ISLAMABAD: England capped their ODI series against South Africa with a historic statement, recording a 372-run victory, the largest margin of victory in ODI history, in the third and final match held on Sunday in Southampton.

Though South Africa had already clinched the series 2-0, England delivered a dominant performance that ensured a memorable finish. They shattered the previous ODI record held by India (317-run win over Sri Lanka in 2023).

Bethell and Root hit centuries

England posted a colossal 414 for 5 in their 50 overs after being sent in to bat. Jacob Bethell led the assault with a blistering 110 off 82 balls, while Joe Root added a stylish 100 off 96. Jamie Smith and Jos Buttler also provided crucial support with 62 runs each, dismantling the South African attack.

For South Africa, Corbin Bosch and Keshav Maharaj grabbed two wickets apiece. But a lackluster fielding performance, including two dropped catches and 18 wides, crippled their efforts.

South Africa collapse for 72

In reply, South Africa slumped to just 72 runs, their second-lowest ODI total ever. Jofra Archer spearheaded the carnage, scalping 4 for 18, including three wickets in his first over. Adil Rashid (3 for 13) and Brydon Carse (2 for 33) were equally lethal, as South Africa staggered to four wickets for just eight runs.

'Embarrassing' performance

South Africa’s head coach, Shukri Conrad, didn’t sugarcoat the defeat, labeling it “embarrassing.”

“Any excuse is better than none. We were definitely off today. Against a top side like England, when you're not on top of your game, you get exposed,” he said, recalling a similar collapse against Australia earlier this season.

'Doesn’t do us justice'

Captain Temba Bavuma echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the result didn't reflect their recent success.

“This doesn’t do us justice,” Bavuma said. “We’ve beaten both Australia and England in series over the past month. We need to maintain our standards no matter the series context.”

Still, South Africa can take solace in having won their first ODI series in England since 1998, a confident seven-wicket victory in the opener followed by a five-run thriller in the second match.

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England crush South Africa by record margin in ODI series finale