Third One-Day International between England and South Africa concludes with a record-breaking triumph for the hosts, thanks to standout performances by Jofra Archer and Jacob Bethell.
In a spectacular display of cricket, England secured a record-breaking victory over South Africa in the final ODI match of their series. The win, by a margin of 342 runs, surpassed India's 317-run victory against Sri Lanka in 2023, making it the biggest by run margin in the history of One Day International (ODI) cricket.
The English team's performance was spearheaded by the young talent, Jacob Bethell, who at 21 years and 319 days old, became the third-youngest player to score a ton for England in an ODI. Bethell's impressive maiden century significantly contributed to England's total of 414 runs.
Jacob Bethell and Joe Root produced a third-wicket stand of 182 runs before Root was dismissed with a score of 100. Root's dismissal marked the end of a 182-run partnership, but it was not enough to disrupt England's momentum.
Jos Buttler and Will Jacks helped England reach a total of 414-5, with Buttler scoring 62 runs and Jacks contributing 19. Despite a few hiccups, such as Harry Brook being run out for the second time in the series, the English batting lineup held strong.
In the South African innings, Jofra Archer took four wickets, dismissing Markram, Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, and contributing to the dismissal of Dewald Brevis. Archer's performance was supported by Adil Rashid, who took 3 wickets with figures of 3-13, helping to mop up the Proteas tail end.
Ben Duckett scored 31 runs before being dismissed, while Jamie Smith scored 62 runs before his dismissal as well. However, the South African batting lineup struggled to keep up with England's formidable total, eventually being bowled out for 72 runs.
With this victory, England now have the joint second-most 400-plus totals in ODIs (seven), alongside India. Only South Africa (eight) have more. The series win also saw Brydon Carse involved in the dismissal of Dewald Brevis, adding to the English team's successful outing.
