World Cup 2023: South Africa crush England by 229 runs after Klaasen’s onslaught

England’s World Cup defence is hanging by a thread after a horrible 229-run thrashing by South Africa in Mumbai.

The world champions can still qualify for the semi-finals, but will likely have to win all five of their remaining group matches to guarantee doing so.

In one of their all-time worst defeats, England struggled with illness and injury in sweltering heat and the Proteas crashed 399-7 – the most England have ever conceded in a 50-over game.

Heinrich Klaasen hit a 61-ball hundred and Marco Jansen 75 from 42 balls as England lost all control.

Having been battered in the field, England’s batters were then blown away in what became in an increasingly ugly night.

They were 68-6 and then 100-8 – only some slogging from Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson preventing an even more humiliating margin of defeat.

Still, it is the largest in their history in terms of runs in one-day international cricket, with Jos Buttler’s side 170 all out in 22 overs.

Their floundering campaign continues against Sri Lanka on Thursday before meetings against India and Australia that could end their chances.

England hammered in the heat

England came into this game needing a statement win to resurrect their campaign.

Instead, it has been left in a sorry mess after one of their all-time lows on this stage.

They won the toss and rung the changes – Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Liam Livingstone all dropped and Ben Stokes finally fit – before Reece Topley had Quinton de Kock caught behind with the second ball.

That was as good as it got.

Topley went off with an injured finger on his bowling hand after seven overs, Adil Rashid battled admirably through illness for 2-61, only for their problems to deepen when David Willey, one of the three replacements, went down with cramp after 36 overs.

The result was a team that looked utterly frazzled.

The last 10 overs went for 143 runs, including 84 from the final five, as Klaasen and Jansen brutally combined for a partnership of 151 in just 77 balls.

That left England needing to pull off their highest chase in ODIs and the highest by any team at a World Cup – but, faced with a wave of momentum, they did not get close.

Unless they can produce one of the most unlikely turnarounds, their reign as world champions will be over before the tournament really hots up. (BBC Sport)