England and South Africa face each other in the second match of the series at Lord’s on Thursday, September 4. The pressure is squarely on the hosts following their batting disintegration in the opener at Headingley, where they were bowled out for a paltry 131 runs. The Proteas easily chased down the target, taking a 1-0 lead and forcing Harry Brook’s team into a must-win situation at the historic ground.
ENG Vs SA: Pitch Report
The surface at Lord’s is likely to start hard and dry, providing support to seamers initially. The famous slope introduces a natural difficulty for batters, tending to produce movement and uneven bounce that pacers can take advantage of with the new ball. As the innings wears on, though, the pitch settles down before slowly slowing, making spinners relevant during the middle overs.
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Historically, batting first has been the more lucrative approach here. Once a team has put up a decent total, scoreboard pressure tends to make chasing problematic, particularly under lights in day-night matches. Scores of around 260–280 are typically well competitive at this ground.
ENG Vs SA: Toss Strategy
The toss being won could be the key. The best option for the captain would be to bat, set runs on the board, and allow the bowlers to employ initial movement and subsequent spin support to defend the total. Pursuing under lights at Lord’s has always been challenging, and hence batting first is the wiser and safer option in this second ODI.
