One great thing about T20 cricket is that it always has an element of unexpectedness associated with it. It is proportionate to free-style cricket, and the players take the field intending to maximise the output. A format that batters have dominated since its inception knows no constraints, and over the years, it has only upheld this assertion. Run-scoring has become a cakewalk, and bowlers' lives have turned into a mayhem. With the usage of modern-day batting equipment, coupled with smaller ground boundary dimensions and field restrictions, the sky is the limit for the batting sides. Team totals have exceeded all predictions, normalcies, and their highest aggregation is the only and safest way to play the game. 

In a recent incident, the latest of all and one of a kind, the iconic Old Trafford stadium in Manchester, England, became witness to a record-breaking and beast run scoring by the English team. England have been hosting South Africa for a T20 International (T20I) series, and in the second game played out on a chilly Mancunian evening (12th September 2025), the former went berserk. Scaling new T20I peaks, their batters splurted explosives on the Proteas, taking the attack to the opposition, and eventually went on to score 304 runs for the loss of just 2 wickets. This total became the third instance of a team passing 300 in T20Is, the third highest score of all time, and the first such time achieved against an International Cricket Council (ICC) full member side, the previous highest being India's 297/6 against Bangladesh at Hyderabad in 2024. 

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Some statistical narratives from England's run fest are firsts in the circuit of the shortest format of our beautiful sport. Phil Salt, 141 runs unbeaten off 60 balls, and Jos Buttler, 83 runs off 30 balls, hammered the rainbow nation's bowlers to all corners of the ground, on their way towards establishing an opening partnership of 126 runs in mere 47 deliveries. Also, since the records have been kept, 166/1 by England at the halfway stage is the highest ever total struck at the end of the 10th over in a T20I fixture. Moreover, 12.1 overs taken by them to reach the 200 mark is the earliest a team has got to that milestone across all the T20 games. Last but not least, the terrific first wicket stand between the Lancashire pair at a run-rate of 16.06 is the highest ever for a century-plus opening partnership in a T20I by a full member nation.

Well that was something else 👏

We post our highest ever Men's IT20 innings score! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/2Pve5QwYtl

— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 12, 2025

 A look at the highest team totals smashed in T20I history

England delivered a sentational performance to stun South Africa by a huge margin of 146 runs in the second T20I at Old Trafford, Manchester. After being asked to bat first, England scored a record 304/2 in 20 overs, the highest T20I total of all time. The wrecker in chief was Phil Salt, who starred with a destructive innings of 141* off only 60 balls, hitting 16 fours along with 8 maximums. Jos Buttler scored a quick 83 and Harry Brook finished with a 41*, leaving South Africa bewildered. Jos Buttler and Phil Salt went hard at the Proteas from the start. Their blistering partnership of 126 runs brought South Africa’s game plan to a heels in the powerplay. Salt was relentless, targeting both pace and spin, ensuring the momentum never dipped. Bjorn Fortuin picked up the two wickets to fall, dismissing Buttler and Jacob Bethell, but there was no respite for South Africa as Harry Brook joined Salt to keep the scoreboard racing beyond 300.

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England’s intent was clear, they wanted to stamp authority on the series. Their ability to maintain an incredible strike rate throughout the innings showed the depth and fearlessness in their batting line-up. Salt’s innings was one of the finest seen in T20Is, while Buttler’s leadership with the bat ensured England kept piling the runs. Even the experienced Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen had no answers, conceding heavily as England went past 300 for the first time in T20I history.

ENG vs RSA: South Africa tumble under score board pressure

In response, South Africa’s batting faltered under the enormous pressure of chasing such a gigantic total. England's premier pacer Jofra Archer drew first blood by removing Ryan Rickelton followed by youngster Lhuan-dre Pretorius, leaving the visitors reeling. Aiden Markram played a counter-attacking knock of 41, while Dewald Brevis tried to provide fireworks, but their resistance was short-lived. The scoreboard pressure proved too much, and wickets continued to tumble at regular intervals.

England’s bowlers kept things tight despite the cushion of runs. Archer was superb with three wickets, while Sam Curran and Liam Dawson chipped in with two apiece. Adil Rashid’s clever variations added further misery for South Africa as they were bundled out for 158 in just 16.1 overs. The 146-run victory is now England’s biggest-ever win in T20 internationals, a statement performance that underlined their strength in both batting and bowling departments.

CricketWinner’s Analysis

This was a performance that will make every team in world cricket sit up and take notice. While the batting heroics of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler stole the spotlight, England’s ability to maintain an unrelenting tempo across all 20 overs was staggering. However, while such dominance against South Africa is impressive, questions will be asked about whether this aggressive brand of batting can hold up under pressure against teams like India and Australia in crunch Asia Cup and World Cup matches.

For South Africa, this was an eye-opener. Their bowlers looked battered and lack of options against the power-hitting barrage, but the real concern is with the lack of application in their batting. Chasing 300 was a bridge too far, but a collapse within 17 overs for 158 suggests not only technical but mental deficiencies as well. Unless they work things out quickly, South Africa look like they could get whitewashed. For England, on the other hand, the combination looks perfect between an explosive batting line-up and a world-class bowling attack.

The three-match ODI series already found the winning team between England and South Africa (ENG vs SA). The third match of the series is a prestige fight for England, as they lost back-to-back two previous games. England's recent run in One Day International has remained unconvincing, even in the home series against South Africa. The third match in Southampton's Rose Bowl can be not easy for batters because of the nature of the wicket and the heavy weather. 

Before the match, it was pouring down in Southampton. England, the home team, should try to bat in a consistent and composed way. Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell, and Joe Root scored half-centuries in their most recent game but could not turn them into a significant total. Ben Duckett and Harry Brook have failed to impress so far. On the bowling part, Jofra Archer bowled some deadly spells, but he lacked a proper backup. 

South Africa's batting lineup so far performed fluently. Ryan Rickelton and Aiden Markram have given the team a strong start at the top, and fireworks from the middle order by Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, or Matthew Breetzke proved enough to tear apart England's bowling line-up. 

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Toss Update:

South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma won the toss and decided to field first. The wicket can offer natural bounce, especially during the first innings. Under cloudy weather, pace bowlers can enjoy the new ball in the first innings. It is easily understandable why Bavuma preferred to bowl first. 

Playing XIs:

South Africa—Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton (WK), Temba Bavuma (C), Matthew Breetzke, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiaan Mulder (in for Senuran Muthusamy), Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Codi Yusuf (on debut & in for Lungi Ngidi), and Nandre Burger.

England—Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Will Jacks, Jamie Overton (in for Saqib Mahmood), Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, and Adil Rashid.

The downturn of England cricket in ODI's is concerning after their disastrous affair with South Africa at Headingley and issues in their white ball Trio. Bowled out for 131, England's lowest score at Headingley for almost 50 years, it was another collapse for the batting unit. After a familiar instance of cheap top order dismissals, the middle order batter were unable to rebuild, and the Proteas ambled to victory with little fuss. This loss follows a series of poor results since the 2023 ODI World Cup and failed Champions Trophy 2025. The batting order that once terrified opposition bowling units has become brittle and unable to adapt to the demands of ODI cricket. Aggressive batting and reckless dismissal might have more often than not worked in T20 cricket, but ODIs have the cloud of aggression, but require enough patience. England have struggled with this principle since the start of The ODI side.

See Also: India 2013 Champions Trophy winner retires from international cricket

The limited focus on domestic one-day cricket is, in part, to blame. With high-profile tournaments like The Hundred and subjecting players to T20 league cricket, there is almost no opportunity to develop an ODI mentality. When players are then put under sustained pressure from bowlers with relentless quality they have shown to be unprepared. And in terms of leadership, a change has not helped either. Jos Buttler's resignation from captaincy after two poor series, left a significant vacuum, and Harry Brook has been presented as a new beginning to address that vacuum, but the problems still exist. Brook's early success against the West Indies might have suggested a potential impact, but a total collapse at Headingley demonstrated deeper problems in the ODI landscape for England will remain for now.

New Leadership, Old Problems

Selecting Harry Brook as England's newest ODI captain was considered a brave step into the unknown. As a promising 26-year-old who is clearly brave and willing to honour his nation over county and franchise cricket, Brook is taking positive, aggressive and bold initiatives. He has already brought along the younger players Jamie Smith and Will Jacks, which displays a good focus on the future. Brook plays similar aggressive cricket that England played to be crowned world champions in 2019. However, the team faces some challenges that go beyond tactics. The current ODI side still has challenges with an inconsistent middle order and inflexible thinking. Many players are under-conditioned in ODIs to assess as compared to T20 cricket where hit-bang-wallop product effectiveness is key.  The England team do not use better judgment batting across 50 overs, so at Headingley, South Africa's spinners and seamers were able to expose that thinking and force hasty strokes and sub-standard shot selection decisions.

Brook himself acknowledged after the loss to South Africa that England needed to be "...a little more calculated" and that can't just be a quippy comment but must reflect the core issue - without balance between a desire and instinct to attack to play a more moderate form of the game, especially if there are no steady-eddies at the other end. Collapses are bound to be common against strong opposition. Another structural flaw is the inconsistent management and selection changes across the playing group. With Test specialists generally omitted and minimal ODI specialists in the squad, England has yet to land on a settled XI, and constant chopping and changing means rhythm and momentum at series and international level are impossible to build. 

Despite of all this, Brook’s leadership still provides some optimism - early results showed he can galvanize and energize a team and there is potential in his long term vision to start to rebuild. But unless England make systemic changes - provide more emphasis on domestic one-day competitions, develop ODI specialists, and reframe the way they naturally bat, they will likely continue to find themselves in these situations regularly. The collapse at Headingley is more than just one dire performance, it represents the desperate need for England to reset their ODI strategy. If Brook and his squad do not soon address these underlying structural issues, the golden era of England's white-ball championships will become a distant memory.

The ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 is set to begin on September 30, with India facing Sri Lanka in Guwahati. The tournament is expected to deliver exciting clashes right from the opening week. Defending champions Australia will kick off their campaign against New Zealand on October 1, while England, last edition’s runners-up, meet South Africa on October 3.

One of the most anticipated contests of the group stage will see India take on arch-rivals Pakistan on October 5 in Colombo. The grand finale is scheduled for November 2. If Pakistan reaches the summit clash, Colombo will host the match; otherwise, Navi Mumbai has been chosen as the alternate venue for the decider.

India, still chasing their maiden Women’s World Cup crown, were the first team to announce their squad. The format ensures all eight participating teams face each other once, with the top four sides progressing to the semifinals.

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Squads for Women’s ODI World Cup 2025:

So far, five teams have finalized their squads for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025. Australia, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand are yet to reveal their line-ups, keeping fans waiting. With the tournament approaching, all eyes remain on these cricketing nations as they gear up to announce their strongest combinations for the mega event.

India:

Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Yastika Bhatia, Amanjot Kaur, Arundhati Reddy, Kranti Gaud. Reserves: Tejal Hasabnis, Prema Rawat, Priya Mishra, Renuka Singh Thakur, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sree Charani, Radha Yadav, Uma Chetry, Minnu Mani, Sayali Satghare

Pakistan:

Fatima Sana (c), Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (vc), Aliya Riaz, Diana Baig, Eyman Fatima, Nashra Sundhu, Sadia Iqbal, Shawaal Zulfiqar, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz, Natalia Parvaiz, Omaima Sohail, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Syeda Aroob Shah

Reserves: Gull Feroza, Najiha Alvi, Waheeda Akhtar, Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani

Bangladesh:

Nigar Sultana Joty (c), Nahida Akter, Fargana Hoque, Rubya Haider Jhelik, Sharmin Akter Supta, Marufa Akter, Fariha Islam Trisna, Shanjida Akther Maghla, Nishita Akter Nishi, Sobhana Mostary, Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter, Fahima Khatun, Rabeya Khan, Sumaiya Akter

England:

Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Em Arlott, Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Alice Capsey, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Sarah Glenn, Linsey Smith, Danni Wyatt-Hodge

South Africa:

Laura Wolvaardt (c), Ayabonga Khaka, Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Marizanne Kapp, Tazmin Brits, Sinalo Jafta, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Annerie Dercksen, Anneke Bosch, Masabata Klaas, Sune Luus, Karabo Meso, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nondumiso Shangase, Miane Smit (Reserves) 

Australia:  Yet to Announce

Sri Lanka:  Yet to Announce

New Zealand: Yet to Announce

Complete Schedule for Women’s ODI World Cup 2025:

England will be taking on South Africa in the first ODI at the Headingley in Leeds. This will be the first game of South Africa’s tour to England. They will play 3 ODIs and same number of T20Is. Speaking of the weather, there will be intervals of clouds and sunshine with a couple of showers this afternoon.

As the ODI will stretch to the the late evening, it will be overcast with a little rain this evening followed by a couple of showers. The temperatures will be as high as 19 degree celsius and as low as 13 degree celsius.

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England playing XI:

Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook(c), Jos Buttler(w), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Sonny Baker

South Africa Probable XI:

Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Temba Bavuma (capt), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, Wiaan Mulder, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi.

August 29, 2017—a memorable day for the West Indies. On that day, the West Indies won their first Test in England in 17 years. A young Shai Hope was selected as man of the match for his effortless batting in both of the innings at Headingley. 

The match was a close fight between the West Indies and England, the host. England, led by Joe Root, went to bat first in the first innings. Then the England cricket team was going through a transition phase. So the team on the sheet was not evenly balanced. West Indies pacer Shannon Gabriel did not take too long to strike. The pacer cleared both of the openers, including Alastair Cook, with short intervals. Tom Westley, who came at number 3, returned to the pavilion quickly. England was 4 down, only 71. At that moment, Root and Ben Stokes came in the middle to rescue their team. With Stokes' 100 and Root's 59, England somehow managed to get 258 on the scoreboard. 

While most of the batters of the visiting side were unimpressive, Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope played differently. Hope came with 147, and Brathwaite notched 134. Jason Holder (c) and Jermaine Blackwood contributed with forty-plus scores from the lower middle order to take WI's first innings total to 427. 

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Hope delivered again 

England regrouped and replied with 490/8d in the second phase of the match. 6 of their 11 players played fifty-plus innings to cover up their first innings due and offered West Indies a competitive target of 322 runs. 

The target was stiff enough to chase down on the tricky surface of Leeds. Like the first innings, Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope again stood tall and delivered. Brathwaite missed another century by only 5 runs; Hope secured the milestone win for the West Indies by scoring an unbeaten 118 runs off 211 balls. Shai was then an emerging batter, 23 years of age, considered as one of the brightest prospects of world cricket, and got the man of the match award. 

Jacob Bethell is all set to lead England's men as the youngest captain on an international tour against Ireland in Dublin. England will face Ireland in a three-match T20I. For that, England and Wells Cricket Board (ECB) has decided to put the leadership duties on the 21-year-old's shoulder.

To date, Monty Bowden remains the youngest man to have captained England in an international assignment. He was only 23 years and 144 days old when he led England in a Test against South Africa in 1889. Bethell will break the record, set in 1889, as soon as he steps onto the cricket field in Dublin. ECB named a squad with multiple emerging talents for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland, starting from September 17, 2025.

England's regular skipper for the white ball format, Harry Brook, and some other experienced cricketers will skip the series to take a break. Brook, Archer, Carse, Joe Root, Ben Duckett, and Jamie Smith are all set to be rested during the tour. Sonny Baker got his first international call ahead of the series, while players like Liam Livingston and Sam Curran were again overlooked by the cricket board. 

Read More: WATCH: Unseen moments from team India dressing room after winning Champions Trophy

21-year-old Jacob Bethell was a member of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL 2025 winning squad. Though he got to play only 2 matches in the campaign and scored 67 runs, including a 55-run innings. 

Ireland v England fixtures:

September, 2025

17 1st ODI, Malahide (13:30 BST)

19 2nd ODI, Malahide (13:30 BST)

21 3rd ODI, Malahide (13:30 BST)

England T20 squad for Ireland tour: 

Jacob Bethell (capt), Rehan Ahmed, Sonny Baker, Tom Banton, Jos Buttler (wk), Liam Dawson, Tom Hartley, Will Jacks, Saqib Mahmood, Jamie Overton, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt (wk), and Luke Wood.

English domestic white-ball cricket is in for its biggest shake-up in years, with sweeping changes coming to the men’s and women’s Vitality Blast and the Women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup from 2026. The reforms, backed by a two-thirds majority of the 18 first-class counties and shaped with input from the Professional Cricketers’ Association, aim to improve player welfare, reduce travel demands, and sharpen the competitive edge of county cricket.

While the white-ball roadmap is now clear, the men’s County Championship remains under review, with counties yet to agree on the best way forward. A decision is expected before the competition resumes in September.

Men’s Vitality Blast Gets Shorter, Sharper

From 2026, the men’s Vitality Blast group stage will shrink from 14 to 12 matches per team. The competition will revert to the three regional groups of six used in the COVID-hit 2020 season, with each county playing 10 matches against group rivals and two additional fixtures against one side from another group.

The aim is to concentrate the schedule into a block format and complete the tournament by July, before The Hundred begins. Organisers believe the move will make local derbies more intense, improve crowd appeal, and give players more breathing room in a packed summer.

New Men’s Blast Format (From 2026):

County Championship Future Still Unsettled

The red-ball competition remains a sticking point, with three formats under discussion:

Talks will resume later this summer, with promotion/relegation tweaks also on the table.

ALSO SEE: Bengaluru dropped, Thiruvananthapuram to host 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup matches

Women’s Competitions Get a Boost

The women’s game is also undergoing a structural upgrade, particularly at the top level. Tier 1 of the Women’s Vitality Blast will expand from eight to nine teams with Yorkshire’s addition, while Tier 2 will move to a single national group to create more balanced competition. The Tier 1 schedule will be trimmed to 12 matches, but the top four will now contest two semi-finals before the final, rather than just one semi-final.

Women’s Vitality Blast Changes (From 2026):

The Women’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup will also see tweaks. Tier 1 will move to a 16-match season, with an eliminator replacing the second semi-final, while Tier 2 will be shortened to 8 matches, with each side facing each other once.

ECB Welcomes Changes

ECB chief executive Richard Gould praised the counties for taking ownership of the reform process. “It’s important we keep evolving domestic cricket to make it the best it can be for players, fans, and the game’s future,” he said.

Beth Barrett-Wild, the ECB’s director of the women’s professional game, said the changes were made with player input and will be reviewed before the 2027 season, when Glamorgan is due to join Tier 1.

Professional Game Committee chair Mark McCafferty described the Blast changes as “a springboard to further investment” that would improve derby intensity and ease pressure on players in a congested summer calendar.

Mohammed Siraj produced a spell for the ages at The Oval, claiming five wickets in the second innings to power India to a dramatic six-run victory over England in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy Test series. The 31-year-old pacer finished as the leading wicket-taker of the series with 23 scalps, earning the Player of the Match award and helping India square the five-match battle 2–2.

The final day began with India needing four wickets and England requiring just 35 runs. The hosts gained early momentum when Jamie Overton cracked two boundaries off Prasidh Krishna’s opening deliveries. But Siraj quickly tilted the contest in India’s favour, removing Jamie Smith in his first over of the day. He then snared two more vital wickets, including the decisive dismissal of Gus Atkinson with a perfectly executed yorker when England were just seven runs short of the target.

Even ICC Elite Panel umpire Kumar Dharmasena was captivated, sharing a photograph of Siraj’s match-winning ball on Instagram with the caption: “So lucky to witness this ball from the best seat in the house.”

The victory was particularly satisfying for Siraj after the disappointment of the Lord’s Test, where a freak incident saw the ball roll back onto his stumps. His outstanding series has now propelled him to 15th place in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings.

From Dropped Catch to Match Winner – Siraj’s Grit Defines India’s Triumph at The Oval

Siraj’s performance at The Oval was not without its hurdles. On Day 4, he dropped Harry Brook near the boundary ropes, a reprieve that allowed the England batter to go on and score 111. Brook and Joe Root’s 195-run stand for the fourth wicket had put England firmly in control in their chase of 374. Yet, Siraj’s resilience shone through, leading the Indian attack in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and delivering under pressure.

Kumar Dharmasena's Instagram post for the Iconic Oval Test. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/SUU9AHNZLk

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) August 12, 2025

His influence wasn’t limited to The Oval. In the Edgbaston Test, India’s most dominant win of the series by 336 runs, Siraj took six wickets in the first innings to set the tone. The pacer marked his Oval triumph with a Cristiano Ronaldo-style celebration after taking the final wicket, capping off a nine-wicket haul in the match. His relentless accuracy, ability to move the ball, and knack for breaking partnerships underlined his growing stature as India’s pace spearhead.

In a series where conditions demanded skill and patience, Siraj emerged as India’s workhorse, a bowler who could be trusted with the ball when the game hung in the balance. This tour may well be remembered as the moment Mohammed Siraj fully arrived as a world-class Test fast bowler.