Yesterday the Proteas thumped the English by 62 runs in the first ODI in Durham in a game that was played in record temperatures.

The heat wave gripping England took a toll on the players and the Proteas batter, Rassie van der Dussen had to leave the field to rehydrate after his career-best inning of 134 runs.

Van der Dussen conceded that while it was hot in Durham, coming off a series in India and being South African, they were better suited to the conditions.

“It was pretty hot. I think it was mid-30s, but for us coming from back home, it wasn't too bad.

“We had just had a tour in India, obviously, which was a lot worse, but it was pretty hot.

“We could see the toll it took on the English players, so fielding first was a good toss to win in that regard. For us, it wasn't too bad.

The world number three added that the size of the field made the going a bit tougher, but once again it is nothing that they aren’t used to.

“I would say it was like Bloemfontein size-wise, and maybe the same temperature with a little bit more wind.

"There wasn't a lot of bounce out there today and you had to play with a straight bat because it was starting to stay low.

"With the wind, it was also difficult to hit sixes on one side, so we pretty much had 25 overs with no sixes possible. We had to accumulate runs rather than bludgeon it. I ran a lot."

Friday’s 2nd ODI at Old Trafford will begin at 14:00.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport