Southampton – South Africa left the Ageas Bowl with the series trophy yet red-faced, their 342-run loss to England the heaviest in the country’s one-day history. Head coach Shukri Conrad did not sugar-coat matters, calling the display “embarrassing”, while captain Temba Bavuma accepted that the showing “doesn’t do us justice”.
The result arrived in a dead rubber: South Africa had already taken the three-match contest 2-0 after a convincing victory in Chester-le-Street and a thriller in Cardiff, their first ODI series win on English soil since 1998. Even so, the scale of Tuesday’s collapse – combined with a 276-run hammering in a similarly inconsequential third ODI against Australia last month – raises questions about the side’s ability to stay switched on once a series is sealed.
“Any excuse is better than none. We were definitely off today. And against a top side like England, when you’re not on top of your game, you do get exposed,” Conrad said at the post-match press conference. “A similar thing happened in Australia, where after going 2-0 up, it was a complete aberration. They got in excess of 400 as well. But if we were going to be poor at something, we’d rather be poor at games that aren’t clutch games. We’re not making light of today’s defeat. That was slightly embarrassing.”
Bowling first has proved expensive for South Africa in both record reverses. They leaked 15 wides in Canberra; here it was 19. England’s young pair Jamie Smith and Jacob Bethell were reprieved on 23 and 44 respectively, and each made the tourists pay. Bavuma, speaking at the presentation, admitted the extras column was “far from ideal, not good enough” and suggested it “could be complacency”.
Conrad felt the sloppiness snowballed. “The bowling affects the fielding and the other way around, but nine out of ten times, Matthew Breetzke is taking that catch [off Smith, who offered a chance off a leading edge in the covers],” he said. “We’re not going to read too much into that, but it’s a difficult one because when that edge is not there and something doesn’t go your way and the harder you try, it’s just not there. I’m not offering it as an excuse because it’s not supposed to be like that, but the fielding wasn’t at the usual high standard that we set. All in all, yeah, it was an embarrassing performance in the field.”
England’s 428 for 6 was built on aggressive batting, yet South Africa’s discipline contributed. Seamer Nandre Burger finished with 0 for 95 – the most expensive figures recorded by a South African in ODIs – while debutant Codi Yusuf’s 0 for 80 marked the costliest outing by a first-timer for the Proteas. In fairness, the attack was without Kagiso Rabada, still easing back from ankle inflammation. The spearhead sat out all three matches in both Australia and England.
Conrad confirmed the medical staff could have “really pushed and forced through today” but “didn’t want to take any risks with him” ahead of the T20I series that starts in Bristol on Friday. That short-format leg, and ultimately next year’s T20 World Cup, remain top priorities. South Africa expect Rabada to be available for the three T20Is as well as the two Tests that follow later this month.
Fielding lapses attracted attention, yet the batting collapse was just as stark. Chasing a record target, the visitors were 41 for 4 inside nine overs and never looked likely to salvage pride. Only Heinrich Klaasen’s 34 suggested brief resistance before Sam Curran and Rehan Ahmed shared six wickets to roll South Africa for 86 in 18.2 overs.
The dressing-room response, Conrad said, was calm rather than panicked. “We’ve been on a good run. Two series wins away from home shouldn’t be forgotten because of one ugly result,” he noted, pointing out that nine players on this trip are touring England for the first time. The coach, appointed last year, continues to use bilateral ODIs to blood new talent while core players rest between the World Cups.
From a broader perspective, South Africa’s batting blueprint – built around tempo through the middle overs and back-end acceleration – remains intact. What Tuesday underlined is that the margin for error against high-scoring sides is minimal. Bowling coach Piet Botha, speaking on television, highlighted the need for improved execution at the death and more consistent lengths with the new ball.
England, meanwhile, took satisfaction from signing off a lost series in emphatic fashion. Acting captain Moeen Ali praised the intent shown by Smith and Bethell, both 23, and welcomed the return to form of Jofra Archer, whose brisk four-over burst accounted for Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs.
For South Africa, the challenge is to park the humiliation quickly. Bavuma stressed that lessons would be absorbed without overreacting. The schedule allows little time for sulking: the first T20I is in 48 hours, followed by matches in Hove and The Oval. Several members of the ODI squad are expected to feature, though Rabada and Anrich Nortjé will return, while Yusuf may hand over to Lungi Ngidi.
How the Proteas respond will reveal more about their progress under Conrad than the two dominant victories that preceded this blip. A short memory, rather than a short fuse, is often the best ally in international cricket.
Quote recap
• Shukri Conrad: “Any excuse is better than none… That was slightly embarrassing.”
• Temba Bavuma: bowling 19 wides was “far from ideal, not good enough”.
• Conrad on fielding: “All in all, yeah, it was an embarrassing performance in the field.”
• Conrad on Rabada: he could have been “really pushed and forced through today” but the staff “didn’t want to take any risks with him”.
If those words resonate in the coming days, South Africa’s next outing may look very different.
