England humiliated by South Africa in World Cup record loss
Defending champions bowled out for 170 in 22 overs as Proteas win by 229 runs
It was a self-inflicted wound for England to bowl first against South Africa in Mumbai's oppressive heat as they lost by a team-record 229 runs in an ODI, ending their chances of making the World Cup semi-finals.
The reigning champions chose to bowl after winning the toss, but after toiling in the heat and humidity, they let South Africa score 399 runs in their 50 overs.
The England captain Jos Buttler stated, "It's quite disappointing. We came here with high ambitions to play our best cricket, and we fell short of that and comprehensively beaten.
"We might have batted first with the heat, but we didn't. You always reflect back on your choices. We could see from the youngsters working in the field that the conditions were really difficult.
The heaviest defeat ever suffered by the defending champions in ODI cricket. The Proteas also have the first-place total in this year's tournament, but the South African pacers destroyed England's illustrious batting line-up.
they finished their innings at 170 in 22 overs with great ease.
South Africa's victory over England currently ranks joint-sixth highest by margin of runs in World Cup history.
England's performance in this edition has been at an all-time low for a team that won the previous two ICC white-ball tournaments as their problems have gotten worse across the board. They are now ranked ninth out of ten teams.
If not for Mark Wood's (43 not out) and Gus Atkinson's (35) 70-run partnership for the ninth wicket, England's defeat would rank among the worst in ODI cricket history.
Their "spiritual leader" Ben Stokes' return, who managed just 5 runs and failed to bowl, likewise had no bearing on the outcome of the match. This was Stokes' debut World Cup match.
Heinrich Klaasen's production of 100 works of the greatest caliber marked the beginning of England's decline. With his third century of the year and fourth overall, Klaasen revived South Africa by slamming 109 off just 67 balls, and Marco Jansen struck a fantastic 75 not out (42 balls, 3x4s, 6x6).
After Reeza Hendricks (85 off 75 balls, 9 fours, 3 sixes), and Rassie van der Dussen (60 off 61 balls, 8 fours), South Africa faltered in the middle overs, but Klaasen and Jansen delivered an explosive finale.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed
