South Africa won the three match ODI series against England with a hard fought five run victory at the home of cricket that went to the final ball before its conclusion.
It was a much better showing from England and an exciting game after the disastrous defeat in Leeds but once again the better side won out on the day.
Half centuries from Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs and runs from Aiden Markram and Dewald Brevis propelled South Africa to 330/8 but despite good returns from the likes of Jos Buttler, Joe Root and Jacob Bethell it wasn’t enough with England falling just short. Jofra Archer needed a six to tie the game and force a Super Over but couldn’t reach the boundary.
England will take a lot of heart and unlike the first game the crowd were entertained throughout but it was another painful white-ball conclusion for a team that won a 50 over World Cup at this ground six years ago but who are now ranked 8th in the world.
On a cloudy afternoon and on a pitch that had taken a fair amount of rain England had won a good toss and inserted their opponents.
After the fun and games at Headingley where less than half the allocated overs were needed it was a more sedate start with opening batters Markram and Ryan Rickelton seeing off a probing start from both ends from Jofra Archer and the recalled Saqib Mahmood who came in for Sonny Baker.
Unlike the 1st ODI where six boundaries came from the first three overs just seven were scored from the opening ten.
As the conditions eased South Africa looked to advance with Markram hitting Archer for three successive boundaries at the start of the bowler’s second spell.
However the first breakthrough came in his next over with Rickelton (35) skying an effort to Buttler and with that came another two quick wickets courtesy of England’s go-to man, Adil Rashid (4/62).
73/0 became 93/3 for South Africa as first Temba Bavuma (4) edged behind one that bounced and turned and then one shy of fifty Markram (49) bunted a half tracker back to the bowler.
It meant a rebuild from South Africa and it duly came from Stubbs and a man whose introduction to ODI cricket has been nothing short of extraordinary, Breetzke.
Whilst Stubbs struggled to get to terms with the conditions, Breetzke waltzed to 50 and in doing so became the first man to score fifty plus scores in his first five ODI innings, and against four different teams in doing so.
The shot of the innings came against Will Jacks with Breetzke straight driving the bowler back over his head for six in glorious fashion.
And therein lay the problem for England, for while they looked likely to take wickets when Rashid or Archer were bowling and while Mahmood and Carse containing well Harry Brook was left short as he tried to smuggle ten overs via Jacks and Bethell whose ten overs between them went for 112.
Stubbs had eaten up 47 deliveries to get to 33 before suddenly he found his range sweeping Jacks into the stand for six, and hitting him for boundaries either side of that to get himself into the 40’s.
That forced Brook to bring Rashid back into the attack to bowl his final two overs from the Media Centre End and while that didn’t bring about a wicket the return of Archer did as he trapped Breetzke (85) with a cleverly disguised slower ball LBW for 85.
Stubbs (58) was the next to go furiously stomping off after being involved in a madcap run out with Donald Brevis.
Brevis (42) looked to make amends, smashing three sixes and three fours before he sliced to backward point to give Jacob Bethell a rare wicket. Archer (4/62) then struck twice in the last over but South Africa would have been happy with their 330/8.
England got off to the worst start possible with Jamie Smith (0) inside edging Nandre Burger to the keeper first ball and shortly after South Africa wasted a review on a caught behind shout from an out of sorts Ben Duckett.
Joe Root got off the mark with a four and took advantage of an outfield that had quickened as the sun dried out the early moisture that had seen a 15 minute delay to the start of play but while he looked in great touch Duckett looked like a man in need of a holiday.
He played, missed and mistimed throughout his innings. It was something of a mercy when he was finally dismissed attempting an extravagant reverse sweep to the left arm of Keshav Maharaj for a 33 ball 14.
England sprung a surprise by pushing Jacob Bethell (58) up the order to combat the problems posed by Maharaj and it paid off. The off-spinner Aiden Markram was brought on only for Bethel to larrup him repeatedly into the stands as he raced away, Markram’s two overs costing 27.
Not that Maharaj was spared with Root smashing him for three boundaries to put England ahead of the required rate at the 20 over stage.
Markram was replaced and putting pace on the ball worked almost immediately although not until both Root and Bethell went past 50 putting on 77 in decent time.
Bethell was the first to go slicing to short backward point, Corbyn Bosch with the breakthrough, his first five overs going for just five runs.
Then Root (61) departed stumped in an ODI for the first time in a decade from a beautifully flighted delivery from Maharah for 53 to leave England in trouble again at 147/4
With the required run rate hovering around 8 an over from the last twenty overs Buttler and Brook then started setting about the target with first Buttler smoking Muthusany into the stands for six and Brook sweeping Maharaj for four.
They took England past 200 and also saw off Maharaj before the game took a massive turn with Brook miscuing a big turner from Senuran Muthusamy to cover for 33.
While Buttler was at the crease England held the advantage and he launched an audacious reverse sweep off Muthusamy over the boundary at deep third.
But his innings came to an end thanks to a wonderful 70mph slower ball from Lungi NGidi who’d bowled well without reward until that point.
All eyes were now on Will Jacks and he kept England in the hunt with a couple of huge hits but the game was effectively ended in the 47th over with the return of Burger with Brydon Carse holing out first ball of his last spell and then Jacks slicing to point.
Archer had other ideas however as he smashed two big sixes to keep the fans dreaming of a famous victory. With two balls to go England needed 11 to win and Archer found the boundary with a four meaning a six would see a Super Over. But despite being willed on by the thousands of fans who’d stayed long past 9pm it wasn’t to be and South Africa celebrated in the darkness.