Tomorrow afternoon, England will look to bounce back from another humbling day in the ODI format.
Harry Brook’s side were thrashed by South Africa at Headingley on Tuesday, with the visitors winning by seven wickets and dominating the match from start to finish.
Can the Three Lions recover at Lord’s and send us to a series decider at The Ageas Bowl on Sunday? Head coach Brendon McCullum will hope so, if only to create a winning habit ahead of the Ashes in Australia later this year.
Read on as we preview the 2nd ODI between England and South Africa, providing you with the latest cricket odds and betting tips.
England vs South Africa Preview
From an England perspective, Tuesday was tough viewing, with Sonny Baker having a debut to forget. The young fast bowler picked up a golden duck with the bat as the team were bowled out for 131 inside 30 overs, before conceding 76 runs from his seven overs.
In truth, the Three Lions as a whole have failed to deliver anything of note in the ODI format since the 2019 Cricket World Cup win. Their ICC Champions Trophy campaign at the start of the year saw them lose all three games to Australia, Afghanistan and – ironically – South Africa.
Of course, this time around it is very possible that the players found it difficult adjusting from Hundred cricket to 50 overs, while the likes of Brook, Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Jamie Smith played all five Tests against India earlier in the summer and must be knackered.
That is in stark contrast to South Africa, whose players still looked fresh from the 2-1 ODI series win in Australia and were sharp from the get-go at Headingley.
Keshav Maharaj, Wiann Mulder and Lungi Ngidi were exceptional with the ball, while Aiden Markram was ruthless with the bat, hitting 86 runs off just 55 balls.
Temba Bavuma’s side were so dominant that we saw only a two-ball cameo from rising star Dewald Brevis, though he did still manage to hit a six.
Can Brevis light up Lord’s? Let’s hope he can produce some fireworks in a far closer contest!
England vs South Africa Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Despite the result in the 1st ODI, England are still favourites to win at Lord’s with a price of just 1.67. Another victory for South Africa is at odds of 2.07.
England vs South Africa Betting Tips
England top batter – Jamie Smith @ 5.00
Smith was the only England batter to find any rhythm in the 1st ODI. He top scored with 54 from 48 balls and having represented London Spirit in the Hundred, he will be familiar with the Lord’s surface.
England top bowler Jofra Archer @ 3.40
While Baker was being knocked around the ground by Markram and Ryan Rickelton, Archer looked his usual threatening self. He went for just eight runs in his five overs, and if he can get support from the other end at Lord’s (where he made his triumphant Test return vs India), the premium fast bowler can inflict plenty of misery on South Africa’s batters.
A Hundred to be scored in the match – No @ 1.90
Lord’s is not renowned as a high-scoring ground in white-ball cricket. The average first innings score in ODIs stands at 264.5, which is a little on the low side. With high-quality bowlers in each XI and the threat of gloomy conditions, the batters may find the going rather tough.
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