proteas

Jacob Bethell scored his much-anticipated first professional century before Jofra Archer ripped through South Africa as England thrashed the Proteas by a record 342 runs in the third one-day international in Southampton.

With the series gone, 21-year-old Bethell, long tipped for a huge future despite his meagre county experience, delivered on all of his promise by elegantly hitting 110 from 82 balls in England’s cruise to 414-5.

The left-hander put on 182 with Joe Root, who himself stroked a 96-ball 100, to lay a platform before Jos Buttler took on the scoring with a destructive 62 not out from 32 balls.

It was England’s highest total in ODIs for three years and their best effort at home since 2018, while Bethell’s ton, in his 33rd international innings, made him England’s second-youngest ODI centurion after David Gower.

South Africa were well below the standards set in their impressive wins at Headingley and Lord’s which had already secured the series with a game to spare.

They dropped Bethell on 44, gave away 19 wides and were 72-9 in 20.5 overs when the players shook hands with Temba Bavuma unable to bat – England’s winning margin the largest in the history of men’s ODIs in terms of runs.

Archer took four wickets in a fast and hostile new-ball spell, reducing the Proteas to 7-4 and 24-6 from which they never recovered. He finished with 4-18 and Adil Rashid 3-13.

Though the series was already gone, this was a morale-boosting win for England after a difficult run in the 50-over format.

The same sides now play a three-match T20 series starting on Wednesday in Cardiff.

Well-oiled South African fans had filtered out of Lord’s yesterday evening buoyantly going through their repertoire of songs after a blissful day of batting.

They shuffled through the gates on the fourth day decidedly more sombre, with the sobering reality there was still 69 runs to get.

Ashwell Prince, South Africa’s batting coach, acknowledged getting some sleep before Saturday’s date with destiny might prove difficult for their players.

So, almost inevitably, there were some sweaty palms and a few jitters. At least until the runs required trickled down to single figures when consternation turned to celebration.

There were audible gasps when Cummins’ eighth ball of the morning skidded through low completely deceiving Markram.

Then four deliveries later Bavuma dabbled at one which Cummins got to seam away and edged into the gloves of wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

Australia couldn’t do this, could they?

Bavuma, who played the majority of his innings limping with a hamstring twang, hobbled off. It was an appropriate metaphor for the rest of the chase.

Markram did provide flashes of aggression – cutting and pulling Cummins for four to raucous encouragement – before another Starc reality check.

Stubbs’ footwork had looked suspect to the Aussie left-arm quick round the wicket but and he bowled by a one which nipped back through his defensive prod and pad to hit the top of off.

Next ball Bedingham played and missed at a peach of a delivery from Starc which nipped away and narrowly avoided the edge of his bat.

For a few moments, the tension was palpable.

Having burned both their remaining reviews – a potential caught behind off Stubbs’ glove and flimsy lbw appeal against Bedingham – Cummins left himself no wriggle room in the event of some late drama.

But when the dependable Bedingham – South Africa’s top scorer in the first innings – settled in his rhythm alongside the ice-cool Markram the game was up for the Aussies.

Markram whipped Josh Hazlewood for four then did the same next ball for three to bring the amount needed down to single figures.

Sadly, Markram missed his opportunity to provide the champagne moment when he whipped one off his pads to Head, who barely celebrated.

Australia’s players practically to a man came to shake his hand and Markram departed to a standing ovation.

It would have annoyed Makram for a fleeting moment but soon South Africa’s players were errupting in celebration on the balcony in the home dressing room.

Verreynne fluffed a ramp – UltraEdge showing he had in fact got some bat on it – before he delivered the winning moment in a more orthodox fashion on the drive.

They are chokers no more.

The scale of the challenge facing South Africa when they began their innings was not quite the summit of Everest, but it certainly felt a fair way above base camp.

At the start of their innings, WinViz gave South Africa a 38% chance of pulling off the joint second-highest successful chase for a Test match at Lord’s.

England chased down the same target against New Zealand – for the loss of three wickets – in 2004 while West Indies managed a nine-wicket victory against England in 1984 in pursuit of 342.

In the 148-year history of Test cricket – in excess of 2,000 matches – there have also been just 26 occasions when the team batting last has scored the highest total of the match as South Africa require here.

Having been rolled for 138 in the first innings, and up against an Australian bowling attack with more than 1,500 Test wickets between them, it felt like big ask.

The burden of history and data did not seem to weigh too heavily on the shoulders of Markram and Bavuma, though, as bat truly dominated ball for the first time in this contest.

South Africa lost Ryan Rickleton – who chased an away swinger from Starc and edged into the gloves of Alex Carey – but it did not stymie the Proteas’ intent.

Markram and Wiaan Mulder were positive rather than tentative during a 69-run stand for the second wicket which provided a solid foundation.

Mulder had reached 27 before he rather tamely chipped Starc, who had swapped to the Nursery End, into the hands of Marnus Labuschagne in the covers.

That brought Bavuma, South Africa’s leading run-scorer in Tests since December 2019, to the crease and he had an escape when Steve Smith grounded a tough chance when he was on just two.

Smith suffered a compound dislocation of the little finger on his right hand after shelling the chance and left the field to go hospital for further treatment.

All the while Markram was quietly going about his business, during an authoritative and measured knock offering barely a chance.

He carefully picked his moments to gracefully drive, square drive and guide boundaries alongside sensible accumulation on both sides of the wicket.

South Africa’s scoring rate slowed as the match headed towards stumps, but there was still time for Markram to reach three figures in the penultimate over of the day.

Hazlewood strayed on to his pads and Markram effortlessly flicked the ball square for four before he took off his helmet to salute the crowd.