Leeds, England, Sep 3 (AP) – In a commanding display, South Africa achieved a seven-wicket triumph over England in the first of three one-day internationals on Tuesday, as England was dismissed for a mere 131. Aiden Markram's explosive innings of 86 off just 55 balls laid the groundwork for the visitors' convincing win at Headingley.
The England team, seemingly drained from participating in the recent domestic Hundred competition, struggled with the bat and were bundled out in just 24.3 overs. South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj was instrumental with the ball, snaring 4-22, while Wiaan Mulder added pressure with figures of 3-33. Jamie Smith was the lone bright spot for England, contributing 54 from 48 deliveries.
Opting to field first, South African captain Temba Bavuma capitalized on a dry wicket, understanding that chasing tends to be advantageous in Leeds. The Proteas then sprinted to victory, achieving the target with 175 balls still in hand, attacking debutant fast bowler Sonny Baker.
Despite his recent heroics in The Hundred, Baker faced a tough initiation, conceding 76 runs in his seven overs — marking a record for the costliest outing by an England bowler on ODI debut. Markram, in scintillating form, treated Baker harshly, notching three boundaries in the young bowler’s first over.
With just 11 runs needed, Markram was caught by Smith, and Adil Rashid, putting a late show of resistance, picked up 3-26. Rashid removed both Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs before Dewald Brevis sealed the deal emphatically, launching a majestic six to bring South Africa to 137-3.
England’s response to the defeat was candid. "It's not good enough. I can't say much more than we've just had a bad day," reflected England captain Harry Brook. "You want to keep on winning and winning, but we've mis-executed a lot of our skills today. Nobody wants to come and watch that.”
Brook dismissed fatigue as an excuse, despite the team having one limited training session following the weekend’s Hundred eliminator and final. "In my eyes, that's an excuse. We're not a team that makes excuses up," Brook asserted. "At the end of the day, that batting performance wasn't good enough.”
The absence of Kagiso Rabada, due to an ankle injury, and Heinrich Klaasen, who recently retired from international cricket, didn’t dent South Africa's formidable showing. The second ODI is scheduled at Lord's on Thursday with the series concluding in Southampton on Sunday.
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