Wishes galore on Twitter for South Africa

South Africa showed a lot of determination through the course of their away series against England and while the final Test went right down to the wire, it eventually saw the Proteas emerge as the Number 1 Test side - a feat well appreciated by fans, current and former players.

Former captain Shaun Pollock was one of the first to wish South Africa. "Congrats to the Proteas, great effort to win the series 2-0 and get their hands on the No 1 spot Mace. Even better dedicating it to @markb46," he wrote on the micro-blogging site. Pollock was referring to Graeme Smith who had the words - We miss you Bouch - written on his jersey for his teammate who retired after suffering an eye injury during a warm-up match before the series.

While Boucher was sorely missed by his team-mates, it did not reflect in their style of play as the team took the series 2-0 and now have 120 rating points as against England's 117. The series also emphasised that Test cricket is not losing out to any other format of the sport. "Test Cricket is alive and kicking! What a game...," wrote South African cricketer Jacques Rudolph after the thrilling contest on Monday.

Even members of the playing XI were quick to let the world know of their emotions. "I'm exhausted! Totally worth it tho! Well done men, awesome to be part of this team!" wrote Dale Steyn who for a change, came out second best to a rampaging Vernon Philander. Philander claimed five wickets and was credited as one of the most skilled architects to have crafted England's demise.

Questions, from fans on both sides, were also raised on the influence of Kevin Pietersen (dropped for the final Test) who could have made a difference. An otherwise active tweeter, the player himself maintained his silence on the outcome of the match till the time of publishing this report.