | Lord’s, London | 2:00pm
South Africa have won four of their last five games against England.
If South Africa win at Lord’s on Thursday, they will win the series with one more game to play.
The Proteas were resounding winners in the series opener at Headingley on Tuesday as they rolled England for 131 in just 24.3 overs.
England quick Sonny Baker endured a horror debut at Headingley as he was bowled for a first ball duck before being smashed out of the attack by Aiden Markram, conceding 76 runs in his 7 overs.
The world’s number one ODI bowler is Keshav Maharaj. He won the man of the match award on Tuesday with a return of four for 22 in 5.3 overs.
The Proteas are currently the sixth ranked ODI side according to the ICC, while England are ranked eighth.
Dewald Brevis has hit six of the last 24 balls that he has faced four sixes.
Venue: Lord’s, London
South Africa’s ODI record at Lords is not particularly good. Of the five ODIs they have played there; they have managed just a single win. That solitary win came back in 2017 against England.
The last time Temba Bavuma led his side out at Lords it was the final of the WTC, a Test the Proteas won and in which several of the players set to do duty on Thursday featured prominently. While it is a different format there will undoubtedly be a feelgood factor for the likes of Aiden Markram, Bavuma, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.
The average first innings score at Lords is a modest 231.
Thursday’s game will be the 71st ODI played at the famous home of cricket. Of those games the side batting first has won 34 times with the side chasing winning 32.
The skipper who wins the toss at Lords typically choses to bat second – this has been the case in 47 games out of 70.
England have won less than the half the games they have played at Lords. They have won 28 of their 59 games at the venue. Curiously they have managed three ties at the ground.
England opener Ben Duckett is going through a bit of a lean patch. He was out early in Leeds and his form was patchy in the recently completed Hundred where he failed to pass 50 in any of his previous four outings. That said, he has played one previous ODI at Lords, and he scored 63 so he will be hoping for a return to form on Thursday.
Weather:
Rain was predicted in Leeds on Tuesday, but it never arrived – partly because the game was so short. It is predicted again in London on Thursday, but we are talking isolated showers rather than a persistent downpour. There should be enough time for the game to be played, in warm and partly cloudy conditions. The humidity will be high at above 70 percent, and the wind will be moderate at 21kph.
Form (most recent game first):
England: L, W, W, W, L.
South Africa: W, L, W, W, L.
Key player:
England, Harry Brook: When a team has been as comprehensively outplayed as England were on Tuesday it is up to the captain to stand up and lead. Brook has a good record from his handful of ODIs at Lords. he averages 48.5 at the ground at a strike rate well into the 130s. It was his run out at Headingley that sparked the collapse which saw England plunge from 82 for two to 131 all out and he will be eager to set the record straight.
South Africa, Aiden Markram: Markram was full of confidence in the opening ODI as he played his shots and repeatedly found the middle of his bat. While he was particularly savage of young Sonny Baker, Markram wasn’t afraid to take the fight to Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse either. He hit 86 from 55 balls, going to his 50 off just 23 balls. For good measure he also held two outstanding catches at slip. But Markram isn’t just a man in form, he is also returning to the site of his heroic WTC knock a few months ago. He should be brimming with confidence and feelgood factor.
Verdict: South Africa
England will have to do more than just bounce back a little if they are to have any hopes of a win at Lords. They were soundly beaten at Leeds and with a very quick turnaround between games there won’t be much time to unpack the carnage. That the Proteas were without the inform Matthew Breetzke and ace quick Kagiso Rabada will be a worry for England as South Africa return to the site of their recent WTC triumph. Thursday’s game will undoubtedly be more competitive than Tuesday’s spanking, but South Africa should still come out on the right side.
