Heinrich Klaasen crumpled to his haunches in a dripping mess after every shot. In between whiles, he flayed England’s bowlers for a 61-ball century to set up an emphatic South Africa victory at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stad

The brutality of Klaasen’s 109 from just 67 balls all told matched the harshness of the heat and humidity which had also left England bowler David Willey cramping throughout South Africa’s innings, ending on 399 for 7 and requiring the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history. England capitulated instead, crashing to 170 all out in 22 overs and suffering their heaviest ODI defeat.

Klaasen’s innings included 12 fours and four sixes as he shared a 151-run sixth-wicket partnership with Marco Jansen from just 77 balls, one of two century stands for South Africa with Reeza Hendricks – in the side for an unwell Temba Bavuma – and Rassie van der Dussen putting on 121 together for the second wicket after Quinton de Kock fell on the second ball of the match. Hendricks ended up as his side’s second-highest scorer with an excellent 85 from 75 balls while Jansen was incredibly damaging in his own right with a 42-ball 75 not out.

England lost their top three for just 24 runs inside six overs of their reply, Jansen dismissing Joe Root and Dawid Malan with consecutive balls at the end of his second over and start of his third. Ben Stokes, back after missing his side’s first two matches with a hip injury, tossed his bat into the air in frustration after he spooned a Kagiso Rabada delivery straight back to the bowler to become the third England batter in succession to fall for single-figures as England slumped to 38 for 4.

Gerald Coetzee conceded 16 runs off his first over but Jos Buttler’s four, four and six were as good as it got as Coetzee responded with two wickets in the first three balls of his second when he had England’s skipper caught behind and Harry Brook lbw for 15 and 17 respectively. Only No. 10 Mark Wood with an almost farcical 17-ball unbeaten 43 and Gus Atkinson, scoring 35 in just his fourth ODI, fared better for England with the bat, Reece Topley unable to come in after he was injured while fielding.

The result returned South Africa to winning ways after their shock defeat at the hands of Netherlands blighted victories from their opening two matches and left England’s hopes of featuring at the business end of the tournament on a knife edge.

After winning the toss, Buttler opted to bowl first, a decision that looked increasingly dubious as South Africa’s batters cashed in on an excellent batting surface.

Sam Curran and Chris Woakes were left out after their struggles with the ball as Willey and Atkinson came in. Topley started well, responding immediately to being struck for four off the very first ball of the match with an excellent outswinger that invited de Kock to drive and found an edge which was snaffled by Buttler behind the stumps, although it took an England review to secure the dismissal.

Hendricks, who had been shut out of South Africa’s T20 World Cup side last year in favour of Bavuma despite being an in-form member of the squad leading into that tournament, faced 13 dot balls before getting off the mark with a square drive to the boundary off Willey. But after that sedate start, South Africa scored 41 off the last four overs of the opening powerplay, Hendricks grabbing his chance and helping himself to four fours in eight balls from Atkinson and Willey so that by the end of it South Africa were 59 for 1.

Meanwhile, Topley had left the field 3.5 overs into his spell after injuring his finger attempting to stop a ball struck back at him by van der Dussen. Adil Rashid, who spent the first part of the match off the field with a stomach upset, entered the attack in the 18th over and with his 10th delivery broke a the stand between Hendricks and van der Dussen when the latter botched a slog sweep and sent a top edge sailing high to Jonny Bairstow at midwicket.

Hendricks pummelled Root for twin sixes over long-off in three balls but then Rashid struck again with a sublime googly which Hendricks attempted to cut and ended up chopping onto his stumps to depart for 85 off 75 deliveries.

Topley returned in 35th over with the index and middle fingers on his left, bowling, hand strapped together and, with his sixth ball back, he removed the dangerous Aiden Markram for 42, thanks to an excellent catch by Bairstow, who couldn’t contain his delight, pumping both fists in celebration after he had run to his left from deep backward square and backpedalled as he lost his footing on the patchy outfield, all the while watching that he didn’t fall back onto the boundary rope. It was no mean feat for a man who just three months ago spoke of the fact that the badly broken leg he suffered in September last year still gave him problems. Then Topley struck again to remove David Miller cheaply, slapping the ball straight down Stokes’ throat at mid-off.

Klaasen thrashed Rashid well back into the stands beyond deep midwicket then took 19 runs off Topley in the next over. No sooner had he been felled by a yorker from Wood, which struck him on the boot and required some time lying on the pitch in a drenched and exhausted heap to recover, and Klaasen brought up his century in stirring style, punishing Wood’s low full toss over the fence at long-on then pulling a four wide of deep fine leg to reach the milestone.

Jansen then brought up a 35-ball fifty with a run of six, four, six off Atkinson down the ground, behind deep point and over midwicket. Jansen’s ball-striking was sublime as he smashed Topley for three sixes in the penultimate over, which went for 26 runs in all.

Klaasen fell in the last, bowled by an Atkinson yorker which crashed into leg stump but his work was done and he walked off to a standing ovation. Jansen made the same journey a few moments later, unbeaten and with South Africa having posted their highest ODI total against England.

Following his exertions, Klaasen remained off the pitch during England’s innings when he could be seen looking worse for wear, draped in a towel with his feet up and head bowed in the changeroom. No doubt he managed to muster one last skerrick of energy to celebrate South Africa’s win, and his part in it, and he reappeared on the ground to accept Player of the Match honours in fresh kit, spent but smiling.