Patel polishes off Proteas

Andrew Flintoff and Samit Patel were the stars as England beat South Africa at The Oval to clinch the one-say series with two to play.

Kevin Pietersen's side showed the kind of consistency he asked for to win by 126 runs at The Oval and seal the one-day series.

Hashim Amla came into the tourists side for the injured captain Graeme Smith, with stand-in skipper Jacques Kallis winning the toss and putting England in to bat in the morning.

But Ian Bell (73) and Flintoff (78 not out) took England to 296-7, a total South Africa never threatened to reach.

Patel destroyed the lower order and took 5-41 with his left-arm spin, his best figures in all listed cricket, after he had earlier made 31.