Jacob Bethell slammed a maiden professional hundred before Jofra Archer shredded South Africa's top order as England recorded the largest win by runs in men's one-day international history and avoided a 3-0 series defeat.
South Africa were torpedoed for 72 in 20.5 overs chasing a mammoth 415 in Southampton - Archer taking 4-18 - as England triumphed by 342 runs to eclipse the 317-run hammering India inflicted on Sri Lanka in 2023.
Bethell (110 off 82 balls) reached three figures from 76 deliveries and shared a 182-run stand with Joe Root (100 off 96) for England's third wicket in an innings of 414-5 - Jos Buttler (62no off 32) and Jamie Smith (62 off 48) also starring at the Utilita Bowl.
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England only required nine wickets with visiting captain Temba Bavuma (calf) not batting and Adil Rashid (3-13) bagged the final three scalps after Archer's brilliance with the new ball.
South Africa plummeted to 24-6 inside 10 overs with Archer responsible for four of those wickets during a scintillating, speedy spell, starting when he nicked off Markram (0) second ball.
Archer's line was immaculate as Ryan Rickelton (1) snicked behind, while the England quick then surprised Matthew Breetzke (4) with a bouncer to ensure the Proteas batter would not notch a sixth-consecutive fifty-plus score in the format.
Tristan Stubbs (10) was Archer's next victim, in the final over of the powerplay, when he picked out second slip, while Brydon Carse (2-33) banished Wiaan Mulder (0) and Dewald Brevis (6) during a remarkable passage of play in Hampshire.
Home fans will just be wondering where this complete performance was earlier in the series after the hosts were trounced by seven wickets in the opening game in Leeds - bowled out for 131 - and then edged out by five runs in the second at Lord's.
Milestone day for talented Bethell
A wicket looked like falling every time Archer had the ball in his hand as the fast bowler hogged some of the headlines from team-mate Bethell, whose first ton was great to watch - it contained 13 fours and three sixes - and underlined why England have fast-tracked him.
The left-hander strode to the crease at No 4 - the same spot from where he had cracked a 28-ball fifty in the second ODI on Thursday - and with the score on 117-2 in the 17th over after Smith had skied South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj to long-on.
Smith had earlier been dropped on 23 as Breetzke shelled a sitter in the covers and Bethell was also the beneficiary of a grassed catch on 44 - Nandre Burger the culprit at mid-on - during an unusually sloppy fielding effort from the tourists, one in which they conceded 27 extras, 19 of them wides.
Bethell admitted before the game that he had probably not played enough cricket this summer but looked in tremendous nick as he pulled, drove, flicked and reverse-swept his way to a ton, while there was also a gorgeous late dab to deep third for four.
The youngster's innings finally ended when he walked past a delivery from Maharaj and was stumped but he departed to quite the ovation, as did Root, who completed a 19th ODI hundred and 58th in all international cricket with a typically composed knock.
Once Root was pouched at point by substitute fielder Kwena Maphaka - the catcher on in place of the stricken Bavuma - Buttler and Will Jacks (19no) pounded 43 from the final 19 balls as England passed 400 for the first time against the Proteas.
England plundered 17 from Burger's final over, with Jacks' first-ball four through the covers followed by three more for Buttler, including a brilliant readjustment to chop over short third.
The home side's bowlers then ripped through their opponents, so much so that a couple of fielding blemishes made no difference at all, as South Africa crashed in the final ODI of a series they won for the second time in as many months.
The tourists had taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in Australia in August before being pumped by 276 runs in the last fixture as they missed out on a sweep.
History repeated itself in Southampton, giving England a shot of confidence ahead of the three-match T20 international series that starts in Cardiff in Wednesday, live on Sky Sports from 6pm (6.30pm first ball).
England vs South Africa - results and fixtures
All games live on Sky Sports, all times UK and Ireland ?️
- First ODI (Headingley): South Africa won by seven wickets ?
- Second ODI (Lord's): South Africa win by five runs ?
- Third ODI (Southampton) - England won by 342 runs ?
- First T20: Wednesday September 10 (6.30pm) - Cardiff
- Second T20: Friday September 12 (6.30pm) - Emirates Old Trafford
- Third T20: Sunday September 14 (2.30pm) - Trent Bridge
(c) Sky Sports 2025: England earn record 342-run win over South Africa as Jacob Bethell hits first hundred and Jofra Archer takes four wickets
