England captain Alastair Cook paid tribute to South Africa after they won the second Twenty20 international by 84 runs.

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, at Centurion.

Disciplined bowling then helped restrict the tourists to 157 for eight.

Cook, standing in for the injured Paul Collingwood, told Sky Sports: "It was not the result we wanted, they took the game away from us from the fourth or fifth over and from then on we were behind the eight ball.

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"It's always tough when you go round the park that, it was great hitting and you have to give credit to the way they played.

"You can set a field but if you don't put the ball in the right place the margin on that wicket was very small.

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"I'm not sure if anyone has chased 240, we had the belief but we didn't have the skills today."

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Asked if the crushing win was down to his side being so good or England being so bad, Smith said: "I think I'd like to say we were that good.

"We were positive, Loots and I got a rhythm and a beautiful wicket and we just wanted to keep England on the back foot.

"The ball does sail up here in the high veldt, we wanted to bat first and post a good total but I don't think we could have expected 241.

"But I was very happy with the way we went today."

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