ENGLAND’S batting flopped embarrassingly on their return to ODI duty today, bowled out for just 131 in their series opener against South Africa.

The squad only came together in full on Monday evening, with their solitary pre-match training session severely depleted due to the conclusion of The Hundred, and their chosen XI turned in an error-strewn and incoherent effort.

The Proteas, who have only recently arrived from a one-day series in Australia, were much sharper as they took advantage of a sloppy performance that lasted just 24.3 overs – less than half of their allotted time.

Jamie Smith top-scored as he continued his new role as opener, hitting 54 in 48 balls, but it was a solitary effort as the rest of the order toppled in timid fashion. England’s next best was 15 from Jos Buttler, with spinner Keshav Maharaj claiming four for 22 and Wiaan Mulder taking three for 33.

Both bowlers found themselves on hat-tricks in an utterly one-sided contest that saw England lose their last eight batters for 49.

South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl first, with Smith lacing a couple of punchy boundaries in the first over. That proved a false dawn, with Ben Duckett first to fall prodding defensively at Nandre Burger.

Joe Root, who drove up from Lord’s after losing the Hundred final on Sunday, hit a pair of exquisite extra cover drives but played and missed several times before being well caught by wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton after finally nicking one from Lungi Ngidi.

Captain Harry Brook, whose six-match 100 per cent record as white-ball skipper is now in grave danger, then ran himself out looking for an ill-judged second to leave the score 82 for three.

Smith passed his half-century with 10 boundaries as he kept up his one-man fight, but when he turned Wiaan Mulder off his pads and was well held by the diving Corbin Bosch at fine-leg, England lost all resolve.

Maharaj showed why he is world number one, having Jacob Bethell caught off a thick outside edge and taking a soft return catch off Will Jacks. Once Mulder removed Buttler and Jofra Archer with successive deliveries, Maharaj followed suit to finish the innings in ignominy.

He removed Adil Rashid lbw and condemned Sonny Baker to a golden duck on debut by scattering the stumps.