Salt’s carnage drives England's record-breaking spree
A number of records tumbled during England’s run-fest against South Africa in the second T20I.
England’s clash against South Africa turned into a record-smashing spectacle, where boundaries rained, milestones tumbled and history books were rewritten by the minute.
The hosts powered their way to 304/2, setting the highest total ever by a Full Member nation in Men’s T20Is and also their own best in the shortest format.
This was only the third occasion in Men’s T20Is that a team crossed the 300 mark, with the all-time highest belonging to Zimbabwe, who piled up 344/4 against Gambia in October 2024, followed by Nepal’s 314/3 against Mongolia in September 2023.
Highest Total in Men's T20Is
| Team | Opponent | Score | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zimbabwe | Gambia | 344/4 | 2024 |
| Nepal | Mongolia | 314/3 | 2023 |
| England | South Africa | 304/2 | 2025 |
| India | Bangladesh | 297/6 | 2024 |
| Zimbabwe | Seychelles | 286/5 | 2024 |
Among Full Member teams, England went past India’s 297/6 against Bangladesh in October last year.
Phil Salt and Jos Buttler set the tone with a blistering opening stand, dismantling the South African bowlers right from the start. England stormed to 100 in the Powerplay alone, with the opening pair adding 126 runs in just 47 balls.
Salt went on to produce a career-defining knock, finishing unbeaten on 141 off 60 deliveries, the highest score by an England batter in T20Is and the seventh highest overall in men’s T20Is.
Phil Salt goes down the track and hits a towering six | T20WC 2024
"It's up in the building up there"
His century came in just 39 balls, the fastest ever by an Englishman, surpassing Liam Livingstone’s record against Pakistan in 2021.
The 29-year-old Salt now boasts four T20I centuries, drawing level with Suryakumar Yadav and trailing only Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma, who have five each.
Buttler played his part in the onslaught too, racing to a half-century off just 18 balls, the third-fastest by an England batter in the format.
Chasing such a daunting target, South Africa had no choice but to swing hard from the outset, but their innings folded for 158.
England’s thumping 146-run win was their biggest ever margin of victory in men’s T20Is, eclipsing the 137-run triumph over West Indies in 2019, while it also went down as South Africa’s heaviest defeat in the format.
As a result, England levelled the series 1-1, setting up a decider on Sunday, 14 September in Nottingham.