Jacob Bethell smashed 88 off just 42 balls as England beat South Africa by six wickets in Wednesday’s U19 World Cup quarter-final in Antigua.

Bethell’s remarkable innings featured 16 fours and two sixes, and England rattled along at over 10 runs an over before he fell with the score on 110, already over halfway to the target and with 39.2 overs still remaining.

Despite winning the toss and electing to bat, South Africa found scoring tough early, losing Valentine Kitime in the fourth over by the continually impressive Josh Boyden.

Boyden also removed Ethan-John Cunningham in the early stages, before Dewald Brevis and Gerhards Maree steadied the South African ship with a stand of 55.

Brevis continued after Maree fell to Bethell, making his fourth score over fifty for the tournament, only to fall on 97.

Rehan Ahmed’s 4-48 stifled South Africa, who looked dead in the water at 169-9. But Matthew Boast and Asakhe Tsaka frustrated England with a final-wicket stand of 40, ticking over to a more respectable 209.

Bethell then attacked for England, hitting the fourth-fastest fifty in the tournament’s history in 20 balls, with the run rate exceeding 10 an over.

He would eventually be dismissed on 88 from 42 balls, though the damage was done for George van Heerden’s side, who will now fight for the minor places.

William Luxton finished the job with 47 from 41 balls at No 5, ending the match with a six.