Sonny Baker Struggles as South Africa Dominate First ODI Leeds, 2 September 2025 – In a clinical display, South Africa trounced England in the opening men’s one-day international at Headingley, chasing down a modest target of 132 with ease, securing a seven-wicket win with 175 balls to spare. England collapsed to 131 all out in just 24.3 overs, a telling indictment of their shambolic preparations. A Preparation Gone Wrong England’s build-up to the match was far from ideal. Most of their squad only managed patchy training in the days leading up to the game, thanks to fatigue and the recent conclusion of the Hundred tournament—some players had featured as recently as 48 hours before the ODI. The result? A lackadaisical performance from a side that looked unprepared and out of sync. Markram Runs Riot South African skipper Aiden Markram was the standout performer with a scintillating unbeaten 86 off 55 balls, dismantling the inexperienced England attack, particularly targeting deb...