England opening batters Phil Salt and Jos Buttler slaughtered the South African bowling attack to set a match-winning and record-breaking 304/2 to help the hosts level the series one-all with one match remaining.
Apart from winning the toss at Old Trafford in Manchester on Friday night, South Africa were behind the game from start to finish.
Right from the first ball of the match, where fast bowler Marco Jansen was tonked up and over the point fielder for four by Salt, South Africa played catch-up.
Salt would add 14 more runs in that over, hitting two more fours and a six to close off the first over of the match.
Rabada bowled the second over and was met with similar terror, this time by Buttler, as he was sent for four in his first ball and went on to concede seven in the over.
The England openers continued their attacking start, scoring 23 runs off the third over, as fast bowler Lizaad Williams received a warm return to international cricket.
From that point onward, with pressure on their shoulders, the Proteas bowling attack simply never recovered as they strayed in lines and lengths, with the England openers helping themselves to the buffet.
Buttler was the most aggressive early on, as the right-handed batter reached the half-century mark off just 18 balls, helping England reach 100 runs for no loss of wickets in the first powerplay.
Salt reached his milestone off only 19 balls, having smashed seven fours and three sixes, taking the game away from the Proteas.
No plan that skipper Aiden Markram implemented seemed to work until Buttler was caught by Stubbs in the eighth over off the bowling of spinner Bjorn Fortuin, who replaced Keshav Maharaj, who is ruled out of the series due to a groin injury.
Despite the wicket, the damage was already done as the scoreboard read 126/1 with Buttler having hammered a 30-ball 83, a knock that saw the right-handed batter smash eight fours and seven sixes.
With Buttler out, Salt assumed the role of the attacker as he brought up an unbeaten 141 off 60 balls at his home ground.
On the night, Fortuin was the pick of the bowlers as he finished with figures of 2/52 in four overs and was followed by a relatively good effort from Maphaka (0/41) in four overs.
Rabada (0/70 in four overs), Jansen (0/60 in four overs), Williams (0/62 in three overs) and Aiden Markram (0/19 in one over) were simply subjected to the carnage.
In response, apart from the 50-run stand between Proteas opening batters Markram (41) and Ryan Rickelton (20), there wasn’t much to talk about as Jofra Archer (3/25), Sam Curran (2/11), Will Jacks (2/2) and Liam Dawson (2/32) ripped through the South African batting unit to help the hosts secure a mammoth 146 run victory in Manchester.
With the series level, all roads lead to Nottingham, where the series decider will be played on Sunday.
Scorecard
England: 304/2 (Salt 141*, Buttler 83; Fortuin 2/52)
South Africa: 158 all out (Markram 41; Archer 3/25, Jacks 2/2)
England won by 146 runs
