England wrapped up victory in the NatWest Series with an overwhelming 126-run defeat of South Africa at The Oval on Friday.
Kevin Pietersen's team began the five-match series a lowly sixth in the one-day international rankings, against a second-placed opponent which could've gone top of the world above Australia with a 4-1 success or better.
But after half-centuries from Andrew Flintoff (78no) and Ian Bell (73) had carried England to 7-296 - a total it defended with ease - it is England who is 3-0 up and eying a whitewash to go above South Africa into a best-ever second placing.
Put in under persistently cloudy skies on a fast and true Oval pitch, England was indebted to Bell and Matt Prior for a century opening stand in just a shade more than 15 overs.
With Bell gone after his 36-ball 50, momentum was lost - but Flintoff came up with his second successive one day half-century, hitting nine fours and a six from 77 deliveries.
The tourists never threatened to launch a plausible reply, and Samit Patel (5-41) - who had shared an important 74-run sixth-wicket stand with Flintoff in his maiden ODI innings - took the bowling honours in a hapless 170 all out, with more than seven overs unused.
Flintoff, who displayed his intent with a classy driven four on the up off Kallis from his second ball, marshalled things superbly during a crucial stand of 74 with Patel.
He even took a blow for his trouble when, on 39, Morne Morkel clattered his helmet with a short ball which left him dazed and nursing a bruise above his right eye.
After five minutes of treatment, however, he cruised to his half-century and launched a six off the deflated Steyn during the final assault.
South Africa required a decent start to promote its hopes of getting back into the campaign but its new-look opening partnership - captain Graeme Smith is sidelined with a severe bout of tennis elbow - was separated in the seventh over.
Herschelle Gibbs was snared at short cover off James Anderson, after Pietersen set the cunning trap and, without his customary top-order dash, South Africa soon fell way behind the required rate.
Top scorer Hashim Amla (46) and Kallis were sent back within the space of three overs and when Steve Harmison ran out AB de Villiers in the 21st, the rate was already well in excess of seven.
In truth, the game was over as contest by the time Patel defeated Mark Boucher's attempted cut off the stumps, for the first of his five-wicket bag.
He then claimed a victory in his battle with big-hitting Albie Morkel when, having been smacked for two sixes in the previous three balls, he clung onto a return chance.
When Patel wrapped things up with two wickets in an over, South Africa had been dismissed with 42 potential deliveries unused and appears a shadow of the side which triumphed in the Test series between the teams.
England innings
Bell lbw b Botha 73 (77)
Prior c Gibbs b J Morkel 33 (37)
Shah b Kallis 23 (37)
Pietersen lbw b Kallis 5 (7)
Flintoff not out 78 (77)
Collingwood c Boucher b Botha 14 (22)
Patel b Ntini 31 (33)
Wright c Gibbs b Steyn 17 (13)
Broad not out 0 (0)
Extras 22 (lb 3, w 16, nb 3)
Total 296 (7 wickets; 50.0 overs)
FoW: 1-101 (Prior, 15.2 ov), 2-144 (Bell, 24.2 ov), 3-146 (Shah, 25.1 ov), 4-155 (Pietersen, 27.2 ov), 5-182 (Collingwood, 34.2 ov), 6-256 (Patel, 45.3 ov), 7-295 (Wright, 49.5 ov)
Bowling
Steyn 10-0-67-1 (1w)
Ntini 9-1-68-1 (2nb, 2w)
M Morkel 10-1-51-0 (1nb, 3w)
J Morkel 5-0-30-1 (5w)
Botha 9-0-35-2
Kallis 7-0-42-2
South Africa innings
Amla c Prior b Harmison 46 (59)
Gibbs c Shah b Anderson 33 (37)
Kallis c Patel b Flintoff 9 (25)
de Villiers run out (Harmison / Prior) 12 (23)
Duminy c Prior b Flintoff 18 (33)
Boucher b Patel 19 (27)
J Morkel c & b Patel 16 (17)
Botha b Patel 17 (31)
M Morkel c Broad b Patel 6 (10)
Steyn not out 5 (12)
Ntini c Prior b Patel 0 (3)
Extras 10 (b 5, lb 4, w 1)
Total 170 (all out; 42.4 overs)
FoW: 1-19 (Gibbs, 6.3 ov), 2-67 (Amla, 15.4 ov), 3-77 (Kallis, 18.2 ov), 4-82 (de Villiers, 20.5 ov), 5-114 (Boucher, 28.6 ov), 6-134 (JA Morkel, 32.4 ov), 7-142 (Duminy, 33.5 ov), 8-160 (M Morkel, 38.4 ov), 9-170 (Botha, 42.1 ov), 10-170 (Ntini, 42.4 ov)
Bowling
Anderson 7-0-17-1
Broad 6-1-28-0
Harmison 9-1-28-1
Flintoff 7-0-33-2 (1w)
Patel 9.4-2-41-5
Collingwood 4-0-14-0
England won by 126 runs
Kevin Pietersen's team began the five-match series a lowly sixth in the one-day international rankings, against a second-placed opponent which could've gone top of the world above Australia with a 4-1 success or better.
But after half-centuries from Andrew Flintoff (78no) and Ian Bell (73) had carried England to 7-296 - a total it defended with ease - it is England who is 3-0 up and eying a whitewash to go above South Africa into a best-ever second placing.
Put in under persistently cloudy skies on a fast and true Oval pitch, England was indebted to Bell and Matt Prior for a century opening stand in just a shade more than 15 overs.
With Bell gone after his 36-ball 50, momentum was lost - but Flintoff came up with his second successive one day half-century, hitting nine fours and a six from 77 deliveries.
The tourists never threatened to launch a plausible reply, and Samit Patel (5-41) - who had shared an important 74-run sixth-wicket stand with Flintoff in his maiden ODI innings - took the bowling honours in a hapless 170 all out, with more than seven overs unused.
Flintoff, who displayed his intent with a classy driven four on the up off Kallis from his second ball, marshalled things superbly during a crucial stand of 74 with Patel.
He even took a blow for his trouble when, on 39, Morne Morkel clattered his helmet with a short ball which left him dazed and nursing a bruise above his right eye.
After five minutes of treatment, however, he cruised to his half-century and launched a six off the deflated Steyn during the final assault.
South Africa required a decent start to promote its hopes of getting back into the campaign but its new-look opening partnership - captain Graeme Smith is sidelined with a severe bout of tennis elbow - was separated in the seventh over.
Herschelle Gibbs was snared at short cover off James Anderson, after Pietersen set the cunning trap and, without his customary top-order dash, South Africa soon fell way behind the required rate.
Top scorer Hashim Amla (46) and Kallis were sent back within the space of three overs and when Steve Harmison ran out AB de Villiers in the 21st, the rate was already well in excess of seven.
In truth, the game was over as contest by the time Patel defeated Mark Boucher's attempted cut off the stumps, for the first of his five-wicket bag.
He then claimed a victory in his battle with big-hitting Albie Morkel when, having been smacked for two sixes in the previous three balls, he clung onto a return chance.
When Patel wrapped things up with two wickets in an over, South Africa had been dismissed with 42 potential deliveries unused and appears a shadow of the side which triumphed in the Test series between the teams.
England innings
Bell lbw b Botha 73 (77)
Prior c Gibbs b J Morkel 33 (37)
Shah b Kallis 23 (37)
Pietersen lbw b Kallis 5 (7)
Flintoff not out 78 (77)
Collingwood c Boucher b Botha 14 (22)
Patel b Ntini 31 (33)
Wright c Gibbs b Steyn 17 (13)
Broad not out 0 (0)
Extras 22 (lb 3, w 16, nb 3)
Total 296 (7 wickets; 50.0 overs)
FoW: 1-101 (Prior, 15.2 ov), 2-144 (Bell, 24.2 ov), 3-146 (Shah, 25.1 ov), 4-155 (Pietersen, 27.2 ov), 5-182 (Collingwood, 34.2 ov), 6-256 (Patel, 45.3 ov), 7-295 (Wright, 49.5 ov)
Bowling
Steyn 10-0-67-1 (1w)
Ntini 9-1-68-1 (2nb, 2w)
M Morkel 10-1-51-0 (1nb, 3w)
J Morkel 5-0-30-1 (5w)
Botha 9-0-35-2
Kallis 7-0-42-2
South Africa innings
Amla c Prior b Harmison 46 (59)
Gibbs c Shah b Anderson 33 (37)
Kallis c Patel b Flintoff 9 (25)
de Villiers run out (Harmison / Prior) 12 (23)
Duminy c Prior b Flintoff 18 (33)
Boucher b Patel 19 (27)
J Morkel c & b Patel 16 (17)
Botha b Patel 17 (31)
M Morkel c Broad b Patel 6 (10)
Steyn not out 5 (12)
Ntini c Prior b Patel 0 (3)
Extras 10 (b 5, lb 4, w 1)
Total 170 (all out; 42.4 overs)
FoW: 1-19 (Gibbs, 6.3 ov), 2-67 (Amla, 15.4 ov), 3-77 (Kallis, 18.2 ov), 4-82 (de Villiers, 20.5 ov), 5-114 (Boucher, 28.6 ov), 6-134 (JA Morkel, 32.4 ov), 7-142 (Duminy, 33.5 ov), 8-160 (M Morkel, 38.4 ov), 9-170 (Botha, 42.1 ov), 10-170 (Ntini, 42.4 ov)
Bowling
Anderson 7-0-17-1
Broad 6-1-28-0
Harmison 9-1-28-1
Flintoff 7-0-33-2 (1w)
Patel 9.4-2-41-5
Collingwood 4-0-14-0
England won by 126 runs
