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11th over: England 174-1 (Salt 85, Bethell 3) <\/strong>The first over after drinks is the first single-figure over of the game, with Fortuin conceding a mere eight runs. No boundaries either.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Drinks break<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe frenetic scoring is becoming so absurd it resembles the beach cricket of yesteryear at our very wonderful Victorian seaside resorts,\u201d writes Kim Thonger. \u201cI wonder if there\u2019s actually a market for a mid-winter T20 when the sand is good and hard at say, Weston-super-Mare? On a cold dry sunny day when the tide is well out and with a stiff breeze to aid the inswinger it could be jolly entertaining. And the candy floss and whelk stalls are second to none. Punch & Judy entertainment on hand for the kiddiwinks of course.\u201d<\/p>\n When I loved in Somerset I could barely manage a dog walk in December, never mind a game of T20.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>England set 10-over men’s T20 record<\/p>\n 10th over: England 166-1 (Salt 78, Bethell 2) <\/strong>Salt works Maphaka off the pads for successive fours, creams the next ball violently whence it came for another, helps the last ball of the over off the hip for a fourth. He is 78 not out from 28 balls, and this is normal behaviour apparently.<\/p>\n Oh, England\u2019s 10-over score is the highest in any men\u2019s T20 international. And that\u2019s in any century, not just the 21st.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.23 EDT<\/p>\n Salt smashes 19-ball fifty<\/p>\n 9th over: England 150-1 (Salt 62, Bethell 2) <\/strong>This is now officially bonkers. Salt \u2013 who was overshadowed by Buttler despite scoring at a strike rate of TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY<\/strong> \u2013 assumes the lead role and mangles poor old Lisaad Williams for 20 from four legal deliveries. Six over midwicket, four through mid-off, six over extra-cover, four to wide long-on.<\/p>\n Somewhere in all that Salt brought up a relatively ponders fifty from 19 balls.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8th over: England 126-1 (Salt 41, Bethell 1)<\/strong><\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! England 126-1 (Buttler c Stubbs b Fortuin 83)<\/p>\n Buttler pumps two more sixes off Fortuin \u2013 long on and midwicket I think, though they\u2019er starting to blur into one \u2013 before pinging a hockey stroke to deep backward square, where Tristan Stubbs takes a sharp catch as he falls backwards.<\/p>\n Buttler walks off to a standing ovation, which can\u2019t have happened too often for a player who faced 30 deliveries and batted for only 35 minutes. In that time Buttler struck eight fours and seven sixes, most with an eerie serenity.<\/p>\n Jos Buttler is out for a quite astonishing 83 off 30 balls. Photograph: Darren Staples\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a014.11 EDT<\/p>\n 7th over: England 112-0 (Salt 40, Buttler 70) <\/strong>Jansen returns, with the added security of having five fielders outsi- ah, forget it. Salt pulls him flat and hard for six<\/strong>; Buttler makes room to play a cross-court forehand between extra cover and mid-off for four. He has 70 from 26 balls.<\/p>\n Hang on, 70 from 26 balls!!!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>England score 100 in record Powerplay<\/p>\n 6th over: England 100-0 (Salt 33, Buttler 65) <\/strong>The teenage left-arm seamer Kwena Maphaka is invited to do something, anything. He starts well, conceding two from his first three balls. And then he too is Buttlered: a slap through the covers is followed by a devastating swipe down the ground for six.<\/p>\n That brings up the England hundred inside six overs. This is comfortably their highest Powerplay score, beating the 89 for 3 they scored against South Africa in a classic World T20 game at Mumbai nine years ago. On that occasion England chased down 230 to win; South Africa are facing a similar target.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Buttler wallops 18-ball fifty<\/p>\n 5th over: England 88-0 (Salt 32, Buttler 54) <\/strong>Rabada returns to the attack and is monstered down the ground for six by Buttler. Three successive fours take Buttler to a quite exhilarating 50 from 18 balls. He waves his bat to the ground, then snaps his head back to salute his late father.<\/p>\n The second of those three fours tempted mid-on, who dived in an attempt to take a low catch but was beaten by the dip on the ball.<\/p>\n I\u2019m not even sure South Africa have bowled badly you know; it\u2019s been a startling assault from the England openers.<\/p>\n Jos Buttler reaches his fifty in just 18 balls. Blimey. Photograph: Stu Forster\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.55 EDT<\/p>\n Fifty partnership in 3.2 overs<\/p>\n 4th over: England 68-0 (Salt 31, Buttler 35) <\/strong>The left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin assumes the position. Salt pulls him for four to bring up the fifty partnership in just 3.2 overs; Buttler drives successive deliveries over mid-off for six and four. Remember when a six was an event?<\/p>\n Fortuin tries slowing his pace down with the last ball of the over. Buttler waits and waits and clubs it to exactly the same area for four more. He has 35 from 14 balls, Salt 31 from 10. It\u2019s no exaggeration to say that England could get 500 here.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.50 EDT<\/p>\n Williams’ first over disappears for 23<\/p>\n 3rd over: England 48-0 (Salt 26, Buttler 20) <\/strong>The new bowler Lizaad Williams starts with two good deliveries \u2013 after which his figures are 0.2-0-12-0. Buttler pulled the first ferociously for six even though it wasn\u2019t particularly short, and made room to blast the second over long on.<\/p>\n Two wides and a single are followed by successive boundaries for Salt, a pull and an edge wide of the keeper. Some start, this.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2nd over: England 25-0 (Salt 18, Buttler 7) <\/strong>Kagiso Rabada starts at the other end. Jos Buttler steers his first ball between slip and gully for four, a deft stroke, but Rabada keeps him quiet for the remainder of the over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 1st over: England 18-0 (Salt 18, Buttler 0) <\/strong>Phil Salt was out for a golden duck in Cardiff. At Old Trafford he hits the three balls of the match for four, as if this is somehow normal behaviour, then clubs the last delivery back over Marco Jansen\u2019s head for six<\/strong>. A pr-etty good start for England.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Time for business. Marco Jansen will open the bowling to Phil Salt.<\/strong><\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a sunny evening after deluges yesterday,\u201d<\/strong> writes Tanya Aldred, who is at Old Trafford. \u201cParty stand looks a bit sad \u2013 only about 15 per cent full at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Team news<\/p>\n One change apiece. Jofra Archer<\/strong> comes in for Jamie Overton in the England XI; South Africa bring in the left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin<\/strong> from Corbin Bosch. Keshan Maharaj has a groin strain.<\/p>\n England <\/strong>Salt, Buttler (wk), Brook (c), Bethell, Banton, Curran, Jacks, Dawson, Archer, Rashid, Wood.<\/p>\n South Africa <\/strong>Markram (c), Rickelton, Pretorious, Brevis, Stubbs, Ferreira, Jansen, Rabada, Forruin, Maphaka, Williams.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.10 EDT<\/p>\n South African win the toss and bowl<\/p>\n \u201cThe wicket looks a bit different, we hope there\u2019s a bit of moisture early on,\u201d says their captain Aiden Markram.<\/p>\n Harry Brook says England would have batted on what is a used pitch.<\/p>\n