Breetzke fires South Africa to series win despite hosts' rally

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 tight five-run win under lights that sealed their first one-day international series victory on English soil for 27 years.

- Ali Martin

For England it was another reminder of how far they have fallen since lifting the World Cup on this ground six years ago, this their fifth ODI series defeat from their last six. They improved on Tuesday's howler at Headingley but they would have done well to have played any worse.

Set 331 to win, Harry Brook's men came within touching distance of levelling the series after a collective effort that did crackle at times. Jacob Bethell tucked into Keshav Maharaj en route to 58 from just 40 balls, Joe Root finessed 61 before being stumped. And after Jos Buttler's brisk 61 from 51, they needed 75 from the last 45 balls of the innings.

But in the end, the more regimented Proteas prevailed. A yorker from Lungi Ngidi lit up Buttler's stumps and, despite some late blows from Will Jacks, the regular fall of wickets left the lower order too much to do. It ended with Jofra Archer needing 16 off the final over - the part-time spinner Senuran Muthusamy the bowler - only to fall just short.