CENTURION, South Africa, 25 January 2005 — England sealed their first Test series victory in South Africa for 40 years when the fifth and final match ended in a draw yesterday.

England, set a target of 185 in 44 overs, recovered from 20 for three to reach 73 for four when bad light ended play 16 balls early.

Vaughan was unbeaten on 26 at the end of the match with all rounder Andrew Flintoff on 14.

The last victorious England side in South Africa was in 1964-65, when MJK Smith led the tourists to a 1-0 win in a five-match series.

England lost their first wicket without a run on the board when fast bowler Makhaya Ntini had Andrew Strauss caught by Jacques Kallis at second slip with the eighth ball of the innings.

Robert Key was trapped in front for nine by fast bowler Shaun Pollock for nine, and three overs later Ntini struck again when he bowled Trescothick for seven with an angled delivery that seamed back to hit the left-hander’s off stump.

That reduced England to 20 for three, but Vaughan and Graham Thorpe kept South Africa at bay for the next 17 overs, adding 25 runs before Ntini had Thorpe caught by Herschelle Gibbs at third slip. Ntini took three for 12 from 11 overs.

Earlier, AB de Villiers scored 109 and Kallis an undefeated 136 in South Africa’s second innings of 296 for six declared.

Kallis batted for 277 minutes, faced 217 balls and hit 16 fours and a six, becoming the 25th player to score 20 Test centuries.

De Villiers and Kallis added 227 for the third wicket. De Villiers was at the crease for 276 minutes, facing 169 balls and hit 11 fours and a six in his maiden Test century.

South Africa resumed on 59 for two, and De Villiers and Kallis hardly put a foot wrong in scoring 153 runs in a wicketless morning session. England attacked to no avail before setting more defensive fields.

De Villiers and Kallis were separated 11 overs after lunch when the former attempted an on-drive to a ball from fast bowler Simon Jones and edged a catch to Matthew Hoggard at third man. Graeme Smith scored just three before sending a ball from fast bowler Steve Harmison looping to substitute fielder Paul Collingwood at backward point.

Flintoff to Fly Home for

Operation on Ankle

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff will return home after the Test series against South Africa to have an operation on an injured left ankle. He will miss a seven-match one-day series against South Africa which starts Sunday. Team spokesman David Clarke said yesterday Flintoff had been troubled by a bone spur in his left ankle and the injury had gradually been getting worse. He will see a specialist in London Friday with a view to having surgery as soon as possible.

Six Changes in South African

One-Day Squad

South Africa announced six changes yesterday to their one-day squad to play against England in a seven-match series starting in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Five players were dropped from the squad that lost all five matches in Sri Lanka last year and then failed to advance beyond the group stage in the ICC Champions Trophy in England last September. Axed were Martin van Jaarsveld, Lance Klusener, JP Duminy, Alan Dawson and Robin Peterson.

Six players were brought into a 15-man party for the first four matches. The only uncapped player is AB de Villiers, the 20-year-old batsman who made 92 and 109 in the fifth Test which ended at Centurion yesterday.

Recalled were Adam Bacher, Andrew Hall, Ashwell Prince, Justin Kemp and Andre Nel.

Bacher, 31, an opening batsman and medium-pace bowler, last played for South Africa in 1997 98.