ODI Cricket: Scoring big totals and big runs takes a lot from the team. And if a team wants to insure a win, they need more and more runs under their belts. That is why setting a big target makes the situation difficult for the opposition. And we have seen many times when teams went hard and scored record-breaking totals.
And if it is about setting and chasing the target, South Africa is definitely a team to have a look at. The Protes hold the record of chasing the top two totals in the history of ODI cricket. On the other hand, South Africa also holds the record of scoring 400 plus totals six times in history. No other team has done that. So, in this article, we will discuss the highest totals made by South Africa in the history of ODI cricket.
List of Highest Team Score in ODI By South Africa
| Score | Overs | Inns | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 439/2 | 50.0 | 1 | West Indies | Johannesburg | 18 Jan 2015 |
| 438/9 | 49.5 | 2 | Australia | Johannesburg | 12 Mar 2006 |
| 438/4 | 50.0 | 1 | India | Wankhede | 25 Oct 2015 |
| 418/5 | 50.0 | 1 | Zimbabwe | Potchefstroom | 20 Sep 2006 |
| 416/5 | 50.0 | 1 | Australia | Centurion | 15 Sep 2023 |
| 411/4 | 50.0 | 1 | Ireland | Canberra | 3 Mar 2015 |
| 408/5 | 50.0 | 1 | West Indies | Sydney | 27 Feb 2015 |
| 399/6 | 50.0 | 1 | Zimbabwe | Benoni | 22 Oct 2010 |
| 392/6 | 50.0 | 1 | Pakistan | Centurion | 4 Feb 2007 |
| 384/6 | 50.0 | 1 | Sri Lanka | Centurion | 10 Feb 2017 |
| 372/6 | 49.2 | 2 | Australia | Durban | 5 Oct 2016 |
3. South Africa (438/4) against India at Wankhede
The third highest ODI total for South Africa and 7th overall came against India in 2015 at Wankhede, Mumbai. It was the fifth ODI of the five-match ODI series. South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first, and it was the right decision in the end. They lost the wicket of Hashim Amla (23) early, but after that it was a complete explosion. The next three South African batters reached their respective centuries.
Quinton De Kock scored 109 off 87 balls with 17 fours and one six. Faf du Plessis made 133 off 115 runs with nine fours and six maximums. But the real cameo came from the bat of AB de Villiers, who scored 119 runs off just 61 balls, including three fours and 11 sixes. South Africa scored 434/4 in 50 overs. In reply to such a huge total, India got all out for 224 runs in 36 overs and lost the match by 214 runs.
2. South Africa (438/9) against Australia at Johannesburg
This match is remembered for some incredible records in the history of the game. The fans saw a total of 872 runs scored in 99.5 overs and it was registered in the record books. It was the fifth match of the five-match series between Australia and South Africa. Batting first, Australia posted a mammoth total of 434/4 in their 50 overs, which was the highest ever total at that time. It was also the first instance when a team had gone past the 400-run mark.
But in the very next innings of the chase, all records were broken and re-written once again. South Africa chased down this massive target in the very last over and with one wicket in hand. Herschelle Gibbs played an unbelievable innings of 175 runs and was well supported by Greame Smith (90). This is still the highest ever chased by any team in an ODI.
1. South Africa (439/2) against West Indies (Fifth highest in ODI)
The highest total for South Africa came against the West Indies in 2015 at Johannesburg. It was the second match of the five-match series. The West Indies won the toss and elected to bowl first. And South Africa came out all guns blazing from the very first ball of the innings. The first three batters each scored a century. There was a 247 and 192 run partnership for the first and second wicket, which helped South Africa reach a huge total of 439/2.
Hashim Amla batted his way through and finished with a score of 153* off 142 balls and 14 fours. Rilee Rossouw made 128 off 115 balls with 11 fours and two sixes. But the innings of a lifetime came from the bat of AB de Villiers, who smashed every batting record. He scored 149 runs off just 44 balls, including 9 fours and 16 sixes. It was his innings that took the score to 439. In reply, West Indies only managed 291/7 in 50 overs and lost the match by 148 runs.