Temba Bavuma made a magnificent century as South Africa produced a record run chase to beat England by five wickets and seal an ODI series victory.
Jos Buttler top scored with an unbeaten 94 from 82 balls, while Harry Brook (84) and Moeen Ali (51) struck quickfire half-centuries to get the tourists up to an imposing 342-7 at Mangaung Oval on Sunday.
That was not enough to set up a series decider, though, as captain Bavuma (109 off 102) crafted his first international century for a year as the Proteas pulled off the highest successful ODI run chase in Bloemfontein.
David Miller finished off the job with 58 not out from 37 balls as South Africa boosted their chances of securing direct qualification for the World Cup in India this year, consigning England to a fifth consecutive loss in this format.
Jason Roy fell for only nine after scoring a century in the first ODI on Friday and Dawid Malan (12) also failed, but Brook and Buttler put on 73 for the fourth wicket.
Brook raced to a half-century before falling to Aiden Markram and Moeen kept England ticking along nicely with his skipper until he played on to a delivery from Anrich Nortje (2-64).
Buttler and Sam Curran (28 off 17) cut loose as the world champions took 60 off the last four overs to seemingly take the upper hand.
Bavuma led by example to get his side off to a blistering start, combining with Quinton de Kock – who took a blow on the wrist while keeping but did not appear to be hampered – for 77.
Olly Stone (2-48) got rid of De Kock but Bavuma was in great touch with support from Rassie van der Dussen (38) as England – who left Jofra Archer out the paceman's long-awaited return in the opening match – were unable to halt the flow of runs.
Bavuma fell scooping Curran into his stumps soon after bringing up a sublime third ODI hundred to end a stand of 97 with Van der Dussen, who then became Adil Rashid's (2-72) second victim.
Heinrich Klaasen (27) failed to build on a start, but Miller and Marco Jansen (32no off 29) got South Africa home with five balls to spare – the left-hander fittingly winning it by clattering Chris Woakes for six.
Brook and Buttler pummel Proteas attack
Brook has made a great start to his international career and showed his class in only his second ODI after being dismissed for a duck on debut two days earlier.
He struck four sixes and seven fours before Buttler provided a late onslaught, getting his side up to a big total with support from Moeen and Curran.
The skipper cleared the rope on three occasions and struck eight boundaries, shifting through the gears in explosive fashion.
Brilliant Bavuma sets up record chase, Miller delivers again
Bavuma had not reached three figures for his country since his hundred against India last January, but he ended that wait in style.
With South Africa battling to seal their World Cup spot for the tournament in India, Bavuma batted beautifully to lay the platform at the top of the order.
Miller thrives on the responsibility of being the finisher and he delivered once again, hitting three sixes as South Africa bettered their previous best ODI run chase on this ground of 274-4 against Australia in 2020.
McSween grabs 5-39 as Windward Islands Volcanoes beat Leeward Islands Hurricanes by six wickets at Brian Lara Stadium
Preston McSween starred with his fifth first-class five wicket haul as the Windward Islands Volcanoes completed a comfortable six-wicket win over the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on day four of their fourth-round fixture at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba on Saturday.
The Hurricanes started the day 99-5 off 39 overs with a lead of 128 runs in their second innings with Montcin Hodge on 45 and Kofi James yet to get off the mark.
Hodge ended up making a top score of 59 as the Leewards eventually folded for 144 off 55 overs.
McSween led the charge with the ball for the Volcanoes with 5-39 off 13 overs while Larry Edward took 3-9 from eight in support.
Chasing 174 for victory, the Volcanoes reached 32-0 at lunch with Teddy Bishop on 15 and Keron Cottoy on 12.
They lost three wickets after the resumption, including first innings centurion Kavem Hodge, but Alick Athanaze, who also got a century in the first innings, and Sunil Ambris steadied the ship.
At tea, the Volcanoes were 151-3 off 34 overs, needing only 23 more runs to win with Athanaze on 31 and Ambris on 28.
Shortly after tea, Athanaze was dismissed for 38 before Ambris and Tevyn Walcott guided the Volcanoes to 174-4 off 38 overs. Ambris finished 40*.
Rakheem Cornwall took 2-53 off 13 overs for the Hurricanes.
Captain Powell the hero as West Indies win thriller against South Africa
New skipper Rovman Powell powered West Indies to a stunning three-wicket win against South Africa in a rain-reduced T20I clash on Saturday.
The start in Centurion was pushed back because of wet conditions and the contest was reduced to an 11-overs-a-side thrash, with South Africa totting up 131-8, helping by David Miller crunching 48 from 22 balls.
Miller struck three sixes as the home side recovered well from losing opener Quinton de Kock to the first ball of their innings at SuperSport Park.
West Indies made a flying start to their reply as Brandon King and Kyle Mayers took 17 runs from the first four deliveries. King's 23, and 28 from Johnson Charles, helped to put the tourists in a strong position, but it was Powell who played the crucial innings.
The 29-year-old Jamaican hit five sixes in an explosive 43no from 18 balls, holding his nerve after West Indies lost two wickets to Sisanda Magala (3-21) in the 10th over.
Powell's maximum from the second delivery of the 11th over brought the teams level, and he tucked away a single into the leg side from the next ball to seal the win, taking West Indies to 132-7.
Powell starts as he means to go on
The chance to lead arose for Powell when Nicholas Pooran resigned as West Indies' white-ball captain after last year's T20 World Cup.
Powell has taken on the T20I job, with Shai Hope leading the ODI team, and this was a whirlwind beginning for the incoming captain, firstly with the match being reduced to a quickfire slog, and then with the pressure falling on his shoulders with the bat.
He came in at 66-3 in the fifth over, after the breakneck start, and saw the job through, posting his joint-sixth highest T20I score in what was his 47th innings at this level.
Trend to continue?
The last three T20I series between these teams have been won by the touring side, and with two games remaining in this series we might be on for a repeat.
South Africa are experiencing a dire run of series results in T20Is at home, having lost their last four such series, last getting a home success against Sri Lanka in March 2019.
Over the longer course of a full 20 overs it might prove a different story between these teams, with the win for West Indies on this occasion being just the second in their last 16 T20Is away from home. They and South Africa go again on Sunday, also in Centurion.
Toney in Southgate's thoughts, but beating Ukraine the priority for England
Gareth Southgate is considering starting Ivan Toney in Sunday's Euro 2024 qualifier against Ukraine, but picking the best possible team to win the game is the top priority.
Toney was called up by Southgate for this month's fixtures, despite the Brentford striker facing a potential ban for breaching the Football Association's betting rules.
The 27-year-old was an unused substitute in Friday's 2-1 win against Italy, as he was in September's Nations League draw against Germany on his only previous call-up.
Southgate is hoping to give Toney some minutes against Ukraine at Wembley, but not at the expense of selecting a player more suited to starting the match.
"Ivan Toney has been very good. We really like him, and he's very much in our thoughts," Southgate said at Saturday's pre-match news conference.
"The numbers we've got with us now, there's always the duel objective. There's the desire to see players, but we're in a qualifying group, so the priority is to always win the game."
Southgate also confirmed Jordan Henderson is available after recovering from illness, while Jude Bellingham is fit after limping off late on against Italy.
Full-back Reece James has returned to club side Chelsea after sustaining a knock, but Southgate decided against calling up a replacement.
"We've been training with this group all week, so to call someone from outside the group would potentially be quite complicated," Southgate said.
"We have no idea where they might be or what their training load has been over the past few days.
"So, if we were going to do that at this point, we would do it with the Under-21s, but they've got a game today, and we think we've just got enough to get through tomorrow's game."
Southgate is the third manager to win 50 games while in charge of England after Walter Winterbottom (78) and Alf Ramsey (69).
But rather than bask in that personal achievement, the England manager is focused on making it two wins from two in qualifying for Germany 2024.
"It means we have the chance to make it 51 tomorrow, it's as simple as that," he said. "The past and what we've done up until now is irrelevant.
"I'm just focused on tomorrow's game. We need to win and need to be on six points when we leave Wembley tomorrow.
"If we're going to be considered a top team, we need to back up the performance and result that we showed the other night."
Ukraine are playing their first qualifying fixture of the campaign amid a backdrop of ongoing conflict back in their homeland, which was invaded by Russia last February.
"They're a proud group of players," Southgate said. "They are totally committed to bringing enjoyment to their public.
"We of course have huge sympathy with what's going on, but tomorrow is a game of football and we're fully focused on trying to win the game."
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