England's hopes of rounding off a successful year in one-day internationals with another series victory suffered a blow at Trent Bridge as they stumbled to 182 all out. Many of their problems were self-inflicted as they allowed South Africa to make regular inroads, with the visitors fielding what looked their best-balanced team of the series.

Six of South Africa's seven bowlers shared the wicket-taking. Robin Peterson, who started with the new ball, took 3 for 37 while there were two apiece for Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel. The biggest bonus for them, especially in light of strengthening the batting with the inclusion of Justin Ontong, were the scalps taken by part-time spinners JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis. England were bowled out with 28 deliveries unused in a batting display that had an distinct end-of-term feeling, or at least of minds on Twenty20 cricket.

The stuffing was knocked out of the innings as England gifted away three wickets in six overs after Alastair Cook and Jonny Bairstow had started a recovery from 24 for 2 - one of the early losses that of the struggling Ravi Bopara, for a duck. Bairstow, who had replaced the injured Jonathan Trott, could not have picked out deep square-leg with more precision when he flicked Morkel off his pads straight to Ontong.

Then in the next over, Duminy's first, Eoin Morgan tried to clear mid-on and offered a simple catch and England's most dynamic one-day player had gone without scoring. Moments after the halfway mark of the innings it got worse for England when Cook, having reached a steady fifty from 69 balls, punched a low full toss back to du Plessis - the seventh bowler used - also in his first over to leave the home side tottering on 99 for 5.

There was little option but to just try and bat out the innings, but each time a partnership was starting to form a loose shot gave it away. Samit Patel got into a tangle against a slower-ball bouncer from Steyn - who bowled beautifully throughout - and gloved a catch to the keeper while Craig Kieswetter, after showing promising signs, tried to clear the infield in the Powerplay but could only sky a catch to mid-off.

The generous nature of the batting continued with James Tredwell missing a charge at Peterson and, perhaps most inexplicably, James Anderson tried to launch him down the ground first ball and did not get further than mid-off. With Chris Woakes, a player of considerable batting talent, at the other end it was brainless cricket.

However, there is no doubt who has the most frazzled mind of England's batsmen right now. Bopara had been promoted to No. 3 in the absence of Trott and, after leaving his first delivery from Steyn, was drawn into pushing at his next and edging to AB de Villiers. It was a good delivery, moving away late from the right hander, but Bopara did not offer much footwork and it was a carbon copy of his previous two dismissals, meaning he ends the series with scores of 16, 0, 6 and 0.

He had come to the crease early because Ian Bell fell lbw to Peterson with the new ball. It was not the first time Peterson had enjoyed success in such a role against England having previously taken two wickets in his first over of the World Cup match in Chennai last year (and later added Bell on that occasion, too).

Here Bell was trapped by a delivery that slid on with the arm although he opted for the review only to see it confirmed as striking leg stump. However, Peterson was not given another over with Morkel, who had been recalled in place of Lonwabo Tsotsobe, brought into the attack to target Bairstow.

Bairstow responded with a sweet clip through midwicket to open his account followed by another boundary through the off side off the back foot. This was the ground where Bairstow was roughed up by Kemar Roach in the Test match but since then has responded resoundingly. He did, however, get given a life on 10 when de Villiers could not grasp an inside edge that carried low to his left off Steyn although was unable to really make it count. From the moment he departed, England's innings never regained a foothold.