Dawid Malan and Jos Buttler launched a savage assault on South Africa’s bowlers as England completed a series clean sweep with a nine-wicket win in the third and final T20I at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Man of the series Malan finished on 99 not out, while Buttler was unbeaten on 67.
They shared a world record T20 international second wicket partnership of 167 off 90 balls to make South Africa’s 191 for three look insignificant. England won with 14 balls to spare.
Rassie van der Dussen (74 not out) and Faf du Plessis (52 not out) set up South Africa’s biggest total of the series in an unbeaten partnership of 127 off 66 balls for the fourth wicket.
But the left-handed Malan was quickly into his stride when he joined Buttler after the dismissal of Jason Roy. By the end, South Africa looked a demoralised team.
Malan hit 11 fours and five sixes in his 47-ball innings. Buttler faced one ball fewer and hit three fours and five sixes.
England were always well up with the required rate but put themselves in total command in the 10th and 11th overs when they hit 21 and 19 runs off Lutho Sipamla and Tabraiz Shamsi respectively.
Playing his first match of any type since the last South African season, Sipmala was thrashed for 45 runs off 2.4 overs.
Left-arm wrist spinner Shamsi conceded 57 runs off four overs, two days after taking three for 19 in the second match in Paarl.