South Africa clinches ODI series against England with exciting 5-run win at Lord's

LONDON (AP) — South Africa clinched the ODI series against England with a game to spare Thursday after a five-run win in the second match that was set up by a record-breaking 85 by Matt Breetzke at Lord's.

Brought in to the Proteas lineup to replace the ill Wiaan Mulder, Breetzke became the first player in ODI history to score at least a half-century in his first five matches, according to the ESPNcricinfo website.

The 26-year-old middle-order batter's 77-ball knock added to a 49 from opener Aiden Markram and 58 from Tristan Stubbs as South Africa, which was put into bat, made 330-8 from its 50 overs.

“It was a more than competitive score. I definitely would have taken that when we were three wickets down,” Proteas captain Temba Bavuma said.

England was skittled for 131 on the way to losing the first match by seven wickets at Headingley on Tuesday but competed much better two days later, despite losing Jamie Smith to the first over of the reply.

It went down to the last over, off which England needed 16 with one wicket remaining, but some inspired hitting by tailender Jofra Archer (27 off 14 balls) couldn't prevent the hosts falling just short on 325-9.

Before that, Jacob Bethell illuminated the home of cricket with a 58-ball 40, including hitting four consecutive boundaries, and put on 77 runs for the third wicket with Joe Root (61 off 72 balls) to give England a chance.

Jos Buttler then smashed 61 off 51 balls before being deceived by a slower ball from Lungi Ngidi and getting bowled.

Will Jacks kept alive English hopes with two sixes but was one of two wickets to fall in the 47th over, bowled by Nandre Burger (3-63). Archer hit two fours and two sixes but ran out of balls as the South Africans — back at Lord's 2 1/2 months after beating Australia there to win the World Test Championship — prevailed again.

“They probably got 10, 15 too many, but to get within one blow of their score, I thought was a good effort,” England captain Harry Brook said.

The third ODI is at Southampton on Sunday.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

England's Jacob Bethell bats during the second ODI series cricket match between England and South Africa, at Lord's, in London, Thursday Sept. 4, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

South Africa's Nandre Burger celebrates taking the wicket of England's Jamie Smith during the second ODI series cricket match between England and South Africa, at Lord's, in London, Thursday Sept. 4, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

South Africa's Keshav Maharaj, second right, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of England's Will Jacks during the second ODI series cricket match between England and South Africa, at Lord's, in London, Thursday Sept. 4, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

South Africa's Matthew Breetzke hits a boundary for four during the second Metro Bank ODI Series cricket match between England and South Africa, at Lord's, in London, Thursday Sept. 4, 2025. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Vote counting was underway Friday in Uganda’s tense presidential election, which was held a day earlier amid an internet shutdown, voting delays and complaints by an opposition leader who said some of his polling agents had been detained by the authorities.

Opposition leader Bobi Wine said Thursday he was unable to leave his house and that his polling agents in rural areas were abducted before voting started, undermining his efforts to prevent electoral offenses such as ballot stuffing.

Wine is hoping to end President Yoweri Museveni's four-decade rule in an election during which the military was deployed and heavy security was posted outside his house near Kampala, the Ugandan capital, after the vote.

The musician-turned-politician wrote on X on Thursday that a senior party official in charge of the western region had been arrested, adding there was “massive ballot stuffing everywhere.”

Rural Uganda, especially the western part of the country, is a ruling-party stronghold, and the opposition would be disadvantaged by not having polling agents present during vote counting.

To try to improve his chances of winning, Wine had urged his supporters to “protect the vote” by having witnesses document alleged offenses at polling stations, in addition to deploying official polling agents.

Wine faced similar setbacks when he first ran for president five years ago. Museveni took 58% of the vote, while Wine got 35%, according to official results. Wine said at the time that the election had been rigged in favor of Museveni, who has spoken disparagingly of his rival.

Museveni, after voting on Thursday, said the opposition had infiltrated the 2021 election and defended the use of biometric machines as a way of securing the vote in this election.

Museveni has served the third-longest tenure of any African leader and is seeking to extend his rule into a fifth decade. The aging president’s authority has become increasingly dependent on the military, which is led by his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Uganda has not witnessed a peaceful transfer of presidential power since independence from British colonial rule six decades ago.

Voters line up to cast their ballots at a polling station, during the presidential election, in the capital, Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Election officials count ballots after the polls closed for the presidential election at a polling station in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

An election official holds up unmarked ballots during the vote count after polls closed for the presidential election, at a polling center in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A political representative speaks as he works to observe and verify the counting of ballots after polls closed in the presidential election at a polling station in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

A supporter of leading opposition candidate Bobi Wine cheers while watching election officials count ballots, after polls closed at a polling station in Kampala, Uganda, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)