Southampton [UK], September 8 (ANI): Records toppled in abundance after South Africa hit rock bottom at The Rose Bowl, after England pumelled them in the third ODI across all facets of the game.

England's commanding performance was headlined by Jacob Bethell (110), who walloped his maiden ton for the hosts. Joe Root (100), armed with his flawless technique, joined the youngster in the limelight with a rollicking hundred. Jamie Smith (62) and Jos Buttler (62*) chipped in with their swashbuckling cameos and propelled England to a daunting 414/5, their highest against South Africa.

After enduring nightmares on the field in the last two fixtures, England found some comfort with the ball, courtesy of Jofra Archer. The England tearaway left the Proteas batters bamboozled with his tenacious pace and threatening lengths. He ripped the visitors' batting unit apart, leaving them threadbare at 18/5.

The beleaguered visitors tilted at windmills and were haunted by Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse and England's premier spinner Adil Rashid as the Three Lions roared to a enthralling 342-run victory. Despite losing the three-match affair by 2-1, England relished schadenfreude as they celebrated the biggest margin of victory in the ODIs.

South Africa licked its wounds after enduring their biggest defeat in the format, with their previous worst 276-run loss against Australia, which came just two weeks ago in Mackay, being toppled. In pursuit of England's herculean effort, South Africa bundled out on 72, their second lowest in men's ODIs, barely behind the 69 all-out against Australia in 1993 at the SCG.

At 21 years 319 days, Bethell became the second youngest to conjure an ODI century for England. David Gower had two hundreds to his name at 21 years and 55 days against Pakistan in 1978 and at 21 years and 309 days against Australia in 1979.

South Africa debutant Codi Yusuf was clobbered all around the park and conceded 80 runs in his 10-over spell. Yusuf now holds the record for the most runs conceded on debut for South Africa, surpassing 73 by Duanne Olivier against Pakistan in 2019.

Nandre Burger, who was tasked to bowl the new ball in tandem with Yusuf, spilt 95, which is the joint-second most runs conceded by a bowler for South Africa in a men's ODI, marginally behind only Dale Steyn's 96 against Australia in 2016. (ANI)