NZ's new T20 record lasts just three hours

A day after England's men's team set a new world mark for the highest-ever ODI total, their women's side has smashed a record of their own on a remarkable day in Taunton.

England posted a new women's Twenty20 international record score of 3-250 against South Africa, just hours after New Zealand had done the same thing against the Proteas at the same ground.

Scorecard: All the numbers from NZ's record score

The three sides are taking part in a triangular T20 tournament where teams will play 'double-headers'.

It was South Africa's turn to play two matches on Wednesday and were put to the sword; first they conceded 1-216 against New Zealand, a new record that lasted only a matter of hours.

England easily eclipsed that score in the day's second match as Tammy Beaumont scored 116 and put on 147 for the first wicket with Danni Wyatt (56).

Beaumont reached three figures from just 47 balls, the second-fastest century in history behind Deandra Dottin's 38-ball ton in 2010, also against South Africa.

After watching NZ rack up a record score, Beaumont said the team had ignored advice from their coach Mark Robinson.

"We saw the Kiwi girls broke it, Robbo told us in the pre-match chat not to try and break it, but I think a few of the girls got a bit of a challenge on," Beaumont told Sky Sports.

"It's an incredible wicket, and we feel a bit sorry for the South Africa girls having to go two in two. But that's the way it goes in this T20 series and we’ve all got one of those."

England went on to win the match by a huge margin of 121 runs, another record, as SA mustered just 6-129 in reply.

England quick Anya Shrubsole defied the trend of the day in the run chase, returning figures of 0-8 from four overs including two maidens, an equal record.

Two South African bowlers - Masabata Klaas (0-59 from four overs) and Stacy Lackay (2-59 from four) - also shared an unwanted mark for the most runs conceded by a bowler in a T20 innings.

Earlier, New Zealand captain Suzie Bates top-scored with 124 not out from 66 balls, and with Sophie Devine (73) put on a record 182 for the first wicket, eclipsing the previous mark of 170.

New Zealand's total surpassed Australia's 4-209 against England in Mumbai in March.   

It came barely a week after the White Ferns posted a colossal 4-490 - the highest total in any one-day international, women's or men's, against Ireland in Dublin - an innings that featured Amelia Kerr's individual record 232 not out.

Bates's innings on Wednesday also saw her go past former England captain Charlotte Edwards as the leading run-scorer in women's T20Is.

"It's the best I've batted for a while," Bates told the BBC after South Africa managed just 6-150 in reply.

Bates, 30, hit 16 fours and three sixes but fell just two runs short of equalling the individual women's T20 record of 126 made by Australia's Meg Lanning against Ireland in 2014.

South Africa skipper Dane van Niekerk admitted: "I think we went to Plan Z. There were a couple of run-out chances we didn't take, but the class of Suzie and Sophie, they'll make you pay."

Records tumble in Taunton

3-250 - Highest T20 total, by England
1-216 - Second-highest T20 total, by New Zealand
47 balls - Second-fastest T20 century, by England's Tammy Beaumont
121 runs - Highest T20 victory margin, by England
59 - Most runs conceded by a bowler, by SA's Masabata Klaas and Stacy Lackay
124* - Second-highest T20 score, by NZ's Suzie Bates
182 - Highest T20 partnership, by NZ's Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine
2639 - Most T20 career runs, by NZ's Suzie Bates
2 - Equal-most maidens in a match, by England's Anya Shrubsole