England delivered a jaw-dropping performance at The Ageas Bowl, defeating South Africa by a colossal 342 runs in the third ODI, the largest margin of victory by runs in the history of One Day Internationals. It was a match that witnessed domination with both bat and ball as England etched their name into the record books.
Batting first, England posted a mammoth total of 414/5 in their 50 overs. Joe Root led the charge with his trademark elegance, crafting a well-paced century that kept the scoreboard ticking. Alongside him, young Jacob Bethell stole the spotlight with a blazing ton of his own, sending the South African bowlers on a leather hunt. Their partnership laid the foundation for England's explosive finish, which saw boundaries flowing freely in the death overs.
South Africa, in reply, crumbled under pressure in dramatic fashion. Facing a mountain to climb, they folded for just 72 in 20.5 overs. England’s pace ace Jofra Archer was at his fiery best, claiming 4 wickets for just 18 runs in a spell that broke the back of the Proteas’ top order. Spinner Adil Rashid followed up with 3 for 13, bamboozling the middle and lower order with his variations.
The scale of defeat stunned the cricketing world. A 342-run margin is now the largest in ODI history, surpassing the previous records and firmly establishing England's dominance in white-ball cricket.
