Record-breaking England hammer South Africa in 2nd T20I: Key stats
What's the story
A record-breaking England tamed South Africa in the 2nd T20I of the three-match series at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester. The hosts scored 304/2 in 20 overs, becoming the third team to smash 300-plus total in T20Is. Phil Salt hammered an unbeaten 141 with Jos Buttler hitting 83. This was after South Africa captain Aiden Markram won the toss and opted to bowl first. In response, South African openers added 50 runs before regular wickets hurt their cause. England won by 146 runs to level the series 1-1.
Carnage
England openers post 100 runs in the powerplay
Salt started the carnage, hammering 18 runs off the 1st over bowled by Marco Jansen. Buttler, who scored 7 runs in the 2nd over, smashed Lizaad Williams for two sixes in the 3rd. He ripped apart Bjorn Fortuin next before taming Kagiso Rabada to bring up his fifty from 18 balls. Buttler continued to attack as England finished the powerplay at 100/0. The two continued to score quick runs before Buttler perished for a 30-ball 83 with England 126/1.
Information
England make their record PP score
England's 100/0 after the first six overs are their highest score in the powerplay overs. Before this, their previous highest PP score was 89/3 versus South Africa in 2016, as per ESPNcricinfo.
Buttler
Buttler enters record books with 3rd-fastest fifty for England
Buttler recorded the 3rd-fastest fifty for England in T20Is (by balls). Batters with the fastest T20I fifties for England (by balls): 16 Moeen Ali vs SA Bristol 2022 17 Liam Livingstone vs PAK Nottingham 2021 18 Jos Buttler vs SA Manchester 2025 19 Phil Salt vs PAK Lahore 2022 19 Phil Salt vs SA Manchester 2025
Stats
28th fifty for Buttler in T20Is
Buttler's 83 from 30 balls was laced with 8 fours and 7 sixes. He struck at 260.53. Playing his 139th T20I, Buttler has raced to 3,808 runs at 36.26. This was his 28th fifty (100s: 1). Notably, he now owns 170 sixes in T20Is. Versus South Africa, he has 606 runs from 23 matches at 33.66. This was his 4th fifty versus SA.
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97th T20 fifty for Buttler
As per ESPNcricinfo, Buttler has raced to 13,446 runs in T20s at 35.85 from 468 matches (442 innings). This was his 97th T20 fifty. He also has 8 tons. The swashbuckling batter now owns 580 sixes in T20s.
Information
Highest 1st-wicket stand for England vs SA in T20Is
Buttler and Salt's 126-run stand is now the highest for the 1st wicket in T20Is versus SA. This was also their maiden century-plus stand for the 1st wicket against SA. Meanwhile, this was England's 5th century-plus stand (any wicket) versus SA.
Salt
39-ball hundred for Salt as he breaks Livingstone's record
Salt completed his fifty from 19 balls after Buttler's dismissal. He continued to attack the Proteas bowlers with some brilliant shot-making. Alongside Jacob Bethell, England pushed for quick runs. Bethell hit 26 runs from 14 balls. In the 13th over, Salt got to his hundred. He became the fastest centurion for England (39 balls), surpassing Liam Livingstone's 42-ball effort against Pakistan in Nottingham in 2021.
Details
Salt scores 141*, helps England post 304/2
After Bethell departed in the 15th over with England being 221/2, Harry Brook joined Salt. Both players kept toying with the Proteas bowlers and helped England post their maiden score of 300-plus in T20Is. England became the 3rd team in T20I history with a score of 300-plus. Salt ended with a score of 141*. Brook scored an unbeaten 41. The two added 83* runs.
Salt
Salt makes these records with his 4th century in T20Is
Salt equaled India's Suryakumar Yadav in terms of centuries in T20Is (4). Only Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell have more tons (5 each). Salt is now the first England batter to hammer a T20I century versus the Proteas. Dawid Malan's 99* in Cape Town, 2020, was the highest score before this. Salt also recorded the highest individual T20I score for England. He went past his own score of 119 versus West Indies in Tarouba, 2023.
Salt T20 stats
Decoding Salt's crunch T20 stats
Salt's unbeaten 141 came from 60 balls. He smashed 15 fours and 8 sixes. He struck at 235. In 45 matches, Salt now owns 1,334 runs at 37.05. His strike rate is 169.50. Apart from 4 T20I tons, he owns 5 fifties. Versus South Africa, Salt has 152 runs from three matches at 76. Salt clocked his 53rd fifty-plus score in T20s. Apart from 4 tons, he also owns 49 fifties from 307 matches (298 innings). Salt has raced to 7,674 runs in T20s at 27.90. He owns 323 sixes.
England
England become 3rd team with 300-plus score in Men's T20Is
As mentioned, England are the 3rd team in Men's T20I history to score 300-plus runs. Zimbabwe's 344/4 is the highest total in Men's T20Is. They did so against Gambia in Nairobi, 2024. The 2nd-highest total belongs to Nepal, who scored 314/3 versus Mongolia in Hangzhou, 2023. England's 304/2 is third on this list. England also recorded the first 300-plus score against a Full Member team in T20Is. They broke India's scored of 297/6 versis Bangladesh in 2024.
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England post these team records
England posted the second-quickest team 100 against a Full member side (5.5 overs). England recorded their highest score in the powerplay (100/0). They also recorded the highest total after first 10 overs in a T20I, breaking Australia's 156/3 vs Scotland.
SA
SA bowlers have an off day
4 South African bowlers conceded 50-plus runs against England. Marco Jansen went wicketless in his 4 overs (0/60). Kagiso Rabada was abysmal, he gave away 70 runs from his 4 overs. Rabada bowled 4 no balls and 2 wides. Bjorn Fortuin was the only wicket-taker, picking 2/52 from his 4 overs. Kwena Maphaka clocked 0/41 from his 4 overs whereas Markram managed 0/19 from 1 over.
Chase
SA perish for 158 as Archer takes three-fer
SA openers Markram and Ryan Rickelton added 50 runs. Rickelton scored 20 runs off 10 balls before being dismissed. Thereafter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis were dismissed cheaply with SA being at 58/3. Markram, who was looking to be positive, ended with a score of 41 from 20 balls. SA kept losing wickets at regular intervals as England kept things under control. Jofra Archer was superb for England as he claimed a three-fer (3/25 from 3 overs).