By Prakash Nair 
Manchester, September 13: For all the fireworks modern T20 cricket has delivered, few nights have looked like this. Phil Salt walked off Old Trafford unbeaten on 141 from just 60 balls, having carved South Africa apart with a mix of raw power and clean timing. By the time the scoreboard stopped ticking, England had piled up 304 for 2 their highest score in T20 internationals and one of the most imposing totals the format has ever seen.
South Africa, staring at a mountain from the outset, folded for 158 in under 17 overs, handing England a thumping 146-run win. The series, now locked at 1-1, heads into a decider at Nottingham with all the momentum squarely in the hosts’ corner.
A Start That Shook the Ground
The carnage began almost immediately. Jos Buttler, striking the ball as if every delivery was a personal challenge, smashed 83 from 30 balls. He and Salt put on 177 for the first wicket, and by the end of the powerplay England had a scarcely believable 100 without loss.
Even South African fans in the stands seemed stunned. Every over was hemorrhaging runs. By the halfway mark England were 166 for 1, numbers that felt more like the end of an innings than its midpoint.
Salt’s Night To Remember
Where Buttler provided the blast, Salt sustained the storm. His century came in 39 balls, the fastest ever by an Englishman in T20 internationals. Yet it wasn’t just speed; there was authority in every shot. Pulls sailed over midwicket, cuts sped past point, and anything full was dispatched straight.
When he raised his bat after crossing 140, Old Trafford gave him the kind of ovation reserved for innings that fans know they’ll talk about years later.
South Africa Out Of Answers
Once England set 305, South Africa needed the innings of their lives. Instead, they crumbled. Aiden Markram’s men lost wickets early, chased the rate desperately, and ended up bowled out with more than three overs left.
Their bowling had looked thin from the first over of the night, and by the end of the chase, their batting seemed just as brittle. Markram admitted as much afterwards, saying his side “didn’t adapt quickly enough” to the assault.
What It Means
For England, this wasn’t just a win it was a statement. They’ve shown before they can bat deep and bat hard, but 304 for 2 against a top side is a fresh marker. Salt’s rise into one of England’s most destructive white-ball players feels sealed now, and Buttler’s form is a timely boost before the World Cup cycle intensifies.
For South Africa, the defeat will sting more than most. They were out-thought and out-hit in every department. The challenge before the third T20 at Nottingham is not only tactical but psychological. How do you recover from being on the receiving end of one of the heaviest defeats in modern T20 cricket?
England, for their part, will wake up knowing they’ve just rewritten their own record books. And in the process, they’ve reminded the cricketing world that when everything clicks, few teams can touch them in this format.
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- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
- Prakash Nairhttps://hindustanherald.in/author/prakash/
