Vernon Philander took five wickets as South
Africa replaced England as the world’s number one Test side with a
51-run win in the third Test at Lord’s yesterday.
England, set 346 for victory, were dismissed for 294 on the final day as South Africa took the three-match series 2-0.
Man-of-the-Match Philander wrapped
up the contest with two wickets in two balls to finish with 5/30 after
Matt Prior had threatened to lead England to an improbable victory with
a dashing 73.
This was England’s first home
series defeat since losing to South Africa four years ago and the first
time they’d lost two or more Tests in a home campaign since the 2001
Ashes.
ICC Test Championship
| Team | Matches | Points | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 25 | 3002 | 120 |
| England | 36 | 4195 | 117 |
| Australia | 34 | 3952 | 116 |
| Pakistan | 29 | 3148 | 109 |
| India | 29 | 3004 | 104 |
| Sri Lanka | 29 | 2834 | 98 |
| West Indies | 28 | 2509 | 90 |
| New Zealand | 21 | 1670 | 80 |
| Bangladesh | 12 | 0 | 0 |
Virat Kohli's meteoric rise in recent times
has prompted the Sri Lankan cricket team to devise a game plan for the
Indian batsman ahead of next month's T20 World Cup, according to opener
Tillakaratne Dilshan.
"We are not meeting them in the first round. If we have to meet India in
the Super Eights or the semifinals then we have to plan against him,"
Dilshan told.