England Smash World Record With Historic 304 Against South Africa In 2nd T20I
England created T20I history by scoring 304 against South Africa in the 2nd T20I, becoming the first full-member nation to cross 300 runs. Phil Salt starred with 141* as England won by 146 runs, leveling the series 1-1.
Phil Salt celebrates his unbeaten 141 as England sets a record 304 against South Africa in the 2nd T20I in Manchester.
England made T20I history with a record-breaking display against South Africa in the second T20I of the three-match series on Friday. Phil Salt grabbed the limelight with an unbeaten 141 off 60 balls that propelled the hosts to a gargantuan 304/2, becoming the very first full-member country to breach the 300-run barrier in T20 internationals.
South Africa could never find a footing while chasing this huge target and fell for 158, giving England an emphatic margin of 146 runs to level the series at 1-1.
Record-breaking run chase by England
India held the previous mark for the highest T20I score by a full-member side, having scored 297 against Bangladesh in 2024. Zimbabwe have the highest at the global level (344 vs Gambia) and Nepal follows next with 314 against Mongolia, but both were against ICC associate nations. It's England's run chase that is the first of its kind at the highest level.
The Harry Brook side was forced to play fearless cricket, reaching 150 runs in only 9 overs and already beating 200 in 12.1 overs. By 16 overs, England were already beyond 250, with South Africa literally being dismayed.
Salt, Buttler headline batting carnage
Salt, who shared just the classic of a 235 strike rate, crossed over to England's elite T20 performers with 15 fours and 8 sixes that formed a perfect test for any bowler in the world. Their opening stand of 126 runs in 7.5 overs only fomented momentum; Buttler went on to score a searing 83 off 30 balls, with cameos from Jacob Bethell (26 off 14) and Harry Brook (41* off 21) pushing England beyond the historic mark.
Nottingham to see the decider.
The series will now move to Trent Bridge, Nottingham, where the third and last T20I game will be played on Sunday, the 14th of September. With the series team at 1-1, both teams will be looking to win the decider. South Africa, having earlier won the ODI series 2-1, will look to find some sort of turnaround here, while England will aim to continue appearing explosively on momentum.
