England vs South Africa ODI records: Most runs, highest total, head-to-head record and more!

The English cricket team and South Africa have been two giants in cricket's limited-overs formats. The two nations have been consistent performers at World Cups, bilaterals and other tournaments.

England played the South African cricket team for the first time in the ICC Cricket World Cup 1992. English captain Alec Stewart’s 77-run knock in an revised run chase of 226 took his team over the line with three wickets to spare against the Proteas.

The two teams have faced each other 69 One Day Internationals (ODIs) with almost nothing to separate them. There have been some memorable matches between the two teams, including a 649-run thriller at Bloemfontein in 2016, which England sealed by 39 runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method.  

England vs South Africa head-to-head in ODIs

England vs South Africa ODI records

Highest team total

England hold the record for the highest team total in this fixture. The Three Lions smashed 399/9 in the above-mentioned match at Bloemfontein in 2016, helping seal a victory in the series opener.

Meanwhile, South Africa were the first team to breach the 350-run mark in the fixture, scoring 354/6 at Chester-le-Street in November 2009. AB de Villiers’ 121 off 85 was instrumental in the Proteas setting a mammoth total.

Overall, a total of 300-plus has been achieved on 16 occasions in England vs South Africa ODIs.

Lowest team total

South Africa have the unwanted record of the lowest team total in this head-to-head. The Proteas were bowled out for 83, twice - at Nottingham in August 2008 and at Manchester in July 2022. While Stuart Broad’s five-for gave England the victory at Nottingham, Sam Curran starred in Manchester.

On the other hand, England’s lowest score in this fixture is 103, which they registered at The Oval in May 1999. Protea pacer Allan Donald scalped four wickets for just 17 runs, leaving the English batters bewildered. 

Most runs

South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis amassed 1,054 runs in 38 matches against England. He is the leading run-scorer in ODIs between the two nations, averaging 31.93 with the bat. The Cape Town-born player’s exploits included eight fifties and one century.

Kallis is the only player in this fixture to score more than 1,000 runs. Hashim Amla (976), AB de Villiers (862), Graeme Smith (849) and Quinton de Kock (834) complete an all-South African top five. Joe Root, who has notched 681 runs in 16 matches, has scored the most runs for England. 

Most wickets

English pacer Darren Gough has picked up 51 wickets in England vs South Africa ODIs, the most by any player in this fixture. Gough had three four-wicket hauls against the Proteas with best figures of 4/29. He also bowled 29 maidens, incredibly averaging a maiden per match.

Shaun Pollock, the former South African captain, holds the second spot with 40 wickets in 30 matches. He averaged a wicket every 39.1 balls and maintained a healthy economy rate of 3.33 against England in this format.  

Highest individual score

South Africa’s Hashim Amla smashed 150 runs off 124 balls against England at Southampton in August 2012, breaking the record for the highest individual score in this fixture in ODIs. The knock included 16 fours, guiding South Africa to a match-winning score of 287/5. 

Graeme Smith’s 141 in September 2009 at Centurion previously held the record. Meanwhile, Quinton de Kock (138* and 135) and Rassie van der Dussen (134) also feature in the top 10 list.

Jos Buttler’s match-winning 131 at Diamond Oval in February 2023 is the highest by an Englishman.

Best bowling figures

England seamer Jofra Archer is the only cricketer to take a six-wicket haul in the ODI match-ups between the sides. The right-arm fast bowler registered 6/40 in the final ODI of the 2023 South Africa tour.

Six bowlers, three from England and South Africa each, have picked up five-wicket hauls.

Andrew Hall's 5/18 holds the top spot among these six players when he achieved the feat in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 at Bridgetown, setting up South Africa’s nine-wicket win in the Super 8 stage.

Shaun Pollock, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Samit Patel and Wayne Parnell are the others in the elite list. 

Highest partnership

Quinton De Kock and Hashim Amla’s 239-run partnership at Centurion in February 2016 holds the highest partnership record in this fixture. The opening duo, both of whom registered centuries, helped the Proteas chase down a challenging target of 319.

Meanwhile, Marcus Trescothick and Vikram Solanki smashed the first 200-run partnership in this fixture in ODIs. The enterprising stand guided England to victory at The Oval in June 2003.

Photo credits: Alamy