Manchester, Sep 13: Phil Salt’s fastest and highest Twenty20 hundred for England launched the third biggest ever men’s total and a smashing 146-run win over South Africa on Friday.
Salt’s 141 not out and Jos Buttler’s 83 propped up England’s 304-2, which included 18 sixes and 30 boundaries.
South Africa followed with resolve but was 64-3 after the powerplay and lost captain Aiden Markram for a team-high 41 off 20 in the eighth over when the result became inevitable. The Proteas were all out for 158 in the 17th over.
It was their heaviest T20 loss by runs and England’s biggest win by runs.
The three-match series goes to a tiebreaker on Sunday in Nottingham.
The Proteas chose to bowl first in hope of using the moisture in the air, but all they caught was lightning from openers Salt and Buttler at their club ground, Old Trafford.
The only higher totals were Zimbabwe’s 344-4 against Gambia in 2024 and Nepal’s 314-3 versus Mongolia in 2023. England eclipsed the best total by an ICC full member, India’s 297-6 versus Bangladesh in 2024. (AP)
