England completed their summer with a 28-run win - and a convincing one at that - over South Africa in the third and final Twenty20 International at Edgbaston.
Just as it had at Old Trafford, the game was reduced due to rain but here it was played to its conclusion and England's score of 118 for five in 11 overs proved well beyond the Proteas.
On a frustrating evening for players and spectators alike, the second Twenty20 International between England and South Africa was abandoned as a no result with just five more balls required to confirm a legitimate match.
This came despite the game being reduced to nine overs per side following a prolonged spell of rain that delayed the start by two hours, after which South Africa reached 77 for five.
After much deliberation, it has been decided that Mohammad Hafeez is this week's Cricket World Player of the Week. At first glance, it may not be an obvious choice, but, in each of the matches that Pakistan played last week, Hafeez made a more than useful contribution.
The opening Twenty20 International between England and South Africa followed a similar pattern to that which the final One-Day International had on Wednesday. England posted a much below par total after batting first; took three early wickets to provide false hope; and then watched as South Africa plodded home with time and wickets to spare.
A cricket video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket news as we discuss the upcoming Twenty20 Internationals this weekend which see Australia, Pakistan, England, South Africa, India and New Zealand all in action.
South Africa and England tied their One-Day International series 2-2 after South Africa pulled off a seven-wicket win in the fifth and final match at Trent Bridge.
After England batted poorly to be bowled out for 182, they hit back with three quick wickets but Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers guided South Africa home with an unbroken 172-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Jonathan Trott has a fracture to his right hand that will rule him out of any further cricket in the 2012 season, including the conclusion to Warwickshire's season.
He suffered the injury during the fourth One-Day International against South Africa and was rested for the final match. X-rays came back all clear but an MRI scan revealed the fracture.
.jpg "Cricket Betting Video - Mr Predictor - England v South Africa ODI & T20 - Cricket World TV")
A cricket betting video for Cricket World TV about the latest cricket betting odds as John Pennington and Alastair Symondson look ahead to the England v South Africa 5th One-Day International at Trent Bridge and the three-match Twenty20 International series that follows.
England will finish the series as the number one ranked ODI side in the world but they will be looking to finish with a flourish, and on the back of strong performances from Steven Finn, Ravi Bopara, Eoin Morgan and Ian Bell, stand a good chance of taking the series at Trent Bridge.
It is the absorbing second Test match between New Zealand and India in Bangalore that provides this week's winner. Ross Taylor hit a sublime 113 in the visitors' total of 365, but that effort was bettered by Virat Kohli, who scored 154 runs across two innings to help India to a series clean sweep.
John Pennington assesses some of the arguments he's seen surrounding the identity of Andrew Strauss's successor at the top of the order. South Africa measure their rate of progress and development between cycles of series between them and Australia. Increasingly, England are being forced to rebuild after each home Test series against the Proteas. In 2003, Michael Vaughan took over as captain following Nasser Hussain's retirement and five years on it was Pietersen who took over when Vaughan stepped aside.
The retirement of Andrew Strauss announced in a press conference today will inevitably spark questions about the door opening for Kevin Pietersen's reintroduction to the international set-up; a door which had previously appeared closed for the significant future, writes John Pryor.
This week John Pryor looks back through time at some of the most famous dropped catches in cricket history. The number one Test match ranking changed hands in dramatic fashion this weekend; needing to win the final match of the series versus South Africa in order to hold on to top spot England went into the final day still needed 329 runs with only eight wickets remaining. Sadly for the home side it was not to be and they fell just 51 runs short of their target. Understandably, areas in which England failed to perform have been highlighted within the England setup and in the media.
Former England international Paul Nixon has been enjoying a busy summer promoting his autobiography Keeping Quiet, but he has also found time to work hard as one of a number of ex-players involved in the Andrew Flintoff Cricket Academy camps.
Backed by Activate Sport and Co-Operative, they are providing youngsters with the opportunity to try out the game, learn new skills and benefit from the wealth of knowledge that Nixon and the likes of Flintoff, Luke Sutton and Dean Headley can offer from their experience within the game.
As Arnold Schwarzenegger and most of the world watched Mo Farah clinch his second Olympic gold medal in a week at London's Olympic Stadium, Kevin Pietersen chose that precise moment to announce that he would be back, writes John Pennington.
In a video posted to YouTube, he announced he would be making himself available once again for all three formats of international cricket, responding to plenty of speculation that came about following remarks he made in a press conference at Headingley.
John Pryor highlights and discusses a range of the most entertaining and controversial tweets of the week by cricketers and cricket pundits. This week's range of subjects includes Kevin Pietersen, the Olympics and more Kevin Pietersen.
Twitter this week was dominated by reactions to Kevin Pietersen's controversial statement that the next Test Match at Lord's might well be his final one for England.
In his weekly column, Cricket World editor John Pennington tries to work out whether players, boards and fans can ever be happy with the amount of cricket that is being played in light of recent comments made by Kevin Pietersen.
To retire, or not to retire, or to retire from some forms of the game but not others, is the question. Cricket is unique in offering players three different formats to play in, so allowing opportunities to specialise in certain formats or stop playing certain formats in a bid to prolong a career.
John Pryor highlights and discusses a range of the most entertaining and controversial tweets of the week by cricketers and cricket pundits.
Twitter was a place of both celebration and sorrow this week...
The world of cricket was rocked this week by the news that South African wicket-keeper Mark Boucher had announced his retirement from international cricket following a freak injury sustained in a pre-tour warm up match versus Somerset.
In his weekly column, John Pryor reflects on the changing nature of injuries and how cricketers and teams deal with them.
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