ENG vs SA 2025: England vs South Africa, 3rd ODI Match Preview

Published - 06 Sept 2025, 15:29 IST | Updated - 06 Sept 2025, 16:16 IST

The Rose Bowl in Southampton is all set to host the third ODI of the ongoing series between England (ENG) and South Africa (SA) on Sunday, September 7. The game is essentially a dead rubber, since the visiting side has already clinched the series.

The Englishmen will be entering this contest with a hope to bag a consolation win and sign off the series with a win before travelling to Ireland for the T20I series against the Irish side. In the ongoing series, they lost the first game after a poor showing with the bat in the first innings, followed by a closely-fought contest in the second, played at the Lord's, where South Africa won by just 5 runs in a last-ball thriller.

The Proteas, on the other hand, have looked in brilliant form across departments in the series. The first ODI saw them bundle the hosts out for just 131, which they chased down with rather comfort. In the next clash, their bowlers held onto their nerves and helped the side seal the series with a narrow win, taking an unassailable lead. They will now be aiming for a whitewash before heading back home.

The pitch at the Rose Bowl in Southampton is considered to be an even surface for a perfect One-Day International contest. Teams batting first usually find it easier to bat as compared to those batting second, however, a lot depends on the target set by the opposition. Historically seeing, any first-innings' total ranging between 280-300 or above can be considered to be a match-winning total, and teams batting first have won 17 out of 37 games played here.

Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Joe Root, Harry Brook (captain), Jos Buttler (wicketkeeper), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mehmood

Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (wicketkeeper), Temba Bavuma (captain), Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Senuran Muthusamy, Nandre Burger, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi