Phil Salt on his 141 not out vs South Africa, the men's T20I batting performance of the year
The England batter's player-of-the-match knock in a thumping win over South Africa has been voted the men's T20I batting performance of the year
It was always going to take something special to put 300 against a Full Member, let alone a T20I side like South Africa, littered with modern-day superstars. England's Phil Salt provided it.
The story of Salt's remarkable unbeaten 141 off 60 deliveries, the highest an England batter has managed in the format, including the record 39 to get to three figures, began before Aiden Markram thought it would be a good idea for South Africa to bat first on a crisp Old Trafford pitch.
The first page of this chapter in Salt's short-form career began at the start of the 2025 summer when he took paternity leave for the series against West Indies. Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith dovetailed in and did well at the top, so when they were rested after a gruelling Test series with India, Salt knew he had to do something special to state his case. And how.
On his home ground, the Lancashire batter unfurled the most remarkable display of power-hitting, with 23 boundaries - including eight sixes - against 2024's World Cup finalists. It was an innings that rubber-stamped Salt's global reputation as an opener, not to mention his starting berth for England.
Key moment
A week before this knock, Salt asked England analyst Freddie Wilde to outline his strengths and weaknesses. One strength listed was how he is the world leader in racing out of the blocks early in his innings - a point of pride for him.
A first-ball duck - caught deep backward square - to kick off a five-over chase in the first T20I - a five over chase - was far from ideal. But Salt's intent did not dim.
At Old Trafford, with Marco Jansen opening the bowling, Salt started with three fours, carved over point, whipped around the corner and then smoked back past the bowler. Jansen wrested back control with two dots, but then he was carted back over his head for the first six. A total of 18 runs were taken off the first over - a sign of things to come for Salt and England.
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The numbers
19 Number of balls Salt took to get to fifty.
4 Salt's T20I century tally, the most of any England men's batter. Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell have five. Surayakumar Yadav also has four.
What they said
"In order to knock a man out of possession, you need to do something they can't do. From quite early in my career, I looked at that and thought if I can be the most dangerous in the first six, 10, 15 balls of the game."
- Phil Salt
- Phil Salt
"Me and Jos were stood out there [in the field] and said we never thought anyone would get 300. With the batting line-up we have got, there are not many heights we can't reach."
- England captain Harry Brook
- England captain Harry Brook
The closest contender
Tim David
102 not out vs West Indies, St Kitts
Tim David scored Australia's fastest T20I hundred, starting with a four after arriving right at the end of the powerplay when the side was reeling on 61 for 3 in pursuit of West Indies' 214. Pedal to the floor - never more so than when striking four consecutive sixes off Gudakesh Motie in the 10th - David took Australia home at the start of the 17th, striking his 17th boundary (11 sixes) for what was also a maiden T20I century.
102 not out vs West Indies, St Kitts
Tim David scored Australia's fastest T20I hundred, starting with a four after arriving right at the end of the powerplay when the side was reeling on 61 for 3 in pursuit of West Indies' 214. Pedal to the floor - never more so than when striking four consecutive sixes off Gudakesh Motie in the 10th - David took Australia home at the start of the 17th, striking his 17th boundary (11 sixes) for what was also a maiden T20I century.