England smash 304-2 at Old Trafford before bowling out South Africa for 158 in brutal rout

England tore into cricket’s record books on Friday night, obliterating South Africa by 146 runs in Manchester with a performance as ruthless as it was historic. For the first time in their history, England’s T20 side broke the 300-run barrier, piling up 304 for two before dismissing the visitors for just 158.

Phil Salt, already the holder of England’s highest T20 score, outdid himself again. His unbeaten 141 not only set a new national record but also left South Africa’s bowlers shredded and demoralised. The opener needed just 39 balls to reach his century, the fastest ever by an Englishman, and continued at full throttle to the end. It was his fourth T20 international hundred — no other England player has more than one.

At the other end, captain Jos Buttler bludgeoned 83 from only 30 deliveries, yet even such fireworks became a footnote in the face of Salt’s savagery. Together the pair added 126 for the opening stand, a partnership that launched England’s innings into the stratosphere and set up the third-highest total in international T20 history, behind only Zimbabwe’s 344 against Gambia and Nepal’s 314 against Mongolia.

South Africa’s decision to bowl first quickly backfired. From the first three deliveries, Salt found the boundary, and the tone was set for a merciless assault. England hammered 30 fours and 18 sixes, striking almost twice as many boundaries as dot balls. Kagiso Rabada leaked no-balls under pressure, while Lizaad Williams endured the harshest punishment as Buttler sent his opening two balls soaring into the stands.

South Africa attempted to fight fire with fire. They raced to 50 within four overs, keeping pace with England’s early charge. But the illusion of competitiveness collapsed almost instantly. Ryan Rickelton fell pulling to midwicket, Lhuan-dre Pretorius followed with a mistimed top edge, and Dewald Brevis succumbed soon after. From matching England’s scoring rate after 21 balls, they unravelled in the space of a few overs. By the end of the powerplay, they were three wickets down and 36 runs adrift, their chase already doomed.

Coach Shukri Conrad could barely hide his frustration. He described the display as “abject” and admitted his bowlers were “bereft of ideas”. Lamenting their failure to vary their lengths, he said: “When there’s an onslaught we need to find different plans … at the end of the day players have got to take a long look at themselves.”

England’s dominance extended beyond Salt and Buttler. Harry Brook added 41 from just 21 deliveries, continuing the carnage in the middle overs. By the time South Africa were bowled out one ball into the 17th over, the result had long been inevitable.

For Salt, the innings represented both personal vindication and a reminder of his destructive potential. With competition for places fierce — Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett were rested for this series — Salt seized his chance emphatically. “I couldn’t turn into Jos Buttler overnight,” he reflected afterwards. “But while I can’t turn into Jos Buttler, I’ve certainly tried to take the best bits.”

The scale of England’s win capped a remarkable week. Only days earlier, they had registered a record margin in one-day internationals against the same opponents. Now, with the T20 series level at 1-1, the teams head to Trent Bridge for Sunday’s decider. For South Africa, there is only room to improve. For England, the question is whether they can soar even higher.