England pulled off a stunning comeback to level their three-match T20I series against South Africa with a massive 146-run victory in Manchester. The hosts smashed a record-breaking 304/2 in just 20 overs before bowling out the Proteas for a paltry 158 in 16.1 overs. This thrilling win sets up an exciting decider in Nottingham on Sunday, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
The hero of the match was opener Phil Salt, who lit up the innings with an unbeaten 141 off 60 balls. Salt’s explosive century came in a blistering 39 balls, making it the fastest by an England batter in T20Is. He smashed 15 fours and 8 sixes, reaching his fourth T20I hundred in just 42 innings—faster than India’s Suryakumar Yadav, who took 57 innings for the same feat. Only Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma lead with five T20I centuries each.
This knock also became the highest score by an England batter in T20Is, topping Salt’s own previous best of 119 against West Indies. England fans are buzzing about Salt’s rise as one of the format’s top stars.
England’s batting fireworks shattered multiple records. Their 304/2 is now the highest total in T20I history for a Test-playing nation, and the third-highest ever, behind Zimbabwe’s 344/4 against Gambia in 2024 and Nepal’s 314/3 against Mongolia in 2023. It beat their own previous high of 267/3 against West Indies in 2023 and became only the second time a full-member team crossed 300 runs.
The innings exploded from the first ball. England raced to 50 in 3.2 overs—their fastest ever when batting first—and hit 100 in 5.5 overs, the second-quickest against a full-member side. By the 10-over mark, they were on 166/1, the highest halfway score in T20I history. They crossed 200 in 12.1 overs, the fastest ever, and finished with 30 fours and 18 sixes for a total of 48 boundaries.
Captain Jos Buttler joined the party with a rapid 50 off 18 balls—England’s third-fastest fifty. The duo’s opening partnership of 126 runs came off just 47 balls at a run rate of 16.06, the highest for any 100-plus stand by a full-member team. It’s their fourth century partnership in 17 innings together, matching the record held by Pakistan’s Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
South Africa faced an impossible chase of 305 and crumbled under pressure. Aiden Markram top-scored with 41, but the Proteas lost by 146 runs—their biggest defeat in T20Is, worse than their 135-run loss to India earlier this year. For England, it was a record margin, beating their 137-run win over West Indies in 2019. Jofra Archer starred with the ball, taking 3/25, while South Africa’s Bjorn Fortuin grabbed 2/52 as the only wicket-taker.
With the T20I series locked at 1-1, all eyes turn to the final match in Nottingham. Cricket lovers can’t wait to see if England can seal the series or if South Africa bounces back.
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