 "England opener Phil Salt celebrates after completing his century in the second T20I against South Africa in Manchester. Reuters")
England roared back in style in the T20I series against South Africa after suffering a 14-run defeat in the rain-hit opening game in Cardiff, outplaying the Proteas in all departments, especially with the bat, to level the series at Manchester’s Old Trafford on Friday.
Phil Salt led the way with a blistering 141 off just 60 deliveries, smashing 15 fours and 8 sixes during his knock that had a strike rate of 235, while former England white-ball captain Jos Buttler struck a 30-ball 83, striking at an even more explosive rate (276.67) and scoring the bulk of runs in the opening partnership that was worth 126 runs in just 7.5 overs.
England captain Harry Brook (41 not out off 21) and rising star Jacob Bethell (26 not out off 14) later chipped in with handy knocks and stitched together an unbroken 83-run stand for the third wicket to ensure the hosts got past the 300-run mark after they were invited to bat.
The Aiden Markram-led visitors were off to a promising start themselves by racing to 50 in just 3.4 overs, thanks mainly to the captain’s 20-ball 41. South Africa, however, found themselves on the back-foot in no time by losing wickets in a heap, with their hopes of a series-leveling victory evaporating by the time they lost their sixth wicket for 116 in the 12th over.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe Proteas were eventually bundled out for 158, with the Englishmen setting up a series decider at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge with a 146-run victory.
All the records broken by the Englishmen at Old Trafford
Here are some key statistical highlights from the record-breaking game in Manchester:
– England’s score of 304 is the highest in T20Is against a Full Member, and only the third instance of a team going past the 300-mark in Twenty20 Internationals. Zimbabwe (344/4 vs Gambia in 2024) and Nepal (314/3 vs Mongolia in 2023) are the only other teams to have achieved this feat.
– Phil Salt’s 141 is now the highest individual T20I score by an England batter, the wicketkeeper-batter surpassing his own record by going past his knock of 119 against West Indies in 2023. As for matches involving Full Member nations, Salt’s knock is the fifth-highest overall.
– The 146-run margin of victory is England’s highest in T20Is, surpassing their 137-run win against West Indies in 2019. It is also South Africa’s biggest defeat in the format in terms of runs, going past the 135-run loss against India in Johannesburg last year.