The hosts had already secured the series on Wednesday (September 25) when they took a crushing 51-33 victory at Wembley Arena in front of a crowd of over 5,000, but there was no resting on laurels from the world number three side, as they scored six unanswered goals in both the first periods to take a 30-16 lead by the half-time interval.

It was their South African opponents that finished the stronger of the two sides however as they edged the final quarter, but England held on to maintain their 100 per cent winning record for the year.

Despite the convincing result and another series whitewash, England coach Anna Mayes was not happy with the way in which their opponents clawed their way back as the game reached the climax.

She admitted that there were improvements to be made ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year, which will feature world number one side and Commonwealth champions New Zealand, along with world number two side Australia, who England defeated 3-0 earlier this year, and fourth-ranked Jamaica, who England also whitewashed in 2013.

England will look to better the bronze medal they won at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year

"I'm disappointed we lost the last quarter," said Mayes.

"One of our objectives for the series was to win all quarters of the three games.

"We went 20 goals ahead and although we made changes, some basic errors crept in and let our concentration go.

"But it was fantastic to get people out in various combinations and build on that for the future.

"We are on track and it is important to keep the winning mentality but we still have plenty to work on ahead of the Commonwealth Games."

Since netball came onto the Commonwealth Games programme in 1998, Australia and New Zealand have contested the final on all four occasions, with the Australians taking the first two golds and their neightbours coming out on top in 2006 on Australian soil and in Delhi at the last edition of the Games in 2010.

England have won the bronze medal on three occasions, including at Delhi 2010, whilst Jamaica claimed their solitary Commonwealth netball medal with bronze at Manchester 2002.

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