It has been a South African summer at Lord’s. After the World Test Championship triumph in June came a second to savour at the home of cricket: a narrow five-run win under lights that sealed their first one-day international series victory on English soil for 27 years.
As the tourists kept the celebrations in check – this was never going to top the final at the same venue three months ago – England reflected on a fifth ODI series defeat from their last six. They improved on Tuesday’s Headingley howler, even if it would have been hard to have played any worse.
