England completed a remarkable comeback to beat South Africa by nine wickets on the fifth day of the fifth and final Test at The Oval in London on Monday to square the series 2-2.
Marcus Trescothick was 69 not out and Mark Butcher 20 not out as England, needing 110 to square the series, finished on 110 for one in 22,2 overs.
The result meant South Africa were still looking for a first Test series win in England since 1965.
Earlier pace bowlers Stephen Harmison (four for 33) and Martin Bicknell (four for 84) both recorded their best Test figures, with Bicknell taking two wickets in two balls on Monday as South Africa were bowled out for 229.
But South Africa then missed a chance when third slip Andrew Hall dropped Trescothick off fast bowler Makhaya Ntini when both he and England were on one.
England’s openers survived and at lunch the hosts were 47 without loss, just 63 short of victory.
Trescothick was 26 not out and England captain Michael Vaughan 13 not out.
But two balls after the break, in Jacques Kallis’s first over of the innings, England lost their first wicket without addition when Vaughan’s wild cut saw him caught behind by wicket-keeper Mark Boucher.
However, left-hander Trescothick — who made a career-best 219 in the first innings — took England towards their target with some textbook fours down the ground and through the covers as well.
His single off Kallis took him to a 56-ball fifty with eight fours, and a calmly steered push off wrist spinner Paul Adams took England past 100.
And the Somerset batsman scored the winning runs when his edged four over the slips off Kallis flew down to the third man boundary.
Together with Butcher he put on 63 runs in 60 balls.
South Africa, after resuming on 185 for six, lost their four remaining second-innings wickets in 75 balls on Monday.
Surrey veteran Bicknell struck in the fourth over of the day when he had Boucher caught behind by county teammate and wicket-keeper Alec Stewart — in his last Test before international retirement — on the duo’s home ground.
Boucher, who had added just three runs to his overnight 22, put on 43 with Shaun Pollock, but at 193 for seven South Africa were just 73 runs ahead.
And next ball the Proteas the were 193 for eight when Andrew Hall lobbed the 34-year-old Bicknell legside to give Ed Smith at midwicket a simple catch.
Adams, who finished 13 not out, survived the hat-trick ball with a solid forward defensive shot.
Pollock, 19 not out when South Africa resumed, scored with a mixture of straight drives and steers over the slips.
But on 43, he guided fast bowler Harmison straight to Graham Thorpe at gully, leaving South Africa on 215 for nine.
Former captain Pollock faced 57 balls with seven fours.
Ntini (one) was last man out, becoming 24 year-old Harmison’s fourth victim when his miscued hook was well caught left-handed handed by a diving Smith at short leg.
England were led on and off the field by 40-year-old former captain Stewart, their most capped player, in his 133rd and last Test, who doffed his cap to the packed crowd as he took his leave of international cricket.
”I worked hard on my game throughout the whole series,” man of the match Marcus Trescothick said. ”I got a bit of luck here and there.”
”This is obviously my best Test victory. To come back and to show the character we did was fantastic,” said England captain Michael Vaughan.
”It was a real team effort. It’s been a fantastic summer for cricket and obviously to come back and level the series was fantastic for the team.”
”Very, very happy. A perfect send-off for me,” said Stewart. ”To start with a Test win and finish with a Test win was a perfect finish.” — Sapa-AFP