The England national cricket team went hammer and tongs against South Africa in the second T20I at Old Trafford in Manchester on Friday, September 12. The Englishmen, led by Harry Brook, smashed 304/2 in their stipulated 20 overs, crossing the 300-run mark for the first time in T20I cricket.Looking to level the three-game series, the home side lost the toss as Aiden Markram asked them to bat. Jos Buttler and Phil Salt took South Africa's bowlers to the cleaners by stitching a 126-run stand in only 7.5 overs. Buttler was dismissed for 83 off 30 deliveries, laced with eight fours and seven maximums.Brook and company also broke the record for most runs hit by a team after 10 overs of a T20 international as they clobbered 166.After Buttler's departure, Salt continued the assault on the Proteas, bringing up his hundred off only 39 deliveries. Jacob Bethell perished after a cameo of 26 off 14 deliveries. Brook joined Salt and stayed unbeaten on 41 off 21 deliveries, adding 83 runs with the opener. Salt batted throughout the innings and scored 141 off only 60 balls, including 15 fours and eight sixes. All South African bowlers leaked above 10 runs an over, with leg-spinner Bjorn Fortuin picking up the two wickets to fall. Lizaad Williams conceded 62 runs off his three overs at an economy rate of 20.66. They bundled out South Africa for 158 in 16.1 overs, winning by 146 runs.The hosts' previous highest score was 267/3 against the West Indies.England become the second full-member nation to score above 300 runs in a T20IEngland national cricket team. (Credits: Getty)England, meanwhile, are only the second full-member nation after Zimbabwe to score over 300 runs in a T20I. Zimbabwe had clobbered 344/4 against Gambia in Nairobi in October 2024 and won that fixture by 290 runs.Meanwhile, South Africa won the rain-hit first T20I in Cardiff by 14 runs and had taken the preceding ODI series by 2-1. The third and final T20I will be played on Sunday, September 14.