Statistical Highlights: South Africa beat England

South Africa were as relentless with the ball as they were with the bat earlier, against England. Their margin of victory against the hosts at The Oval, that of an innings and 12 runs, uncovered several statistical high points in its wake.

# Bell (55 off 220 balls) has posted his third fifty against South Africa - his 33rd in Tests. In the course of his knock, Bell has completed his 3,000 runs in Tests in England, aggregating 3047 at an average of 56.42 in 42 Tests.

# Bell became the 19th England player to complete 3,000 runs or more in Tests in England.  Graham Gooch, with with 5,917 runs at an average of 46.22 in 74 Tests, is the top England run-getter in England.

# Dale Steyn (5/56) has registered his best bowling figures against England in England, outstripping the 4 for 76 at Leeds in July 2008.

# Steyn's above instance is his second five-wicket haul against England - his best being 5 for 51 at Johannesburg in January 2010.  Overall, he has taken five wickets or more in an innings 18 times in Tests.

# Steyn enjoys an exceptional bowling record in Tests.  His bowling average of 16.27 in South African victories is magnificent, claiming 189 wickets in 28 Tests, including 14 five-wicket hauls and four instances of ten wickets in a Test match.

# Amla's strike rate in South African wins is superb - 29.6 - the best ever amongst the bowlers with 100 wickets or more in Tests.  Shoaib Akhtar has the next strike rate in wins - 33.4.

# Graeme Swann, before being dismissed, has completed the double of 1,000 runs (at an average of 21.73) and 100 wickets (188 at 29.38 runs apiece) in 45 Tests.

# South Africa have registered their first victory in 14 Tests at The Oval. South Africa have won one, lost six and drawn seven at this venue.

# South Africa have won six Tests by an innings margin against England - two each at Cape Town and Johannesburg and one each at Lord's and The Oval - their biggest victory being by an innings and 92 runs at Lord's in 2003.

# South Africa's above victory is their 30th in 139 Tests against England (Lost 56 & Drawn 53) - success % 21.58.

# Abraham de Villiers, with eight dismissals, has produced his best performance as a wicketkeeper in a Test match - the second highest tally by a South African wicketkeeper against England, behind the nine by Mark Boucher at Leeds in July 2008.

# The 82 (43 + 39) extras conceded by South Africa is an unwanted feat registered by them in a Test match.

# Matt Prior, for the first time, has recorded 100 runs (60 + 40) in a Test match against South Africa.

# Hashim Amla has got his fourth Man of the Match award in Tests - his first ever against England.

# Hashim Amla's magnificent unbeaten 311 off 529 balls is the eighth highest innings in a winning cause in Tests.  The said innings is the highest and the first triple hundred in a winning cause against England.