The final match at Centurion was no less entertaining than the previous ones despite the fact that England were forced to accept that the series had slipped away with the rain at Durban.

England got off to a disastrous start, losing two wickets with only one run on the board as South Africa won the toss and Graeme Smith rather surprisingly chose to field first. Marcus Trescothick perished off the second ball of the innings, when he offered a simply catch to Herschelle Gibbs at point off Shaun Pollock. Michael Vaughan succeeded in playing the first ball from Makhaya Ntini, only for it to crash into the stumps. England's day was getting more morose as Andrew Strauss, in attempting a pull shot off Andre Nel in the twelfth over, feathered an inside edge to Mark Boucher behind the stumps for fifteen. For the second match in succession, Geraint Jones could only muster a skier that was pouched safely by Justin Kemp off Nel to leave England in dire straits at thirty-six for the loss of four wickets in only the sixteen over.
 

Then came the hurricane in the shape of Kevin Pieterson. If there is one man South Africa are struggling to dismiss for cheap, it is the South African export. In a face-saving 104 partnership with Ashley Giles, Pieterson began the approach with caution but as England brought up the 100 in the thirty-fifth over, he let loose with some scintillating and seemingly invincible batting. Ashley Giles perhaps played the innings of his life, scoring a precious and brisk forty-one before being bowled out by Ntini. But that was only the start of the fireworks from Pieterson, who spared no bowler in his merciless jog towards yet another astounding century. When he did eventually depart for 116 off 110 balls that was studded with ten boundaries and six sixes, Kabir Ali created a little sparkle of magic off his own with a brief nineteen to leave England with a much healthy 240, before Hall struck fro the third time to end England's resistance just short of the fifty over mark.
 

The South Africans started their reply in positive fashion, as was expected of a team on top. Andrew Hall, having done very well with the ball, opened the innings with Smith in place of Adam Bacher who made way for Nicky Boje. The hosts got off to a steady start and despite losing Hall for twenty-three courtesy a mistimed hook shot off Alex Wharf, things seemed smooth for the hosts. Jacques Kallis partnered Smith in a partnership that was putting England's chances of snapping the final match far away. Smith was on forty-seven when he attempted a lofted drive off Giles only to be caught at mid-on. Kallis appeared unruffled as did Ashwell Prince, who played himself in before going on to make a well-deserved half century.

Just as rain threatened to add further drama, England were given half a life with South Africa 148 for four, when Kallis giving Vaughan a rare wicket, playing down long-on's throat and Gibbs were declared lbw off Harmison, who until then was all pace but little incision. But England desperately missed the services of the miserly and deadly Darren Gough. South Africa, despite the closer finish that England's bowling made possible and Mark Boucher's uneventful run-out on forty-four, romped home by three wickets under Prince's guidance with a 4-1 victory in the seven Standard Bank one day international series.

The South Africans 'huddle' to celebrate Vaughan's dismissal.