AN INCISIVE batting display from South Africa helped them bounce back from defeat in the opening Twenty20 international against England to seal an emphatic 84-run victory at Centurion.

A world-record 170-run opening partnership from Graeme Smith (88) and Loots Bosman (94) helped the hosts reach a massive 241 for six – the second highest 20-over total ever – before disciplined bowling helped restrict the tourists to 157 for eight.

There were some reasons for encouragement for England though, in particular the return of Kevin Pietersen who made 29 in his first innings since his return from an Achilles injury.

Jonathan Trott also hit a half-century, but the writing seemed to be on the wall early on after a monumental batting display by Smith and Bosman, who surpassed the previous 145 mark set by West Indies batsmen Chris Gayle and Devon Smith in 2007.

Pietersen was back in the England team after captain Paul Collingwood was ruled out due to a stiff back, with Alastair Cook leading the team instead.

But Graeme Swann, their most impressive bowler on tour so far, missed out, and after losing the toss and being asked to field first, the England attack struggled in their bid to secure a series victory.

After just 14 runs came from the first three overs bowled by James Anderson (one for 28) and Tim Bresnan (none for 48), Sajid Mahmood (one for 61) was introduced to bowl an eventful fourth over in which he conceded 21 runs.

His first three balls, the third of which was a no-ball, were ruthlessly dispatched for boundaries by Smith, before the home captain was bowled off a free-hit.

Mahmood then had Bosman out caught at mid-off, only for the umpire to signal another no-ball and the right-hander ended the over with a six over mid-wicket.

South Africa passed 50 in just the fifth over and the introduction of Adil Rashid only sped up their momentum as the leg-break bowler conceded 25 in his only over, which produced four sixes and saw Smith bring up his 50.

Bosman raised his half-century with the same strike rate to help his side reach the halfway stage at 131 without loss.

Another costly Mahmood over took South Africa past 150 before the ball was tossed to the returning Pietersen, who also went for runs.

But the breakthrough finally came with Joe Denly’s first ball in international cricket – Smith’s 44-ball knock ended when he was caught by Mahmood at long-on at the start of the 14th over.

Albie Morkel came in and clubbed 14 from six balls but gave Pietersen his first T20 wicket when he picked out Bresnan at long-on.

The 200 was raised in the 16th over before JP Duminy (two) and Bosman, who hit nine sixes in his 45-ball knock, fell in quick succession, but AB de Villiers (24) took his side to 241.

England began positively enough with Denly, whose previous two Twenty20 international knocks have yielded ducks, swinging Yusuf Abdulla away for four, followed by Cook handing the same treatment to the Dolphins bowler in the second over.

They took their side to 20 after three overs, but Abdulla had his revenge when Denly’s attempted off-side drive uprooted his off-stump for a run-a-ball 14.

After a slightly cagey start, Cook started to find his range with three fours off Abdulla in a 13-run sixth over. The stand-in skipper again battled to get Ryan McLaren away in the eighth over which saw his side finally past 50 with South Africa looking well in control.

Trott slogged the first six off Roelof van der Merwe over midwicket in the ninth over – by the same stage the hosts had already clobbered nine maximums.

Cook eventually ended his 21-ball stay when he pulled Morkel (two for 35) straight to Van der Merwe at mid-on for 26, bringing Pietersen to the crease as he and Trott took their side to the halfway stage at 68 for two.

Pietersen, who last played for his country in the second Ashes Test in July, showed no signs of rustiness with a tidy pick-up shot off Van der Merwe for six over square-leg.

The pair tried desperately to revive momentum, with the 100 brought up in the 14th over. Trott lifted McLaren away for a six over square-leg to bring up his 50 from 38 balls – the same stroke also raising the 50 stand – but he was out not long after when he skied Morkel to debutant wicketkeeper Heino Kuhn.

Pietersen faced 19 balls before he was eventually out while trying a switch-hit against Van der Merwe, while Eoin Morgan (10) and Luke Wright (12) perished cheaply as South Africa squared the series with an easy win.