England conceded their highest ever score in ODI cricket as Heinrich Klaasen’s devastating century saw South Africa smash 399 for seven in their crunch World Cup clash in Mumbai.
The defending champions will need to bat brilliantly to avoid a third defeat in four games after watching a powerful Proteas line-up run riot after being put in by Jos Buttler at the Wankhede Stadium.
A revamped England side looked devoid of ideas in stifling humidity as their opponents brutalised them in the closing stages, taking 143 from a punishing last 10 overs.
Klaasen was in brutal mood, hammering a 61-ball ton and finishing with 109 in 67, while Marco Jansen made an unbeaten 75 from 42.
In all there were 13 sixes and 38 fours across the innings, which should have ended with England shipping 400 for the first time in their history only for South Africa to decline a second run off the final ball.
England’s previous worst day in the field came eight years ago at the Oval, where New Zealand hit 398 for five, and their have only ever been five bigger totals on the World Cup stage.
To win, and keep their ailing title defence alive, England will need to produce the third highest chase ever seen in one-day cricket.
Amid a series of wince-inducing bowling returns, Mark Wood took most punishment of all as he saw seven wicketless overs monstered for 76.
Hard to believe though it was by the end, England enjoyed the perfect start when Reece Topley had danger man Quinton de Kock caught behind off the second ball of the match.
Even less plausibly, they looked to be regaining a measure of control when they left South Africa 243 for five in 37th over.
Instead, Klaasen led Jansen in a merciless stand of 151 in just 77 deliveries, with boundaries raining in every direction.
England’s revamped attack looked thoroughly outmatched against their onslaught and by the end looked shellshocked.
Topley had defied a worrying finger injury on his bowling hand to return to the attack and may have wondered why he bothered; Adil Rashid was doubled in pain at times after playing through illness; David Willey lost all sense of rhythm and radar after returning from cramp.
By the end, most appeared relieved simply to leave the field.
England’s teamsheet showed a significant response to their shock defeat by Afghanistan, with all-rounders Chris Woakes, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran all axed in favour of the fit-again Ben Stokes, Willey and rookie seamer Gus Atkinson.
Buttler put his new-look attack to work straight away and was overjoyed to see De Kock nick Topley’s early outswinger. That was as good as it got.
Things veered off course in the seventh over when Topley thrust his left-hand out to field a firm drive off his own bowling and damaged his index finger.
He tried to carry on but, after seeing his next two balls disappear for four, he beat an angry retreat to the pavilion. His reaction, lashing out an empty chair and stomping up the stairs, appeared to suggest his unfortunate injury curse had struck again.
In his absence South Africa assumed control, Hendricks taking full advantage of an unexpected chance after captain Temba Bavuma was ruled out.
He made an increasingly confident 85 and Rassie Van der Dussen struck 60 as England’s lost their way. Rashid, in clear pain, dismissed both to give his side hope – one to a skied top edge, the other a dragged on googly.
After taking running repairs Topley came back and produced a double of his own to see off Aiden Markram and David Miller, but that is where the bleeding really began.
Klaasen had reached his fifty in 40 balls but doubled his score in half the time, battering Topley out of the attack once and for all with 19 off an over and helping himself against all comers.
England’s seamers rotated with shellshocked regularity but put together a long collection of wides, no-balls, full tosses and long-hops as Klaasen and Jansen cut loose – the latter smoking six sixes.
Atkinson took two wickets in the final over, taking out Klaasen’s leg stump, but things had already got well out of hand.
