Matthew Breetzke Sets World Record as South Africa Clinch Historic ODI Series at Lord’s

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South Africa created history at Lord’s by beating England in the second ODI by five runs. With this win, the Proteas sealed the three-match ODI series 2-0. It was their first series win in England since 1998, ending a 27-year wait.

Breetzke Leads South Africa’s Batting Charge

Matthew Breetzke was the star of the day. The opener scored 85 runs from 77 balls and made history by becoming the first player ever to hit a half-century in each of his first five ODIs. His innings, supported by Tristan Stubbs’ 58, helped South Africa reach 330 for eight in 50 overs. The two shared a stand of 147 runs that gave the side control after early wickets.

England tried hard in the chase but fell short at 325 for nine. Joe Root, Jos Buttler, and Jacob Bethell scored half-centuries, while Jofra Archer’s quick 27 from 14 balls raised late hopes. But South Africa’s bowlers, led by Nandre Burger with three wickets and Keshav Maharaj with two, held their nerves in the final overs. England needed 16 runs from the last over but could not cross the line.

A Series Win with Historic Significance

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This win gave South Africa its second straight ODI series victory after beating Australia earlier this year. It also marked their second-closest win over England in ODIs, just behind the famous one-run win at Cape Town in 2000.

England’s poor run in the format continued. They have now lost their last four ODIs to South Africa. Since the 2023 World Cup, England have won only seven of 22 ODIs. Their win percentage of 31.8 is better only than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe among full ICC members.

For captain Temba Bavuma, the moment was special. He praised his team for bringing pride to fans back home and hailed Breetzke and Maharaj for their efforts. He also admitted that injuries have limited their choices but promised to put up the best team for the final ODI in Southampton.

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The final ODI on September 7 promises a fierce contest. The series wins were an indication of South Africa's growth in one-day cricket by 2025. It also denotes the change in the power balance between the two sides. Since the Proteas look stronger and more confident, England has to sort out its problems very soon, or England could be at the receiving end of another whitewash in the last game.