England were lagging way behind in modern day white-ball cricket but a course correction came with the inclusion of young blood.
The match in focus saw Jos Buttler, coming off the fastest ODI hundred for England versus Pakistan in Dubai, clubbed yet another explosive ton against South Africa. Quinton de Kock was just as deadly, but rain didn't allow the match to reach its natural completion.
The 2015 World Cup disappointment behind them, the Eoin Morgan led side were undergoing tectonic change. The likes of Alastair Cook and Ian Bell were done away with and new players took their place.
The team was now playing a new brand of cricket with Jason Roy partnering Alex Hales at the top of the order. The duo gave a glimpse of their talent in the first ODI on their tour of South Africa in 2016. The openers struck sixty eight from just 7.3 overs to set the pace for the innings.
It was a day to cherish for the batters on a batting paradise at Bloemfontein. After the openers, Joe Root kept the boat floating with a measured half-century.
Fresh off his century against Pakistan in Dubai which was the fastest by an English batsman in ODI cricket, Jos Buttler turned on the heat. After a forced rest, Buttler smashed 105 off 76 balls with 11 fours and 5 sixes at a strike rate of almost 140 to stun the Proteas.
A quick-fire 57-run cameo from Ben Stokes took England to 399 runs - just one short of the magic number. This was their second-highest ODI score at the time, following 408/9 versus New Zealand last year.
Chasing 400, South Africa, to their credit, did not surrender. After Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers were dismissed cheaply, opener Quinton de Kock set the stage on fire, unbeaten on 138 off just 96 deliveries including 12 fours and 6 sixes.
Faf du Plessis with 55 off 44 was the next best South African batsman. Moeen Ali (3/43 from 6 overs) stood out with the ball for the visitors.
At 250/5 from 33.3 overs, Proteas had an outside chance of reaching the target with de Kock in full flow. Unfortunately, rain came down heavily and any further play was not possible. England won by 39 runs via the DLS method.
