South Africa battled hard not to lose face in the Test series against England but in the end had to concede a rare series defeat in forty years. But the hosts had much to cheer when the seven Standard Bank one-day international series drew to a close on Sunday.

South Africa not only overcome their initial hesitancy, the mark of a team unaccustomed to winnings ways and built the momentum after nearly losing the match at Bloemfontein, only to tie it in the dying moments after almost sealing a victory. Winning 4-1 in the end was a champagne moment for Graeme Smith, Ray Jennings and the bunch of new hopefuls against practically a full-strength England side, weakened only slightly by the absence of Andrew Flintoff, who is recovering from ankle surgery back home.

But Kevin Pieterson, a former South African player and presently wearing the England badge and crown, generated not only controversy and animosity amongst the crowds, but also stamped his immense talent in the limited outing. With three centuries in just five innings and still ending up on the losing side will rankle. But it certainly signifies that England have found a gem and perhaps in the near future, he will no doubt be instrumental in picking England up from its present low rankings of 'seventh', lower than even the West Indies.

South Africa though have a rare moment in recent times to actually rejoice, given that their rankings have improved from a much lower seventh, now occupied by England, to a promising fifth. South Africa despite an unsettled look, appear a fitter outfit in the one-day version. Their stability has been critical for their success. One highlight from the hosts' point of view is the re-emergence of Justin Kemp, whose ability to hit the ball harder and further than the hugely reputed Lance Klusener made a huge difference in the series.

While South Africa's win is a reflection of the self-belief that grew with the team's performance, the series by no means was a totally one-sided affair. There were heart-stopping finales, and things might well have become even more interesting had rain not ruined England's efforts to stage a comeback. The series certainly made for spicy entertainment and it was just the type of cricket that brought the crowds into the stadiums.

The series was not without its minor controversial points either, with England, in rather typical fashion, bemoaning the length of the tour for their rather inability to compete in stronger fashion. The choice of venues and the lighting at some of the stadiums for the day-night affairs also came in for some criticism.

But the final scorecard looks uplifting for the hosts who had lost all but one of their previous thirteen games, their only victory coming against the lowly ranked Bangladesh.