England well beaten by South Africa after dramatic top-order collapse

England failed their final Champions Trophy audition as they fell to a seven-wicket defeat to South Africa after a frenetic top-order collapse at Lord's.

Jonny Bairstow helped to spare the embarrassment marginally, but unsurprisingly there proved no way back into the match after England crashed to 20 for six in the first five overs — the worst ever start to a one-day international fixture.

They were subsequently bowled out for 153 in only 31.1 overs, before the tourists sealed victory in 28.5 either side of the lunch break in the third and final Royal London Series match.

England’s hopes of a 3-0 whitewash, after taking an unassailable lead with a narrow win at the Ageas Bowl on Saturday, therefore came to nothing — as did pretensions to beginning the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh at The Oval on Thursday on a nine-match winning streak.