England beat South Africa by 73 runs in the third and final Under-19 ODI at Beckenham, to win the series 2-1.

The Proteas had looked slight favourites at half way, after dismissing England for 271, with two balls of their 50 overs remaining. Michael Kruiskamp took 4 for 44, while Caleb Falconer was England’s top scorer with 79 and Rocky Flintoff made 55.

In reply Jason Rowles hit 85 for the visitors, but he lacked any significant support and the game turned when England brought on Leicestershire spinner Ali Farooq, who took 3 for 43.

When James Minto removed Knowles, South Africa still needed 112 to win with three wickets remaining and both Minto and Jack Nelson finished with three wickets each as England won with 6.3 overs remaining.

South Africa chose to field and the left-armer Kruiskamp removed Friday’s centurion, Ben Dawkins for just 8, having him caught at first slip by Nkosana Sibiya. He then had Ralphie Albert caught behind for 3, before Will Bennison was caught and bowled by Ntando Soni for 15, reducing England to 41 for 3.

It might have been worse but Sibiya then dropped Flintoff off Kruiskamp when he was on eight and Flintoff and Falconer put on 105 for the next wicket.

Falconer smacked Tahseen Hanslo back over his head for six to reach 50, but with a century there for the taking he pulled Soni to Kruiskamp at backward square.

Robbie Bowman went for 12, hitting Vihan Pretorious to Riley Miller at long-on and after Flintoff steered the same bowler through point to reach 50, he hit Rowles to Miller in almost exactly the same spot.

Charlie Taylor should have been run out when he was on 3 and several yards out of his ground but Rowles couldn’t gather the throw. Taylor failed to cash in however, as Kruiskamp took two wickets in the 40th over. Jack Nelson chipped him to Sibiya for 15, before he bowled Taylor for five, leaving England eight down with 10 overs remaining.

Manny Lumsden rode his luck at times, but weighed in with 38 valuable runs, in a stand of 49 with Minto. He pulled Kruiskamp for six over square leg and hit Kamogelo Matlala back over his head for another maximum before Paul James bowled him in the 48th.

Minto hit James for a huge six over long on in the final over, but James wrapped the innings up two balls early when Farooq hit him to Rowles at cover.

It was Minto who broke through after South Africa sped to 40 without loss, catching Sibiya for 19 off his own bowling. South Africa then went 10 overs without a boundary, during which Farooq came on and had Jorich van Schalkwyk caught by Bennison for 11 with his fifth ball.

Farooq then had Muhammad Bulbulia caught behind for 11 and Vihan Pretorius, who drove him to Dawkins at long-on for 8.

Riley Miller then skied Lumsden and was caught by Bowman, reducing the Proteas to 112 for 6 and James should have gone for two when he hit Farooq to backward point and was spilled by Minto.

With the run rate climbing to nearly eight, Rowles hit Nelson for six over long-on, then again over long-off in the same over, but when Minto returned from the Beckenham End he removed the Proteas’ danger man thanks to an outstanding diving grab by Falconer.

Minto then had Hanslo caught in the deep by Lumsden for 1 and Kruiskamp hoicked Nelson straight to Lumsden at midwicket for 7. James went down swinging but Nelson then had him caught on the boundary by Dawkins for 28 and the series win was sealed when Matlala hit Nelson to Bennison.