England’s poor form in white-ball cricket continued as they were beaten by South Africa to lose the second one-day international and the series with a game to spare.
Though not nearly as one-sided as the hammering at Headingley on Tuesday, a five-run margin did not reflect the nature of the contest.
Set 331, which would have represented the highest successful chase in an ODI on this ground, England fell short on 325-9.
The series defeat is England’s first since Harry Brook took charge of the white-ball team at the beginning of the summer, and their fifth in six ODI series since the 2023 World Cup.
In damp conditions, England chose to field and reduced South Africa to 93-3, only for Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs to rebuild. Breetzke made 85 and Stubbs 58.
Dewald Brevis’ 42 from only 20 balls lifted South Africa to 330-8. Though Jofra Archer claimed four wickets, a combined 10 overs of spin from Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks cost 112.
England lost Jamie Smith to the first ball of the reply and Ben Duckett for a scratchy 18, yet the chase was ignited by Bethell’s 58. With Joe Root in superb touch for 61, England were in in the hunt at 143-2.
Bethell cut to point and Root was stumped by a distance, the two wickets falling for the addition of only four runs.
From then on, England never got on top of the chase. Jos Buttler made 61, Brook 33 and Jacks 39 without ever being in control.
Archer kept a thinning crowd entertained and, in the company of last man Saqib Mahmood, needed 16 from the last over. Spinner Senuran Muthusamy held his nerve and Archer could not find the six from the final delivery that would have tied the scores.
England must win the dead rubber in Southampton on Sunday to avoid being on the wrong end of a home ODI series clean sweep for the first time since 2006.
