With the help of Jofra Archer’s haul of 4 wickets for just 18 runs,and centuries from Joe Root and Jacob Bethell, team England sealed a historic win by 342 runs against team South Africa.
Here is a highlighted breakdown of key moments
Toss
Team
South Africa won the toss and elected to field first.
First Innings
Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett opened up the innings on team England. After gaining some momentum, Duckett played the 1st delivery of the 3rd over for a four. Smith followed it up with 2 back-to-back fours on the 5th delivery of the same over. Duckett, played the very next delivery of the next over for four more runs. He played the 5th delivery of the same over for another 4. Smith followed that up with 2 more boundaries of four runs from the next two consecutive overs. Duckett kept on smashing the balls for more boundaries and secured 2 more boundaries from the 7th over.
Duckett’s Departure
On the 3rd delivery of the 8th over, Duckett tried to pull a short length delivery, but was caught by Markram at mid-wicket. Ben Duckett{c Markram and b COrbin Bosch} played and impressive innings of 31 runs facing off 33 deliveries. With the help of a four scored by Root, team England was standing at 67 runs with the loss f 1 wicket.
100 up for England and Fifty for Jamie Smith
Jamie Smith kept on scoring from the other end. He played the 4th delivery of the 12th over for four runs. He followed that up with 2 back-to-back boundaries, a Six and a four, in the very next over. With 2 runs on the last ball of the 14th over, he completed the milestone of his fifty runs. At this stage, team England managed to bring 102 runs on the board.
Jamie Smith’s Wicket
However, in the 17th over, the ball edged and went towards the long-on, where Corbin Bosch took the catch without making any mistake. Jamie Smith{c Corbin Bosch and b Maharaj} played an innings of 62 runs facing off just 48 deliveries.
Jacob Bethell’s Entry
After Jamie Smith’s departure, Jacob Bethell joined Joe Root on the crease. He played the 4th delivery of the 18th over for four runs. He followed that up with a Six in the very next over. He smashed the 1st delivery of the 21st over for another four runs. He kept on scoring boundaries, and secured 3 more boundaries of four runs from the next three consecutive overs.
200 up for England and Jacob Bethell’s Fifty
With a single on the last ball of the 30th over, team England completed the milestone of 200 runs. On the very next delivery, Jacob Bethell took a single to complete his fifty. He followed that up with a Six on the 3rd delivery of the same over.
Root’s Fifty
On the fourth delivery of the 32nd over, Joe Root also achieved the milestone of fifty runs with the help of a single. He closed the over with four more runs. Jacob Bethell kept on striking and smashed the the ball for four more runs on the fifth delivery of the 34th over. He followed that up with a Six in the 35th over.
First ODI Century of Jacob Bethell
Jacob Bethell kept on securing runs in the form of boundaries. He secured a boundary of four runs from the 38th over. He followed that up by securing 2 more boundaries from the 39th over. In the 40th over, with the help of a four, he achieved the milestone of his first ODI hundred. At the end of teh 40th over, team England was standing at 299 runs.
Bethell’s Departure
On the second delivery of the 41st over, Bethell came out of his crease but failed to connect with the ball, and got stumped. He{ st Rickelton and b Maharaj} played an incredible innings of 110 runs with the help of 13 fours and 3 sixes facing off 82 deliveries.
Another wicket and More Boundaries
On the 4th delivery of the same over, Brook who came onto the crease just a few deliveries ago, unfortunately got run out. He scored 3 runs on 2 balls. In the very next over, Root played the ball for four runs. Buttler also joined the party and smashed two back-to back fours on two consective deliveries of the same over. He secured another four on the last delivery of the 44th over. He followed that up with two consecutive boundaries in the form of a four and a six from the 45th over.
Root’s Century and Departure
On the 4th delivery of the 45th over, Root took a single and achieved the benchmark of 100 runs. This was his 19th ODI century. However, in the next over, Root was caught out by Kwena Maphaka. He contributed 100 runs for his team facing off 96 deliveries.
Will Jack’s Boundaries and Buttler’s Fifty
On the second last delivery of the 48th over, the ball got top edge from the Will Jack’s bat and went away for four runs. He managed to play the very next and last delivery of the same over for a six. Buttler followed that up with a four on the fourth delivery of the very next over. On next delivery, he took 2 runs and completed his fifty. In last over, Will Jacks played the very first delivery for a four. Buttler also joined him and played the 3rd delivery for four more runs. He followed that up with two consecutive fours on the last two deliveries of the last over.
Target
As a result, team England set a massive target of 414 runs for team South Africa.
South Africa’s Batting
Loss of First 2 wickets
In the chase of 414 runs, team South Africa lost their first wicket of teh 2nd deliver of their innings in the form of Markram. In the very next over, unfortunately, they lost their 2nd wicket in the form of Mulder. Both the players were caught out.
Loss of 2 more wickets
In the 3rd over, team South Africa lost their 3rd crucial wicket in the form of Rickelton was was caught by Buttler.
Match Summary: England vs South Africa – 3rd ODI (7 September 2025)
England triumphed over South Africa by an unprecedented 342 runs—setting a new benchmark in ODI cricket history. The hosts posted a mammoth total of 414/5 bolstered by centuries from Joe Root and Jacob Bethell, with support from Jos Buttler and Jamie Smith. In response, South Africa were bundled out for just 72, with Jofra Archer (4-18) and Adil Rashid (3-13) leading the charge.
Although South Africa secured the series by winning the first two matches, England’s emphatic final performance turned heads—something coach Brendon McCullum hailed as a potential blueprint for future ODIs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this win so significant?
England’s 342-run margin is the largest in men’s One Day International history, eclipsing the previous record of 317 runs held by India. The result underlines England’s explosive potential—even after losing the series.
Who were the standout performers?
Jacob Bethell scored his first professional century and became England’s second-youngest ODI centurion. Joe Root also reached triple figures, while Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid ripped through South Africa’s batting lineup.
Did England win the series?
No—South Africa secured the ODI series 2–1 with victories in the first two matches. However, England salvaged pride with this record-breaking display.
What’s next in the tour?
The teams will shift to a three-match T20I series, beginning in Cardiff on 10 September 2025 :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}.