In-form Breetzke stars as South Africa post 330-8 against England / Photo: Glyn KIRK - AFP
In-form Breetzke stars as South Africa post 330-8 against England
South Africa's Matthew Breetzke extended his record streak as he became the first batsman in one-day international history to start his career with five consecutive scores of fifty or more.
Breetzke's 85 helped the Proteas recover from 93-3 to reach an imposing 330-8 in the second ODI against England at Lord's on Thursday.
Together with Tristan Stubbs (58), Breetzke shared a century partnership in just 101 balls, with the duo's 21-over stand eventually worth 147.
England need to set a new record if they are to level this three-match series at 1-1, with the highest score by a side batting second to win an ODI at Lord's the 326-8 made by India in 2002.
The 26-year-old Breetzke was only playing after Tony de Zorzi was ruled out by a hamstring injury suffered during South Africa's dominant seven-wicket win in the first ODI at Headingley on Tuesday.
Breetzke had already started his ODI career with four successive scores in excess of 50, including 150 in his debut against New Zealand in February and 88 during South Africa's recent 2-1 series win in Australia.
He took just 57 balls to compile his latest half-century on Thursday, including five fours and a six.
After reaching the landmark, he drove off-spinner Will Jacks down the ground for another six and cleared the ropes again by clobbering paceman Brydon Carse over square leg.
Jacks and fellow spinner Jacob Bethell bowled 10 overs between them for a costly combined 1-112.
Archer's clever slower-ball yorker eventually trapped Breetzke lbw.
Breetzke has scored 463 ODI runs in five innings at a colossal average of 92.6
Archer (4-62) and leg-spinner Adil Rashid, with a typically economical 2-33 from his maximum 10 overs, were England's leading bowlers.
England captain Harry Brook won the toss and elected to field, with the hosts looking to recover from a humiliating 131 all out inside 25 overs at Headingley.
The only change England made was to bring in Saqib Mahmood to replace Sonny Baker, whose seven overs without a wicket on his debut cost 76 runs.
South Africa were returning to the scene of their World Test Championship final win over Australia at Lord's in June.
Aiden Markram, who made a century in that match, came into this game fresh from 86 at Headingley.
The opener carried on from where he left off in Leeds with 49 before he was caught and bowled by Rashid.
Breetzke and Stubbs then took charge, with Dewald Brevis adding a quickfire 42.
Ch.Anderson--EWJ
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