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[RightArmRapid]

Philander's done it again, looks like it's all over now... Unless Finn and Anderson can pull off something spectacular!

[yvk3103]

Phil finishes it off.

SA are No. 1 Teat team.........................well deserved.

[RightArmRapid]

Yet another 5fer for Philander, this man cannot be underestimated!

[Nickauger]

Very well deserved. In this series, definitely outplayed us! Truly a number 1 team, absolute class! Probably fair to say that England are deservedly number 2 in the world (although I'm sure Vic disagrees). How long will they keep it up mind? With their team perhaps in a similair position to England last year, and India the year before, although perhaps they are just that bit younger!

Well played SA, a great team to watch!

[ppccopener]

yep,
fantastic effort from us today but South Africa have been the better side and deserved number 1.

I just hope the 50 commentators on sky or whatever dont slate England because some of them forget.....we were never number 1 when they played....

stick with this team and we will do well,plus ravi and onions.

Bye KP, lets look forward

[Nickauger]

Lets be honest, it was always going to be this series which lead to who was going to be number 1 and they outplayed us when it counted. Not an embaressing display from England but a 2nd best performance nonetheless. SA showed they are a much better bowling unit (-Tahir, who I thought was pretty average). Interesting stat that I'm sure most of you are aware of. Amla was dropped twice this series, with the net cost being 394 runs! England dropped 9 catches in total. Rusty, not sure, not good enough - certainly! Still, we're still better than the Aussies lol.

[petehosk]

It's ironic that England fielding was seen as superb for quite a while (in the last couple of years)
And for a few Tests now, our catching has let us down as much as any area! (Batting has also been more than a little inconsitent!) Consider for example that if Amla had of been held on 2 and AB had of been held on 8, then the target would have been 150 runs less that it ended up! And we would have chased them down! 
Catches really do win matches chaps....it's official! 

But seriously, you can sometimes get away with being off form in one area of cricket! But in two areas (batting and catching) you will lose!
Also if we had of held those 2 catches and drawn the series, I feel that it wouldn't have been fully deserved!

[Johnny]

....I think England are 3rd now... Behind Oz!

[Nickauger]

They weren't at 4:00 this afternoon. Don't know if anything else has changed since then. Odd how all the things that got England to number 1 fell apart in this series. Attention to detail, world class fielding etc.

[FvanN]

So the series is over  should have been a 5 test series.. maybe the powers that be will get that sorted out for next time

fantastic last day of a test match and I will be honest when Prior was caught off the no ball one word came to mind... Chokers...
But that was not meant to be for once 

As for England I feel the skipper, Broad and KP should be given a break.. A really really long break for KP ....

As for SA I think they need a few cold ones and then back to the task of trying to win the ODIs and T20 cause England's limited over cricket has been a lot better than there tests.

I tell you what boys its nice sitting at NUMBER 1..........

[Nickauger]

Enjoy it mate, some-one will work bloody hard to get that off you lol! I reckon Australia will be the next ones to be up there.

[procricket]

i dont rate Australia chances at all there bowling is poor at best

There only quality bowler is injured and young

[Abighugeappl]

Broad should be looking at his test place, done minimal with the ball and ok with the bat.

[Nickauger]

i dont rate Australia chances at all there bowling is poor at best

There only quality bowler is injured and young

No neither do I, but with Vic around I couldn't be bothered to give him ammo, and look like a blinkered Englishman lol thinking that we have a divine right to go back to #1, which I don't necessarily agree with.

[Bez013]

Broad should be looking at his test place, done minimal with the ball and ok with the bat.

I'm not a fan of Broad but I just looked up the bowling stats for 2012 and he is the leading wicket taker in tests for England in 2012 with 40 @ 27.77....in the SA series he is the leading wicket taker for England with 11 @ 39.72 with only Finn and KP boasting a better average and strike rate.