The only surprise was that Kevin Pietersen did not score the winning runs. When Andrew Strauss fell, 50 short of the victory target, the captain's mysterious - and much referred to - scriptwriter had seemingly penned the perfect ending, but it did not turn out that way. Instead, it was left to Andrew Flintoff to put the seal on a magnificent start to King Kev's reign by smashing Paul Harris, South Africa's left-arm spinner, down the ground and over the ropes to chalk up Pietersen's first victory in the most emphatic fashion.

Once South Africa had been bowled out for fewer than 200 in their first innings, there was an air of inevitability about the outcome of this match, but it was nothing less than England deserved. At the heart of this turnaround was the freshness and optimism wrought by a change of captain, whose initial decisions always erred on the positive side, courage that was amply rewarded. But as well as England played, South Africa looked like a team who had celebrated their series triumph at Edgbaston not wisely, but too well.

The discipline that was at the heart of South Africa's success earlier in the series went Awol and there was little urgency or intensity in their body language yesterday. Their bowling attack needed to make early inroads yesterday morning, but England's eventual victory, by six wickets midway through the afternoon session, was never in doubt once Strauss and Alastair Cook had posted an opening stand of 123, their third three-figure partnership at the top of the order in Tests. After a cagey first 40 minutes, both played positively. Cook was especially severe on anything short and neither batsman was prepared to let Harris settle, since, to left-handers, he posed the greatest threat on a wearing pitch.

Max Mosley would recognise kindred spirits in Team England, though. A desire to expose themselves to danger and self-harm means that a run chase is never complete without a clatter of wickets somewhere down the line and yesterday's came when Cook, Strauss and Ian Bell fell within a proximity that was far too close for comfort. Cook drove loosely at Makhaya Ntini, falling again in the 60s, as he has five times since his last hundred, at Galle ten Tests ago. Bell, attempting to copy Pietersen's walk-across-the-stumps method to Ntini, wandered too far, so exposing his leg stump, which was duly flattened, and Strauss poked Harris to leg slip.

The stage then was set for Pietersen to blaze England to victory. But he was frustrated by Harris's over-the-wicket, leg-stump line, once feigning the switch-hit, but for once bailing out. When Harris did tempt him to play with bat and not pad by coming back round the wicket, Pietersen obliged but only by popping a catch to short leg. The disappointment was short-lived, though, since Pietersen left the podium soon enough with a victory cheque, the match award, the England man-of-the-series award and the cheers of a grateful crowd.

Four Test matches ago, Peter Moores, the head coach, said that this series represented a litmus test for the kind of progress, or otherwise, that his team had made under his stewardship and, in his post-match press conference, the new captain was bullish in his assessment, reckoning any team to be within their capabilities.

But this, surely, is, as Oscar Wilde said of second marriages, “a triumph of optimism over experience”. This, after all, was the culmination of a series defeat, the second such in consecutive summers and one that sends England a place lower in the Reliance Mobile Test Championship. It was a defeat that highlighted certain deficiencies that the new captain would do well to dwell on once the initial euphoria has passed. In no particular order, the issues are: a top order that only once passed 350 in the first innings, and twice was rolled over for fewer than 250; an all-rounder, Flintoff, who is yet to show that his batting form has returned; a wicketkeeper who, on present form, would not get into the team of any other leading Test-playing nation and a spinner who, if not exactly regressing, is certainly not progressing as quickly as a cricketer who has played 33 Tests should.

The first two are questions of form and confidence, the latter of personnel. Matt Prior's return for the one-day series will be watched eagerly, since England cannot afford to carry a wicketkeeper who does not score runs. Opinion in England is still split between the purists and the progressives, but when a modern 'keeper such as Mark Boucher, of South Africa, is asked the question, his answer is simple and said in a manner that brooks no argument. He considers himself an all-rounder.

Monty Panesar has no challengers to his position, a ridiculous state of affairs. If Pietersen can achieve two things with Panesar, they would be to make him realise that umpires need to be treated with respect and that the best spinners would take it as an utter insult if a captain sets their fields for them. Shane Warne's comment that Panesar has not played 33 Tests, but one Test 33 times is a damning assessment of his ability to think for himself.

Almost enough to block out these concerns was the splendid way in which Pietersen took to his new role and the return to form of Stephen Harmison, who did more than enough to prove why he provokes such adverse comment at times. England are a far better side when he and Flintoff are used as battering rams and how well Pietersen can continue to galvanise “Big Stevie”, as he calls him, will determine in no small part how successful his short-term ambitions are.

This, though, was Pietersen's triumph as he became only the fourth man since Mike Denness to win his first Test in charge. They are contrasting characters, these men who have led England in that time, but none has been a better batsman than Pietersen and none has approached the job with such bravado. He spread a mighty amount of love around before the game and, by the end, the Oval crowd had reciprocated. There are worse things than love and optimism with which to take a team forward.

Full scoreboard from the Brit Oval
South Africa won toss
South Africa: First Innings
*G C Smith c Anderson b Harmison 46
(148min, 103 balls, 7 fours)
N D McKenzie c Cook b Flintoff 17
(95min, 55 balls, 2 fours)
H M Amla b Harmison 36
(54min, 35 balls, 8 fours)
J H Kallis lbw b Anderson 2
(8min, 5 balls)
A G Prince c Bell b Anderson 4
(28min, 14 balls, 1 four)
A B de Villiers lbw b Panesar 39
(81min, 53 balls, 8 fours)
M V Boucher c Ambrose b Anderson 3
(23min, 13 balls)
M Morkel c Bell b Broad 17
(49min, 30 balls, 3 fours)
P L Harris not out 13
(68min, 49 balls, 1 four)
A Nel c Ambrose b Broad 4
(8min, 5 balls, 1 four)
M Ntini b Panesar 9
(44min, 29 balls, 1 four)
Extras (b 1, lb 1, nb 2) 4
Total (64.5 overs, 307min) 194
Fall of wickets: 1-56 (20.0; Smith 36); 2-103 (31.4; Amla 36); 3-103 (31.5; Kallis 0); 4-105 (32.5; Prince 0); 5-118 (37.0; De Villiers 9); 6-132 (42.1; De Villiers 20); 7-158 (49.3; Morkel 5); 8-168 (52.5; Harris 0); 9-172 (54.4; Harris 0).
Bowling: Harmison 18-6-49-2 (8 fours; 8-3-24-0, 6-2-16-2, 4-1-9-0); Anderson 15-1-42-3 (nb 2; 6 fours; 5-0-12-0, 8-1-24-3, 2-0-6-0); Flintoff 15-2-37-1 (5 fours; 5.5-1-15-1/lunch/3.1-1-9-0, 4-0-9-0, 2-0-4-0); Broad 14-3-60-2 (13 fours; 3-1-12-0/ lunch/4-1-21-0/2-0-13-0/tea/5-1-14-2); Panesar 2.5-0-4-2 (0.3-0-1-1/tea/1.3-0-1-0, 0.5-0-2-1).
Scoring notes: First day: Lunch (taken at 12.44pm - rain) 64-1 (21.5 overs, 104min; Smith 40, Amla 4). Tea 156-7 (49.3 overs, 239min; Morkel 5). All out at 5.06pm - 23 overs left.
England: First Innings
A J Strauss c Smith b Ntini 6
(16min, 20 balls, 1 four)
A N Cook c Boucher b Ntini 39
(159min, 102 balls, 5 fours)
I R Bell c Smith b Ntini 24
(62min, 41 balls, 3 fours)
*K P Pietersen c Kallis b Ntini 100
(207min, 137 balls, 15 fours)
P D Collingwood c and b Kallis 61
(180min, 124 balls, 10 fours)
A Flintoff c Boucher b Kallis 9
(15min, 13 balls, 1 six)
T R Ambrose c Smith b Kallis 4
(14min, 11 balls)
S C J Broad c McKenzie b Ntini 1
(46min, 36 balls)
S J Harmison not out 49
(82min, 59 balls, 8 fours)
J M Anderson lbw b Harris 13
(54min, 34 balls, 1 four)
M S Panesar run out 0
(2min, 0 balls)
Extras (lb 4, w 1, nb 5) 10
Total (95.2 overs, 423min) 316
Fall of wickets: 1-7 (3.4; Cook 1); 2-51 (17.4; Cook 20); 3-111 (35.5; Pietersen 38); 4-219 (63.5; Collingwood 45); 5-233 (68.0; Collingwood 50); 6-241 (72.0; Collingwood 54); 7-248 (77.2; Broad 0); 8-263 (83.2; Harmison 13); 9-316 (95.0; Harmison 49).
Bowling: Morkel 22-3-78-0 (nb 4; 10 fours; 6-0-14-0, 5-1-20-0, 2-0-4-0/bad light/4-0-25-0, 5-2-15-0); Ntini 24-3-94-5 (14 fours; 8-1-27-1/stumps/2-0-11-1, 2-1-5-1/lunch/ 4-1-12-0, 3-0-19-1, 5-0-20-1); Nel 19.2-5-56-0 (8 fours; 3-0-7-0, 7-3-14-0, 7-2-24-0, 2.2-0-11-0); Kallis 15-2-51-3 (w 1; 8 fours; 5-0-17-0/lunch/ 3-0-19-0, 7-2-15-3); Harris 15-4-33-1 (nb 1; 1 six, 3 fours; 6-2-13-0/tea/7-2-8-0, 2-0-12-1).
Scoring notes: Second day: Rain delayed start by 30min. Lunch 116-3 (38 overs, 170min; Pietersen 42, Collingwood 1). Bad light break 2.23 to 2.33pm - 151-3 (47 overs). Second new ball taken at 5.19pm - 260-7 (81.3 overs). Tea 232-4 (67 overs, 300min; Collingwood 49, Flintoff 9). All out at 6.25pm - nine overs left.
South Africa: Second Innings
*G C Smith lbw b Anderson 0
(2min, 5 balls)
N D McKenzie b Broad 29
(89min, 58 balls, 4 fours)
H M Amla c Ambrose b Harmison 76
(130min, 99 balls, 14 fours)
J H Kallis c Collingwood b Harmison 9
(88min, 57 balls, 1 four)
A G Prince c Strauss b Flintoff 24
(93min, 53 balls, 4 fours)
A B de Villiers b Panesar 97
(233min, 170 balls, 12 fours)
M V Boucher c Collingwood b Anderson 12
(64min, 44 balls, 1 four)
M Morkel c Bell b Panesar 10
(25min, 22 balls, 1 four)
P L Harris c Flintoff b Broad 34
(88min, 74 balls, 3 fours)
A Nel not out 3
(15min, 8 balls)
M Ntini c Collingwood b Broad 2
(10min, 9 balls)
Extras (b 6, lb 8, w 5, nb 3) 22
Total (99.2 overs, 424min) 318
Fall of wickets: 1-0 (0.5; McKenzie 0); 2-82 (20.4; Amla 46); 3-119 (30.0; Kallis 6); 4-138 (40.0; Prince 16); 5-161 (51.2; De Villiers 10); 6-201 (68.1; De Villiers 37); 7-218 (73.4; De Villiers 43); 8-313 (95.4; De Villiers 97); 9-313 (96.5; Nel 0).
Bowling: Anderson 22-2-85-2 (nb 1; 12 fours; 3-1-11-1, 5-1-20-0, 6-0-16-0, 2-0-6-0, 2-0-11-1, 2-0-9-0, 2-0-12-0); Harmison 25-6-84-2 (w 1; 11 fours; 3-0-13-0, 6-0-21-0, 8-5-12-2, 4-1-9-0, 2-0-13-0/tea/2-0-16-0); Flintoff 18-4-53-1 (nb 2; 8 fours; 2-0-11-0, 3-0-18-0, 6-3-5-1, 4-1-13-0, 3-0-6-0); Panesar 17-5-37-2 (5 fours; 1-1-0-0, 3-1-8-0, 1-0-4-0, 7-2-15-1, 1-0-1-0, 4-1-9-1); Broad 16.2-4-44-3 (4 fours; 3.5-2-10-1/close/0.1-0-0-0, 5-1-12-0, 4-1-12-0, 3.2-0-10-2); Pietersen 1-0-1-0.
Scoring notes: Fourth day: Lunch 168-5 (55 overs, 243min; De Villiers 15, Boucher 1). Second new ball taken at 3.20pm - 241-7 (80 overs). Tea 265-7 (85 overs, 364min; De Villiers 76, Harris 12). All out at 5pm - 23 overs left.
England: Second Innings
A J Strauss c Smith b Harris 58
(164min, 107 balls, 6 fours)
A N Cook c Smith b Ntini 67
(133min, 106 balls, 12 fours)
I R Bell b Ntini 4
(25min, 19 balls, 1 four)
*K P Pietersen c McKenzie b Harris 13
(45min, 27 balls, 2 fours)
P D Collingwood not out 25
(57min, 50 balls, 4 fours)
A Flintoff not out 11
(15min, 14 balls, 1 six, 1 four)
Extras (b 6, lb 7, w 1, nb 6) 20
Total (4 wkts, 52.5 overs, 221min) 198
Fall of wickets: 1-123 (31.2; Strauss 42); 2-147 (37.5; Strauss 58); 3-147 (38.1; Pietersen 0); 4-182 (48.4; Collingwood 20).
Bowling: Morkel 13-2-43-0 (nb 5, w 1; 5 fours; 1-1-0-0/stumps/6-1-13-0, 2-0-8-0, 4-0-22-0); Ntini 14-4-55-2 (nb 1; 12 fours; 0.2-0-0-0/stumps/ 7.4-4-29-0, 6-0-26-2); Harris 19.5-5-56-2 (1 six, 6 fours; 8-1-25-0/lunch/11.5-4-31-2); Nel 5-0-21-0 (2 fours; 3-0-16-0, 2-0-5-0); Kallis 1-0-10-0 (1 four).
Scoring notes: Fourth day: Bad light/rain stopped play at 5.16pm. Abandoned at 5.55pm. Stumps 0-0 (1.2 overs, 5 min; Strauss 0, Cook 0). Fifth day: Lunch 109-0 (29 overs, 125min; Strauss 38, Cook 58). England won by six wickets at 3.15pm.
Match award: K P Pietersen
Series awards: K P Pietersen and G C Smith.
Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan - 50th Test) and S J Davis (Australia - 13th).
Replay umpire: P J Hartley.
Fourth umpire: R K Illingworth.
Match referee: R S Madugalle (Sri Lanka).
Series details: First Test (Lord's) Drawn. Second Test (Headingley) South Africa won by ten wickets. Third Test (Edgbaston) South Africa won by five wickets.
Compiled by Bill Frindall