Monday’s third and final Test match saw England overcome South Africa by 9 wickets to win the three-match series 2-1. Under Brendon McCullum’s leadership, the Three Lions had won two straight series in the longest format. The team has won six of the seven games it has played since the Kiwi international took over the longest format for England in May of this year, replacing Chris Silverwood. One of the victories came against India in the fifth Test match, which was rescheduled.
McCullum’s first job as England’s Test coach was a three-match series against New Zealand, which his team won 3-0. Later, with his guidance, the same team overcame India. England fell behind South Africa early in the series by an innings and 12 runs, but McCullum’s team recovered to win the next two games handily. While England prevailed by an innings and 85 runs in the second Test, they won the final match by a margin of 9 wickets.
McCullum claimed following the South Africa series that England’s cricket team has far more quality than he had anticipated. “I thought English cricket had a lot of talent but it got a lot more than I thought,” McCullum told BBC. “I knew these guys were good but they are a lot better than I thought. It is a very privileged position to be in to go and help these guys perform. It has been an absolute thrill. “There are still big challenges in the next couple of years but for now it has been a pretty successful summer,” McCullum added.
