NEW DELHI: South Africa suffered their heaviest defeat in One-Day World (ODI) cricket as England dismantled the vacationers in record-breaking style at Southampton on Sunday. The hosts sealed a 342-run victory, the most important within the historical past of guys’s ODIs when batting first, eclipsing India’s 317-run conquer Sri Lanka in 2023.Chasing a mammoth 415 for victory and a possibility to keep away from a whitewash within the three-match collection, the Proteas crumbled beneath relentless force. Their innings lasted simply 20.5 overs, generating handiest 72 runs — their second-lowest general in ODIs. The humiliation used to be narrowly quick in their rock bottom of 69, scored in opposition to Australia on the Sydney Cricket Floor in 1993. It used to be additionally their fourth-lowest rating in opposition to England and highlighted a surprising batting cave in.England’s dominance used to be arrange previous within the day by way of a sensational maiden century from Jacob Bethell and a damaging bowling spell from Jofra Archer. Bethell, elderly 21 years and 319 days, introduced himself at the global level with a glowing 110. He changed into the second-youngest guy to attain an ODI hundred for England, at the back of David Gower, who completed the feat two times sooner than turning 22.England piled on 414 for five, their highest-ever general in opposition to South Africa in ODIs, surpassing their earlier highest of 399 for 9 at Bloemfontein in 2016. This marked the fourth time South Africa have conceded 400-plus runs in an ODI, a tally bettered handiest by way of West Indies (5 occasions). England, in the meantime, have now crossed the 400-run mark seven occasions, with handiest South Africa (8 occasions) doing it extra regularly.
Greatest margin of victory (by way of runs) in ODIs
| Winner | Margin | Goal | Overs | Opposition | Floor | Fit Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 342 runs | 415 | 20.5 | vs South Africa | Southampton | 7 Sep 2025 |
| India | 317 runs | 391 | 22.0 | vs Sri Lanka | Thiruvananthapuram | 15 Jan 2023 |
| Australia | 309 runs | 400 | 21.0 | vs Netherlands | Delhi | 25 Oct 2023 |
| Zimbabwe | 304 runs | 409 | 25.1 | vs U.S.A. | Harare | 26 Jun 2023 |
| India | 302 runs | 358 | 19.4 | vs Sri Lanka | We’re ourselves | 2 Nov 2023 |
| New Zealand | 290 runs | 403 | 28.4 | vs Eire | Aberdeen | 1 Jul 2008 |
| Australia | 276 runs | 432 | 24.5 | vs South Africa | Mackay | 24 Aug 2025 |
| Australia | 275 runs | 418 | 37.3 | vs Afghanistan | W.A.C.A. | 4 Mar 2015 |
| South Africa | 272 runs | 400 | 29.0 | vs Zimbabwe | Benoni | 22 Oct 2010 |
| South Africa | 258 runs | 302 | 20.1 | v Sri Lanka | Paarl | 11 Jan 2012 |
| India | 257 runs | 414 | 43.1 | V Bermuda | Port of Spain | 19 Mar 2007 |
For South Africa, the defeat used to be particularly painful given its timing. Simply two weeks previous, they’d suffered what used to be then their greatest ODI loss, a 276-run thrashing by the hands of Australia in Mackay. Now, inside 15 days, they’ve been at the receiving finish of 2 of the seven heaviest defeats in males’s ODI historical past.Archer’s fiery tempo ensured that any hopes of resistance from the Proteas had been extinguished briefly. His early breakthroughs left South Africa reeling, and so they by no means recovered from the cave in. The innings ended virtually as briefly because it had begun, with only one ball setting apart this debacle from their shortest ODI innings ever — 83 all out in 20.4 overs in opposition to England in 2022 at Manchester.