Vic Marks
Former England spinner on Test Match Special

Typical Joe Root.

We've got to appreciate him, he's one of the great players of all-time for England.

In a funny way it's been quite a humble innings, with Root letting Smith and Bethell do their thing.

He's been around long enough to know not to compete with the likes of Bethell and do it his own way.

It's important in this format to have a guy like that that you can play around.

Image source, Getty Images

Master and apprentice vibes from Joe Root and Jacob Bethell's centuries today.

100 for Joe Rootpublished at 45.4 overs

45.4 overs

Eng 361-4

The best.

95 balls, six fours, barely breaking a sweat in the process.

We're running out of words to describe just how good he is. A class act.

Just the single, but he gets the strike back immediately from Buttler.

A single is turned into two thanks to an overthrow, so Joe Root moves to 98 and retains the strike.

And it's a no-ball! More extras given away and Root has a free hit...

Vic Marks
Former England spinner on Test Match Special

You've got proper big boundaries here and Jos Buttler's cleared it by a long, long way.

It's a glorious hit.

Eng 354-4published at 45 overs

45 overs

Root will have to wait a little longer as Jos Buttler whacks Maharaj down the ground for his first six, and it's well held in the crowd, too.

The partnership between these two moves to 52 off just 26 balls.

Vic Marks
Former England spinner on Test Match Special

South Africa are really struggling to stop this run glut.

The common absentee is the yorker - it used to be the go to delivery when you're getting walloped, but the margin for error has got smaller and smaller as the years have gone by.

I think it's become an underused delivery when the pressure's on.

Joe Root paddles for three to move to 95...

Image source, Getty Images

With England going so well, it's easy to wonder why South Africa invested eight overs in Wiaan Mulder. Despite his innocuous bowling style, he has form against England, who are the only team he was taken an ODI three-wicket haul against (3-33 in the first ODI in Leeds and 3-25 in Karachi in the Champions Trophy in March). He averages 20 with the ball in ODIs against England, compared to a career average of 38. His average against Australia is 124. Indicative of England's decline in recent years?

Another wide, and the extra ball brings Jos Buttler four more.

South Africa have been sloppy in the field today. They've bowled 17 wides to go with the two dropped catches of Smith and Bethell.

Kieran Parmley
CricViz analyst

Joe Root's strike-rate in overs 41-50 in ODIs before 2025 - 118

This year - 156

Daniel Norcross
Test Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

That now takes Joe Root past 1,000 runs for the British summer across all formats.

It's the fifth time he's managed to achieve it.

Temba Bavuma has held back four overs of Keshav Maharaj for the death.

England look content to just attack the others, though, ticking six runs off him with minimal risk.

Kieran Parmley
CricViz analyst

At 76 balls, Jacob Bethell's century was England's third fastest against South Africa in ODIs, behind Kevin Pietersen (69 balls, East London 2005) and Jos Buttler (73 balls, Bloemfontein 2016).

Daniel Norcross
Test Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Image source, PA Media

This is a problem for South Africa.

If Jos Buttler gets going, we know what he can do.

Oh, there's Jos Buttler too.

He scoops Wiaan Mulder over his shoulder for his first boundary, before nailing a pull shot behind square for another.

20 runs from the over including four wides...

Image source, Getty Images

There's still Joe Root.

He brings out the reverse scoop for the first time this innings and gets four more for his efforts.

Kieran Parmley
CricViz analyst

Two run outs this series for Harry Brook, he'd only been run out three times in his 119 innings for England before this series.