A dramatic series that will live long in the memory came to an end on the stroke of lunch when England were dismissed for 169 to surrender the fourth and final Test by an innings in Johannesburg.
In outplaying their opponents so comprehensively in a match in which less than 200 overs were played, South Africa deservedly squared a series they will look back upon as one that got away. A 1-1 scoreline could so easily have been 3-1 in their favour, England’s last-wicket pair having saved both the first and third Tests.
Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were simply too much for England on a pitch continuing to show exaggerated bounce. With seven wickets apiece in the match, the pair have been the difference between the two sides here. Showing little stomach for the fight, England lost their last seven wickets in just 20 overs in front of a big Sunday crowd that were admitted free of a charge after problems with the turnstiles.
England got through the first three quarters of an hour, but not without some good fortune. Collingwood, on seven, edged Dale Steyn just over the slips and there was a good deal of playing and missing. It was from a loose drive to a full-length ball wide of off stump by Wayne Parnell that Kevin Pietersen edged a routine catch to Mark Boucher. Only once in the series did Pietersen pass fifty.
A three-wicket burst in seven balls from Morkel sealed England’s fate. Ian Bell edged a brutish lifter high to second slip, where Jacques Kallis held a sharp catch, and in the same over, Matt Prior again got out to the pull shot, top-edging to Graeme Smith, who ran back from first slip to accept the chance.
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In Morkel’s next over, Stuart Broad, trying to avoid a short ball speared into his body, gloved a catch to the wicketkeeper. Initially given not out by umpire Steve Davis, he was sent on his way by the third umpire, Daryl Harper, who at last got a caught-behind decision right.
Graeme Swann batted with typical pluck to crack 20 off 17 balls at the end of what has been a wonderful series for him, but he had no answer to a beauty from Steyn. Drawn forward, he was defeated by extra bounce, his edge flying to third slip.
Collingwood, who had completed an excellent fifty off 65 balls with ten fours, continued to show notable defiance, memorably driving Steyn over long-off for six. Graeme Smith replaced Steyn with J-P Duminy and the change immediately paid off with Collingwood pulling the off spinner’s first ball of the match straight to deep backward square. His 71 had come off only 88 balls.
It was Duminy, having changed ends, who applied the coup de grâce, bowling Ryan Sidebottom when he attempted a slog over mid-wicket.