Phil Salt and England smash T20 records at South Africa's expense

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MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Phil Salt's fastest and highest Twenty20 hundred for England launched the third biggest ever men's total and a smashing 146-run win over South Africa on Friday.

Salt's 141 not out and Jos Buttler's 83 propped up England's 304-2, which included 18 sixes and 30 boundaries.

South Africa followed with resolve but was 64-3 after the powerplay and lost captain Aiden Markram for a team-high 41 off 20 in the eighth over when the result became inevitable. The Proteas were all out for 158 in the 17th over.

It was their heaviest T20 loss by runs and England's biggest win by runs.

“That was really good fun,” Salt told broadcaster Sky Sports. “A personal milestone but the fact we got 300 and won by such a big margin, I can't have asked for much more.”

The three-match series goes to a tiebreaker on Sunday in Nottingham.

“With the batting lineup we have got there are not many heights we can't reach,” England captain Harry Brook said. “Every must-win game we have now leading to the T20 World Cup (in February) is awesome preparation for us.”

The Proteas chose to bowl first in hope of using the moisture in the air, but all they caught was lightning from openers Salt and Buttler at their club ground, Old Trafford.

Salt clobbered the game's first three deliveries to the boundary off Marco Jansen but was soon overtaken by Buttler.

A fourth consecutive boundary brought up Buttler's 50 in 18 balls, the third fastest half-century for England.

He and Salt crashed 100 in the powerplay with a ball to spare, only the third time that's been done in a men's T20.

Buttler was on 83 from 30 balls and had Liam Livingstone's fastest England T20 century in 40 balls in his grasp. Then he hit straight to the fielder at deep square leg at 126-1 in the eighth over and Old Trafford rose to applaud.

Salt reached his 50 in 19 balls, one more ball than Buttler.

But Salt broke Livingstone's fastest record by one in 39 balls and the crowd was back on its feet. The century was Salt's fourth for England. No other Englishman has more than one, and only Glenn Maxwell and Rohit Sharma (five each) have more T20 hundreds.

Salt's hundred came in a 23-run over bowled by Kagiso Rabada, who overstepped twice and bowled wide twice.

Salt passed his and England’s highest T20 score of 119 from December 2023, and survived being out caught on 126 because Kwena Maphaka stepped on the rope at long-on, giving up Salt's sixth six.

England arrived at the last over needing 16 runs to break 300 and ultimately got there thanks to another no ball by Rabada. His 70 runs conceded were the most by a South African in men's T20s.

The only higher totals were Zimbabwe's 344-4 against Gambia in 2024 and Nepal's 314-3 versus Mongolia in 2023. England eclipsed the best total by an ICC full member, India's 297-6 versus Bangladesh in 2024.

Salt finished unbeaten on 141 from 60 balls, with eight sixes and 15 boundaries. Brook was with him on 41 off 21.

The bowlers then feasted on the pressure on South Africa and Jofra Archer took 3-25, Sam Curran 2-11, and Will Jacks two at the death.

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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket