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England snatch series after Stokes slams ton

South Africa fall two runs short of 331 target, having needed 10 from 10 in dramatic conclusion in Southampton

Ben Stokes struck a superb century before pacemen Josh Ball and Mark Wood helped England seal a dramatic and series-clinching two-run win over South Africa in the second ODI at Southampton on Saturday.

Victory put England 2-0 up with one to play ahead of Monday's finale at Lord's.

Stokes made South Africa pay dearly for dropping him off both the first and second balls he faced after the allrounder had been passed fit to play following a knee injury.

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Yet in a match where the Proteas dropped six chances in all, they were still on course for a morale-boosting win ahead of the start of next week's Champions Trophy ODI tournament in England; with two overs to go, the world's top-ranked ODI side needed 20 to reach their target of 331.

That became 10 off 10 balls when David Miller (71 not out) struck Jake Ball for a six and a four off successive deliveries.

But South Africa – often accused of 'choking' in pressure situations – saw Miller and Chris Morris (36 not out) fail to score the runs they required as Ball and fast bowler Wood held their nerve.

Wood defended a target of seven off six balls in the last over.

Two singles were followed by a dot ball, a single and another dot ball. 

Suddenly, South Africa needed four off the last ball and Morris could not oblige.

Earlier, Stokes made 101 and Jos Buttler a dashing 65 not out in England's 6-330 after South Africa captain AB de Villiers sent them into bat in overcast, bowler-friendly, conditions.

Stokes, who briefly left the field with a knee injury in England's 72-run win in the series opener at Headingley on Wednesday, showed no discomfort with the bat, although he only bowled three overs.

His 79-ball innings, his second century in 55 ODIs, featured 11 fours and three sixes.

Stokes, last week named MVP of IPL10, shared stands of 95 with skipper Eoin Morgan, who was dropped twice, and 77 with Buttler.

South Africa's sloppy fielding saw ODI debutant left-arm spinner Keshav Mahraj, who bowled much better than figures of 1-72 in 10 overs suggested, have three catches dropped off his bowling alone.

England were faltering at 3-80 when Stokes came into bat.

The innings then took a decisive turn when he was missed twice in his first two balls, with Maharaj again the unfortunate bowler.

He deceived Stokes with a well-flighted delivery that took the left-hander's outside edge only for the ball to go through Amla's hands at slip for four.

Next ball produced another edge, with wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock failing to hold a more difficult chance.

Stokes subsequently hoisted both medium-pacer Andile Phehlukwayo and Morris high over deep midwicket for sixes.

He had equalled his previous ODI best of 101, against Bangladesh in Dhaka in October, when he found Miller at long-off to give Maharaj a deserved wicket.

Stokes partly returned the favour when he dropped de Kock, then on 28, flooring a tough one-handed caught-and-bowled chance with his first ball in the Proteas' innings.

De Kock went on to make 98 and shared a stand of 96 with de Villiers (52).

Amla was hit flush on the helmet grille by Wood before falling for 24 when he drove Stokes to Morgan at short extra cover.

De Villiers, who made a sparkling 52 at better than a run-a-ball, gloved a well-directed short delivery from fast bowler Liam Plunkett (3-64) through to wicketkeeper Buttler.

South Africa then suffered a further setback when de Kock, in sight of a hundred, tried to run off-spinner Mooen Ali down to third man and was caught behind by opposing gloveman Buttler.

England XI: Eoin Morgan (capt), Jason Roy, Alex Hales, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood, Jake Ball.

South Africa XI: AB de Villiers (capt), Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, Dwaine Pretorius, Chris Morris, Kagiso Rabada, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj.