England edge past South Africa to take ODI series with Ben Stokes and Mark Wood making the difference

They say fortune favours the brave and so it proved at the Ageas Bowl as England wrapped up a nerve-jangling two-run victory to seal their series against South Africa with a game to spare.

It was the Durham pair of Ben Stokes and Mark Wood who made all the difference in this final-ball thriller. Stokes scored a magnificent century, just his second in ODIs, after being dropped twice on nought to help set South Africa a target of 331.

Wood then held his nerve brilliantly in the final over of the match which the tourists needed seven runs from to win, the fast bowler conceding just four from it as Eoin Morgan’s team showed the big-match temperament they will need in the upcoming Champions Trophy to sneak home.

This was a nail-biting contest that could have gone either way, as 98 from Quinton De Kock, 52 from captain AB De Villiers and David Miller’s unbeaten 71 took it right to the wire. In the end England prevailed to secure their eighth successive ODI win.

Stokes had only been passed fit on the eve of this match after he had pulled up bowling with a sore left knee during Wednesday’s night’s opening ODI at Headingley. Given he bowled just three overs following his batting heroics here he must surely now be rested for Monday’s series finale at Lord’s ahead of England’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh at The Oval on Thursday.

To say Stokes rode his luck early in his innings was an understatement. Dropped off his first two balls, the 25-year-old then made South Africa pay by plundering 101 from the next 77 he faced. The tourists may be the No1-ranked team in this form of the game but they looked anything but as they put down six catches in the field.

It helped England, also powered by Jos Buttler’s first half-century in nine ODIs, post 330 for six batting first. It was the 21st time Morgan’s team have hit a total in excess of 300 since their first-round exit from the World Cup 15 months ago.

Stokes, the hottest property in world cricket right now after his recent standout debut season in the Indian Premier League, has been at the centre of that renaissance. England were 81 for three in the 17th over when their talisman was dropped by Hashim Amla at slip from the first ball he faced, bowled by spinner Keshav Maharaj. De Kock gave Stokes his second life the very next delivery.

Kagiso Rabada had already dropped Alex Hales on the boundary rope in the 13th over, even if the opener, caught behind off Dwaine Pretorious, was dismissed three balls later for 24.

Rabada made the initial breakthrough in the fifth over when he bowled Jason Roy. The dismissal of Hales was followed by a freak run out of Joe Root, Pretorious deflecting a Morgan drive onto the stumps with the Yorkshireman out of his ground at the non-striker’s end.

Stokes, though, led England’s recovery alongside Morgan, the pair adding 95 for fourth wicket before England’s captain under-edged Rabada behind on 45.

At this stage, the hosts were 175 for four in the 33rd over. But their position would have been far more precarious had Morgan not been dropped on 16 and 22. Morgan’s exit brought Buttler to the crease and alongside Stokes, the pair put on 77. England had advanced to 249 by the time Stokes reached his hundred. Just three more runs were added to the total by the time the all-rounder, who struck 11 fours and three sixes, holed out in the 44th over to Maharaj on 101.

Buttler’s last ODI half-century had come during England’s series in Bangladesh last October but the wicketkeeper overcame that lean run with an unbeaten 65 from 53 balls here. His partnership with Moeen, also dropped on 19, was worth 78 in 40 balls as England piled on 111 in the final ten overs.

De Kock was to prove key after South Africa were reduced to 93 for two in the 17th over of their chase. The wicketkeeper was spared on 28 when Stokes, with his first delivery of the match, failed to cling on to a difficult caught and bowled chance. But three balls later Stokes had Amla caught brilliantly by Morgan at extra cover.

Faf Du Plessis then edged Liam Plunkett behind, bringing De Villiers, South Africa’s captain, to the crease. He put on 96 across 16.1 overs with De Kock to put his team in the ascendency. De Villiers was looking in ominous form, reaching 50 in 48 balls, before he gloved Plunkett behind.

At 189 for three in the 33rd over and De Kock set on 89, the tourists were still favourites. Moeen’s off-spin, though, dragged England back into the match when De Kock, feathering behind, fell two runs shy of a 13th ODI hundred.

With South Africa 211 for four in the 36th over, the contest was in the balance. Fifty in 35 balls from Miller kept it on a knife-edge, as did the fall of Farhaan Behardien, Plunkett’s third wicket, for 17.

At that stage, South Africa needed 65 from 39 balls and with Miller still at the crease they had every chance. He was ably assisted by Chris Morris, dropped on eight by Jake Ball, as the tourists reduced that equation down to 14 from the final 11 balls and then seven from the last over.

That saw Wood hold his nerve brilliantly to bring a fascinating match to a dramatic - and for England triumphant - conclusion.