ENG vs SA 1st ODI: Maharaj’s spell and Markram’s 86 flatten England at Headingley

England were bundled out for 131 at Headingley—their lowest ODI total at the ground in nearly half a century—and South Africa chased it in a canter to win by seven wickets and go 1-0 up in the three-match series. A relentless spell from Keshav Maharaj wrecked England’s middle order, before Aiden Markram’s blistering 86 off 55 balls reduced the chase to batting practice. For South Africa, it was clinical. For England, it was a reality check.

The script was set at the toss. South Africa bowled first and were immediately on the money, attacking the stumps, taking pace off, and stacking dot balls. England never settled. Apart from a composed 54 by Jamie Smith, partnerships were fleeting, momentum was absent, and wickets kept arriving on cue. Maharaj’s control through the middle overs turned pressure into panic, and panic into a collapse. By the time the tail appeared, the innings felt done.

Maharaj dismantles England at Headingley

On a surface that looked fair but demanded patience, South Africa’s bowlers were disciplined and clever. The seamers hit hard lengths early and made England play more balls than they wanted to, but it was Maharaj who suffocated the innings. His left-arm spin wasn’t about ripping turn; it was about angles, drift, and asking the same awkward question six balls in a row. England didn’t have a good answer.

Jamie Smith’s fifty stood out for its calm. He picked gaps, resisted the temptation to slog, and gave England a sliver of hope. No one else stayed long enough to build around him. Once Maharaj took charge, England’s scoring rate stalled and the wickets that followed felt inevitable. Every new batter faced the same pressure: few singles on offer, fielders in the right places, and bowlers refusing freebies.

The numbers tell the story. England were all out for 131—miles short of par in modern ODI cricket and a mark that underlined just how completely the visiting attack owned the day. Maharaj was named Player of the Match for turning the screws at exactly the right time, clipping England’s middle order and emptying the innings of any rhythm.

• England 131 all out: Jamie Smith 54 the lone bright spot
• South Africa 137/3 in 20.5 overs
• Aiden Markram 86 (55), 13 fours, 2 sixes
• Ryan Rickelton 31* (59) anchored the chase
• Adil Rashid 3/26 in 3.5 overs offered late resistance
• Jofra Archer 0/8 in 5 overs, miserly but wicketless
• Sonny Baker 0/76 in 7 overs, South Africa’s batters targeted him

England will worry about the pattern: early wickets, a jammed middle overs phase, and then a collapse under pressure. The lack of strike rotation stood out every bit as much as the lack of boundaries. When singles dry up, dot-ball pressure makes even average deliveries look like wicket balls, and that’s exactly where Maharaj thrived. South Africa’s fielding backed it up—clean, sharp, and unsparing.

Markram turns the chase into a sprint

Chasing 132, South Africa didn’t hang around. Markram batted like a man who’d seen enough of the surface during England’s struggles and decided to play his shots before any demons could appear. He drove on the rise, threaded the off side, and punished anything dragging onto his pads. The result: England’s bowlers were pushed off their plans within minutes.

At the other end, Rickelton played the quiet partner. His 31 not out off 59 balls didn’t light up the scoreboard, but it made sense. While Markram scorched ahead, he made sure there were no speed bumps. England’s only foothold came through Adil Rashid, who did what he usually does in home conditions: found drift, dipped it under the bat, and created doubt. Rashid’s spell of 3 for 26 in 3.5 overs sparked a brief wobble as a flurry of wickets fell—Markram for 86, Temba Bavuma for 6, and Tristan Stubbs for a first-ball duck.

But there was no real panic. With the game already in the bag, Dewald Brevis walked in and ended it with a statement blow—six off his second ball—leaving Rickelton to shepherd the total to 137/3 in 20.5 overs. It was ruthless cricket: big total not needed, net run rate not a factor, yet South Africa still finished the job like a T20 chase.

England’s bowlers had very different days. Archer was miserly—five probing overs for just eight runs—but lacked support and a breakthrough. Rashid showed his class, manipulating the pace and length to make even a small target feel slippery. Sonny Baker, though, copped the brunt of South Africa’s intent, leaking 76 in seven overs as Markram and company picked him apart square and straight.

What will stick with England is how quickly the game slipped. Once two early wickets fell in their innings, there was no rebuild, no stubborn 60-run stand to change the mood. Under Maharaj’s spell, the gap between dot ball and wicket ball felt frighteningly small. Then, when the chase came, Markram removed the jeopardy in a single burst of strokeplay.

For South Africa, the template is a dream: bowl first, control the middle with spin, chase with pace and clarity. Maharaj’s leadership of the middle overs—as much tactical as technical—sets the tone for the attack, and Markram’s form puts the batting on the front foot from the start. Rickelton’s calm finish only adds to the sense of a unit that knows its roles and sticks to them.

The series picture is simple: South Africa lead 1-0 with momentum squarely theirs. England have problems to solve—starting with how to keep the board ticking against quality spin and how to protect their quicks when the opposition counterpunches early. The hosts need their top order to absorb pressure, not amplify it; they need their middle overs to be a place where partnerships grow, not die.

One game isn’t a season, but this one was loud. South Africa bossed all three facets, England blinked early and never blinked back. Headingley has a reputation for helping quicks; on this day it crowned a spinner, rewarded discipline, and showcased the difference a clear plan can make. The next two matches will test whether England can make this a contest—or whether South Africa have already bent the series to their will.

ENG vs SA 1st ODI was supposed to set the tone. It did—just not the way England hoped.