South Africa dismiss England for a paltry 131 in first ODI

Overview

• South Africa dismissed England for a paltry total of 131 in the first ODI at Headingley, Leeds
• Keshav Maharaj and Wiaan Mulder starrred for the visiting side with their spells of 3/33(7.0) and 4/22(5.3), respectively
• After Jamie Smith's 54(48), England collapsed from 82/2 to 131, losing their last 8 wickets for just 49 runs

South Africa dismissed England for a paltry total of 131 in the first ODI at Headingley, Leeds. Keshav Maharaj and Wiaan Mulder starrred for the visiting side with their spells of 3/33(7.0) and 4/22(5.3), respectively. After Jamie Smith's 54(48), England collapsed from 82/2 to 131, losing their last 8 wickets for just 49 runs.

South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first at Headingley. For the first 15 overs, the match seemed to have an even contest, as England scored runs and South Africa claimed wickets at a good rate. Thanks to Jamie's 54(48), England was able to post a decent total on the board.

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Nandre Burger claimed Ben Duckett's wicket with the new ball, while Lungi Ngidi dismissed Joe Root. A decent partnership grew between Smith and Harry Brook for the third wicket. The latter's run out led to the start of the collapse, as the home side lost its way completely, losing wickets in heaps.

Wiaan Mulder and Keshav Maharaj star with the ball for South Africa against England

After scoring his fifty, Smith was dismissed against the run of play by Mulder. It was the final nail in England's coffin, as the last six wickets fell for just 29 runs. Mulder and Maharaj took wickets for fun and ensured England did not come back into the game. The English lower order could not last long either, as they were dismissed for 131.

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Mulder took the wickets of Jamie, Jos Buttler, and Jofra Archer with his fine line and length. Maharaj found his rhythm well right from the word go and dismissed the likes of Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Adil Rashid, and Sonny Baker. A collective bowling effort helped the visiting side's domination against the home side.