Abject England Given Brutal Reality Check By South Africa

First Metro Bank one-day international, Headingley

England 131 (24.3 overs): Smith 54 (48); Maharaj 4-22

South Africa 137-3 (20.5 overs): Markram 86 (55); Rashid 3-26

South Africa won by 7 wickets

Scorecard

England were bundled retired for conscionable 131 and thrashed by 7 wickets successful nan first one-day world astatine Headingley arsenic South Africa handed retired a bruising reality cheque to nan hosts' caller era of white-ball cricket nether skipper Harry Brook.

In an abject performance, England reached 82-2 only to beryllium dismissed successful 24.3 overs successful their first white-ball matches since Brook began his tenure by sweeping speech West Indies astatine nan commencement of nan summer.

The illness started erstwhile nan skipper was tally retired for 12 and opener Jamie Smith, nan only batter to make much than 15, followed for a 48-ball 54.

Jacob Bethell's reliable summertime continued, Will Jacks, 1 of 5 players who were playing successful nan Hundred last little than 48 hours ago, chipped backmost a drawback and Jos Buttler struggled for 15 from 24 balls.

The past 7 wickets fell for 29 runs successful 7.1 overs arsenic spinner Keshav Maharaj took 4-22 connected a transportation that did not move and seamer Wiaan Mulder 3-33.

Fast bowler Sonny Baker was past deed for 76 runs, including 14 boundaries, successful a brutal, seven-over preamble to world cricket - nan astir costly figures by an England bowler connected ODI debut.

In nan 2nd over, Jofra Archer nicked disconnected Ryan Rickelton only for nan shot to beryllium judged to person bounced earlier first gaffe and still would person had nan left-hander lbw had England reviewed an lbw shout. Their nonaccomplishment to do truthful summed up their day.

Aiden Markram flogged 86 successful 55 balls pinch England failing to make a breakthrough until he was spectacularly caught by Smith pinch nan winning statement only 11 runs away.

The crowd shouted ironically erstwhile Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs followed pinch nan scores level but Rickelton ended 31 not retired and nan Proteas won pinch a monolithic 29.1 overs to spare.

The three-match bid continues astatine Lord's connected Thursday.

England person been battling a downward spiral pinch their white-ball teams since their grounded 2023 World Cup defence successful India.

Brook's winning commencement - wins successful 3 ODIs and 3 T20s against nan Windies - was expected to beryllium nan commencement of an upturn.

This capacity was arsenic bad arsenic thing that has travel successful nan erstwhile 2 years.

Because of The Hundred, nan players mentation has been non-existent.

Rather than falling successful a flurry of expansive strokes, they lacked immoderate benignant of batting hit and a meek convoy against canny yet unspectacular bowling followed.

The batting near Baker, who was past man retired for a aureate duck, connected a hiding to nothing. Three boundaries came successful his first complete and his opening four-over spell costs 56 arsenic he was thrashed to each parts by Markram, who made his lively gait look gentle pinch effortless, classical hitting.

While Baker ran successful admirably erstwhile he returned for a further 3 overs, he still conceded a further 20 and took his wide tally of wides to four.

When Dewald Brevis ended nan lucifer pinch a towering consecutive six disconnected Adil Rashid, who took each 3 of England's wickets, conscionable 45.2 overs had been played successful nan lucifer and nan crowd drifted disconnected much than 3 hours earlier nan scheduled finish.

England's batting struggles successful 50-over cricket are not new.

Where antecedently they person struggled to find nan tempo, astir alarming present was nan inability to halt their slide.

Ben Duckett nicked disconnected successful nan 3rd over, aft which Joe Root flickered earlier being caught one-handed by wicketkeeper Rickelton debased to his right.

Smith capitalised erstwhile South Africa bowled excessively afloat aliases offered width but was progressive successful nan Brook run-out erstwhile he sent backmost his skipper who was looking for two.

A chipped six complete long-on was Buttler's only bound successful a 24-ball 15 – nan astir evidently rusty innings.

South Africa's fielding, meanwhile, was superb.

Markram took a crisp chance astatine gaffe disconnected nan wily Maharaj arsenic Bethell departed for 1 to travel scores of six and 5 successful nan 5th Test against India successful a summertime successful which he has hardly played.

The Proteas looked acold much astatine grips pinch nan format, having beaten Australia 2-1 successful a bid that concluded only 9 days ago.