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Phil Salt scored England’s fastest T20I hundred and highest score as England crushed South Africa by 146 runs at Old Trafford.
Star opener Phil Salt achieved the highest score and the fastest hundred by an England batter in a T20I as the hosts thrashed South Africa by 146 runs, levelling their three-match series at 1-1 during a record-breaking evening at Old Trafford on Friday.
Opening batsman Salt’s remarkable 141 not out was the cornerstone of England’s massive 304-2.
This marked the first time in a T20 international between two Test-playing nations that a side had reached 300, with India previously coming closest by scoring 297-6 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad in 2024.
Faced with a colossal target, South Africa lost early wickets and were dismissed for 158 in under 17 overs, with skipper Aiden Markram’s 41 being their top score.
An elated Salt told Sky Sports: “That was really good fun. A personal milestone, but the fact that we got 300 and won by such a big margin, I can’t have asked for much more.”
Only Zimbabwe, with 344 against the Gambia last October and Nepal, who amassed 314 against Mongolia two years ago, have scored more at this level.
Jofra Archer took 3-25 in three overs after not featuring in the Proteas’ series-opening win in a rain-shortened match in Cardiff on Wednesday.
Salt’s 119, the previous England record at this level, was at the heart of his country’s highest T20 total of 267-3 against the West Indies in Trinidad in December 2023.
The 29-year-old, who was out for a golden duck in Cardiff, turned the tables in style with a remarkable 60-ball innings featuring 15 fours and eight sixes on his Lancashire home ground.
His fourth T20 hundred, no other England batsman has more than one, came off 39 deliveries.
It was also the quickest century in any format by an England batsman, surpassing Liam Livingstone’s 42-ball effort in a T20 against Pakistan at Trent Bridge in 2021.
Salt shared a blistering opening partnership of 126 in just 7.5 overs with county colleague Jos Buttler (83) after England were sent in to bat. England captain Harry Brook chipped in with an unbeaten 41.
“Pretty lost for words,” said Brook. “The way those two (Salt and Buttler) started was just phenomenal. I and Jos were standing out there and said we never thought anyone would get 300.”
Markram admitted things had gone against South Africa even before the first ball, saying: “Probably started getting it wrong from the toss, so that one’s on me. Two masterclasses up front from them and when you’re put under that amount of pressure, it’s tough to come back.”
The aggressive Salt struck fours off the first three balls of the match against Marco Jansen, before ending the over by lofting Jansen straight back over his head for six.
Former England skipper Buttler was on course for a stunningly quick century when his 83, off just 30 balls, including eight fours and seven sixes, ended when he holed out off Bjorn Fortuin.
Recalled spinner Fortuin, who also dismissed Jacob Bethell, was the lone successful South African bowler with 2-52 in four overs.
Salt’s two off a free hit against pacer Kagiso Rabada took him to a 39-ball hundred, including 13 boundaries and five sixes.
The fastest century in a T20 featuring two Test-playing nations is David Miller’s 35-ball innings for South Africa against Bangladesh at Potchefstroom in 2017.
Rabada, one of the outstanding bowlers of his generation, conceded 70 runs in four wicketless overs on Friday.
This series concludes at Trent Bridge on Sunday.
(With AFP Inputs)
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