The last time England toured South Africa, the four-match Test series ended in a tightly contested 1-1 draw. We look back at the 2009/10 series.
First Test
Centurion, drawn
South Arica were sent in to bat and scored 418, thanks to Jacques Kallis’s 120 and a fifty by JP Duminy as Graeme Swann took 5-110. England responded with 356 with Swann (85) and Paul Collingwood (50) scoring fifties and Paul Harris claiming 5-123.
Hashim Amla (100) hit a century and AB de Villiers (64) and Mark Boucher (63 not out) fifties to give South Africa a lead of 363 as Graeme Smith declared on 301-7. South Africa came agonisingly close to winning the Test on the last day, but England held out on 228-9, Paul Collingwood facing 99 balls for his unbeaten 26 and Graham Onions surviving 12 balls for a draw as Friedel de Wet took 4-55 on debut.
Second Test
Kingsmead, England won by innings and 98 runs
Fifties from Graeme Smith (75), Jacques Kallis (75) and AB de Villiers (50) gave South Africa a respectable total of 343 after Graeme Swann took 4-110.
England responded with a mammoth 574-9 as Alastair Cook (118), Paul Collingwood (91) and Ian Bell (140) tormented the South African bowlers.
Having conceded a 231-run deficit on the first innings, the Proteas imploded badly in their second innings as England skittled them out for 133 to win the second Test in emphatic manner. Graeme Swann (5-54) and Stuart Broad (4-43) did the most damage.
Third Test
Newlands, drawn
Jacques Kallis led from the front with 108 as South Africa desperately tried to get back in the series. It lifted them to 291 all out, but Morne Morkel (5-75) and Dale Steyn (4-74) combined forces to bowl England out for 273.
Graeme Smith led the way with 183 in the second innings and was well supported by Hashim Amla who fell short of his own century on 95. Smith declared on 447-7 during the second session on day four, setting England a target of 466 to win. Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss made a good start as they shared a 101-run opening partnership, but South Africa took control after that to take wickets at regular intervals. For the second time in the series England managed to hold out, reaching 296-9 in 141 overs before time was called by the umpires.
Fourth Test
Wanderers, South Africa won by an innings and 74 runs
A complete performance by the Proteas saw them bowl England out for 180 thanks to a five-for (5-51) by Dale Steyn. Graeme Smith (105), Hashim Amla (75), AB de Villiers (58) and Mark Boucher (95) were all in the runs as Smith declared on 423-7.
England fared even worse in their second innings as Morne Morkel (4-59) led the charge to bowl them out for 169 as South Africa won the Test and drew the series.
