England crushed South Africa by 342 runs in the last ODI of the three-match series in Southampton on Sunday, registering the biggest win marging in men’s ODI cricket history. Jacob Bethell and Joe Root scored terrific hundreds, taking England to a daunting total of 414-5 in 50 overs.
Winning the toss, South Africa opted to field first. Root and Bethell stitched together a partnership of 182 runs off 144 balls that laid the foundation for a huge score after a brisk start by opener Jamie Smith (62). Bethell went on to notch his maiden ODI ton with the help of 13 fours and three sixes, and ended up with 110 off 82 balls at a strike rate of 134.15. Root brought up his 19th ODI hundred in 95 balls but got out on the next ball. His innings included six fours at a strike rate of 104.17. Jos Buttler played a blistering hand, scoring 62 not-out off 32 deliveries to help England finish at 414-5.
Chasing a mammoth target, South African innings never settled as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Jofra Archer was lethal, taking four wickets of the top five batters, finishing with 4/18 in his nine overs at an economy rate of 2.00. Adil Rashid also got 3/13 in his 3.5 overs at an economy rate of 3.40. Archer was adjudged the player of the match while Keshav Maharaj was named the player of the series. Despite the heavy defeat, South Africa won the series 2-1.
Biggest victory margins in men’s ODIs –
342 runs – ENG vs SA, Southampton, 2025
317 runs – IND vs SL, Thiruvananthapuram, 2023
309 runs – AUS vs NED, Delhi, 2023
304 runs – ZIM vs USA, Harare, 2023
302 runs – IND vs SL, Mumbai WS, 2023
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