England managed to seal series victory over South Africa despite losing the third and final ODI at Lords on Monday. In the last ODI, seamers Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell wreaked early havoc to set the platform for an easy South African victory. South Africa won by seven wickets but lost the series after defeat in the first two games as both countries prepared for the start of the Champions Trophy this week.
Rabada and Parnell decimated the English top order in the opening five overs and rendered the contest effectively over with England teetering at 20 for six. It was the first time six wickets had been taken inside the opening five overs of an ODI.
England, who rested Ben Stokes and made four other changes after Saturday's narrow victory in Southampton, were eventually dismissed for 153 after 31 overs to which the South Africans replied with 156 for three. Hashim Amla scored 55 before being bowled by debutant Toby Roland-Jones and Quinton de Kock (34) fell in the next over to Jake Ball. But, JP Duminy (28 not out) and AB de Villiers (27 not out) saw their side through to victory.
South Africa's bowlers used the seamer-friendly conditions to maximum effect as England's batsmen fell like skittles, the first six wickets all coming from pitched up deliveries. Rabada had out-of-form Jason Roy caught in the slips by Amla in the opening over and Joe Root, Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler followed in quick succession to catches. Jonny Bairstow's 51 saved England from the possibility of a worst-ever ODI score.
Ben Stokes struck century
In the second ODI in Southampton, Ben Stokes struck a century before pacemen Josh Ball and Mark Wood helped England seal a series-clinching two run-win over South Africa. Victory put England 2-0.
Stokes made South Africa pay dearly for dropping him off both first and second balls after the all-rounder had been passed fit to play following a knee injury. Yet in a match where the Proteas dropped six chances in all, they were still on course for a morale-boosting win ahead of the start of next week's Champions Trophy.
South Africa, the world's top-ranked ODI side, needed 20 off the last two overs chasing a target of 331. That became 10 off 10 balls when David Miller (71 not out) struck Jake Ball for a six and a four off successive deliveries. But South Africa - often accused of 'choking' in pressure situations - saw Miller and Chris Morris (36 not out) fail to score the runs they required as Ball and fast bowler Wood held their nerve.
