England’s white-ball cricket teams have been in the doldrums for some time and have been so poor that qualification for major tournaments has been in doubt. They still face a bit of an uphill struggle to qualify automatically for the 2027 Cricket World Cup (50 overs), given they are languishing in eighth place in the ICC rankings. Moreover, they have some tricky fixtures ahead and Bangladesh, and especially the West Indies, could well pip them for a guaranteed spot.
They faced South Africa in a three-match ODI series and after two games they had already lost the series. They were battered in the first game and though they performed better in the second fixture, it looks like a case of same old England. However, since then there have been some really encouraging signs that perhaps England are on the right track and could once again compete with the best teams in the world in the shorter formats.
In the third 50-over match, they piled up 414/5 with a first professional hundred from Jacob Bethell and another, definitely not his first, from Joe Root. They routed the tourists for just 72 runs to complete the biggest win in the entire history of ODI cricket. It was a dead rubber, but even so, fans and the team could draw plenty of encouragement from the performance.
Next, Brook and his white-ball side moved on to T20 action with another three-match series against the Proteas. The first clash was something of a farce, with several rain interruptions rendering it largely meaningless, though South Africa did win. However, last time out we got a full match at Old Trafford and England produced another stunning performance.
Records Galore for Aggressive England
Brook is, in some regards, the poster boy of what is often called “Bazball”, though apparently that is not a term liked by the England set-up. Along with Test skipper Ben Stokes, Brook has been a key figure in establishing the new way of playing, Stokes through his leadership and Brook through his fast run scoring and fearless batting.
The white-ball skipper has sought to bring the same approach to his captaincy and of course that aggressive play is even more suited to the limited-overs game. There is still a lot of work for Brook and co to do. Navigating the different approaches needed in the three different formats and altering one’s game accordingly is a tricky tightrope act. However, as we saw in the final ODI, when things come off for England, they do so in style.
We saw that again in the second T20 clash, with Brook’s men romping to a huge win and setting various records along the way. Put in to bat, Phil Salt and Jos Buttler launched a savage attack at the top of the order. The Lancashire colleagues know each other well, and Salt said after the match that he has learnt a lot from Buttler, and also that he aims to go on and become the best opener in the world in this form of cricket.
Salt and Buttler
England, courtesy of Phil Salt’s record-breaking century, produced a spectacular batting display to help thrash South Africa at Old Trafford | @NickHowson #ENGvSA https://t.co/weOKoCGoCY
— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) September 12, 2025
The duo were merciless and launched the South African attack to all corners of Old Trafford on what was clearly an excellent wicket on which to bat. They fell just short of breaking the record for the biggest score in the powerplay. That still belongs to Australia, who blasted 113 against Scotland, although the record between Test-playing nations is a more modest 102. Salt and Buttler managed 100, the third-best ever and the highest for England.
By that stage, they had already broken various records, though. Salt hit the first three balls of the innings for four, en route to registering 18 off the first over. That was a record for an England batter and was even more impressive given Salt had fallen for a golden duck last time out. He resisted any temptation to play it safe though and that fearless approach is just what Brook wants.
Incredibly, from then on Salt played second fiddle to Buttler, as the former skipper annihilated the South African attack, hitting 83 off just 30 balls. He reached his half-century from just 18 balls, including four sixes and six fours. He was eventually caught, but by that stage the score was 126 and fewer than eight overs had been bowled!
England were brilliantly set and had Jacob Bethell up next. He struck 26 from 14 before being caught, which brought Brook himself to the crease. Despite not being at his best, the Yorkshireman managed to score 41 from the 21 balls he faced, but with Salt going great guns at the other end, it was clear England were on for something really special.
Despite the occasional moment of respite – by which we mean a bowler managing a dot, or getting through an over for less than 12 runs – Salt powered to his hundred from just 39 balls. That was a record, besting the previous mark for an England batter of 42 balls (set by Liam Livingstone against Pakistan in 2021). The fastest ever in a T20 international was just 27 balls, but the quickest between Test nations was David Miller’s 35-ball century for South Africa against Bangladesh. Salt now sits joint-fourth on that list.
Making History
Before Salt made it to three figures, he helped England to a record 166/1 after 10 overs. Salt faced just 60 balls but carried his bat through the innings to record an incredible 141 not out. That was the highest score by any batter in T20 international cricket and helped England amass 304/2, also a record (between Test countries). It included eight sixes and a massive 15 fours, resulting in a strike rate of 235 (Buttler’s was an even more staggering 276.66).
Salt’s place among the T20 greats is illustrated by the fact that he has now hit half of England’s centuries in the format. He has four, with Livingstone, Buttler, Dawid Malan and Alex Hales the others to have made it to triple figures. Indeed, only two players have hit more – India’s Rohit Sharma and Aussie Glenn Maxwell, who both have five.
England would go on to dismiss South Africa for 158 (from 16.1 overs), but that was almost a sidenote. Despite 41 from 20 balls by skipper Aiden Markram and four other batters striking at over 200, they still came up well short in a chase that they were never likely to make. The night was all about England and Salt in particular.