South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and elected to bowl first in the opening one-day international against England at Headingley. The decision paid immediate dividends as bowler Nandre Burger dismissed opener Ben Duckett early in the innings.
England had reached 13-1 when Duckett, on 5, was undone by swing, edging a delivery to wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton. Following the dismissal, Joe Root joined Jamie Smith at the crease and helped guide England to 33-1 after five overs.
At the toss, Bavuma cited the dry pitch as his reason for bowling. England captain Harry Brook confirmed he would have made the same choice, stating, “I know this ground pretty well and I know it is hard to defend.”
The match marks a senior England debut for Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker, who has earned his call-up after impressive performances in The Hundred and the County Championship. Speaking before the match, Baker admitted his surprise at being selected. “I thought it was a fake call,” he said. “When it was him [Brendon McCullum], I nearly fell off my chair.”
Baker’s opportunity arises as fellow fast bowler Jamie Overton announced he is taking an “indefinite break” from red-ball cricket. The 31-year-old Surrey player, who has battled injuries, will now concentrate on white-ball formats. “It is no longer possible to commit fully to all formats at every level, both physically and mentally,” Overton stated. “Going forward, my focus will be on white-ball cricket.”
England XI: Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Sonny Baker.
South Africa XI: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiaan Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi.
