England finished their incredible summer with a series-clinching nine-wicket win over South Africa at the Kia Oval.
On the fifth morning of the third and final Test, the home team scored the 33 runs they needed to win in only 25 minutes.
After Alex Lees was lbw on review to Kagiso Rabada for 39, Zak Crawley finished with a score of 69, and Ollie Pope remained undefeated on 11.
After days one and two of play were postponed out of respect for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away, the match was won in little over two days.
READ More: England closing on a series-clinching victory over South Africa
It marks a dramatic reversal from England’s previous record of one victory in 17 games, giving captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum their sixth victory from seven Test matches in their first summer in command.
Only once, in 2004, when they completed a perfect 7-for-7 record, England won more than five Tests in a home summer.
In the World Test Championship, where they compete with Australia, India, and Pakistan for a spot in the championship game, South Africa loses the opportunity to rise back to the top of the standings. With the setback, the Proteas’ winning streak of the four-Test series is broken.
With a seven-match series in Pakistan starting on September 20, an almost new England team now turns its focus to training for the T20 World Cup in Australia in October.
The winter Test matches for England are scheduled for Pakistan in December and New Zealand in February.
