Jacob Bethell hit the first century of his professional career to set England on the way to the their biggest win in ODI history – crushing South Africa by an astonishing 342 runs at the Utilita Bowl.
Back-to-back defeats at Headingley and Lord’s meant they had already lost the Metro Bank Series but their response was utterly comprehensive, as they condemned the tourists to a merciless thrashing.
Bethell’s 110 – a maiden ton fours years in the making – and an even 100 from Joe Root pushed England to an inflated total of 414 for five as they belatedly relocated their white-ball swagger.
But their subsequent dominance with the ball was even more exaggerated as Jofra Archer turned in a sensational new-ball spell and claimed four for 18.
The edges kept coming from South Africa and the catches kept sticking for England, with the game effectively over at seven for four. They eventually subsided for 72 – ending nine down with injured skipper Temba Bavuma unable to bat.
Archer, serving up a relentlessly threatening burst that saw him hit 93mph, looked like he could have wiped out the entire team but had to settle for Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Matthew Breetzke and Tristan Stubbs.
Brydon Carse added two and Adil Rashid took the last three wickets for 13 to complete the rout.
The glaring scale of the result will go some way to rebalancing the morale heading into next week’s T20 series but the one-sided nature of the contest should not take away any importance from Bethell’s personal triumph.
The 21-year-old has been a fixture of England squads across all formats for the past year and is set to become the country’s youngest captain when he takes the T20 reins in Ireland later this month. But until Sunday afternoon he had never raised his bat for three figures in any competitive cricket.
He finally ended that wait in Southampton, taking just 76 balls to do so and becoming his country’s second-youngest one-day centurion after David Gower in 1978.
Bethell told Sky Sports before play that the much-criticised decision to have him train with England’s Test squad all summer rather than turning out for Warwickshire may have been a mistake – admitting, “I should probably have played a bit more” – but he was in outstanding touch soon after.
Sent in again at number four he was dropped once on 44, Nandre Burger with a costly fumble at mid-on, but his timing and intent were mostly impeccable as he nailed 13 fours and three sixes.
There was no suggestion of nerves as he closed in, marching through the 90s in just four deliveries.
He reached the landmark with a perfectly-placed drive through extra-cover, a hallmark of his innings alongside his steepling straight sixes against spin and raised his arms aloft towards the balcony.
He was finally stumped on the charge against Keshav Maharaj, ending his partnership with Root at 182.
While Bethell is a newcomer to international hundreds, no Englishman can come close to Root’s collection of 58.
Opener Jamie Smith and Jos Buttler both hit 62, the latter unbeaten in an entertaining late flurry comprising just 32 balls, but South Africa were about to make batting look virtually impossible.
Archer was getting the ball to kick nastily on an awkward line and provided three catches for Buttler in as many overs – Markram off the second ball of the innings, with Rickleton and Breetzke close behind.
Stubbs offered minor variation, fending to Will Jacks at slip rather than straight to the wicketkeeper, but Archer’s dominance continued.
Carse nipped out Wiaan Mulder for a duck and Dewald Brevis for six, the top six gone in its entirety within 10 overs.
Rashid needed less than four of his own to sweep away the lower order, bamboozling Maharaj, Codi Yusuf and Corbin Bosch to wrap the walkover in 20.5 overs.
