Flawed England reminded that relying on miracles is the way of fools

South Africa 284 & 272, England 181 & 268: 2019 ends as it begun with this side built on potential dismantled by a more organised one putting their poorer resources to better use

England fell to defeat in the first Test of the series (Getty Images)

For those who took confidence from coincidence, there was much to hold dear.

Another Sunday in 2019. Another three hundred-plus target history suggested was well out of the reach of men, especially these ones rolled so meekly in their first innings. Another solid enough base to launch a successful journey into the unknown.

Even when Rory Burns and Joe Denly, the two overnight batsmen, fell in the opening session, Ben Stokes’ march to the middle brought with it serendipity. Here was the miracle maker coming out with 218 to get. Just as it was when he began against Australia at Headingley. Seriously - how many stars need to align before you believe?

That’s the thing about what happened in that Ashes Test. This England team, it’s fans, the opposition and everyone else within satellite-signal reach will be forever unsure of whether they’re dead and buried under a mountain of fourth-innings runs. Even when they still required 255 of a 376 target with a line-up affected by illness and riddled with indecision.

But in the last innings of a year in which they have pulled off the improbable, here was a reminder to England that relying on miracles is the way of fools. That not all erratic starts lead to champagne, montages and awards dos. Sometimes, they end like they did here: Stuart Broad backing away from Kagiso Rabada at the end of an interpretive batting performance and having his stumps rearranged, shrugs of the shoulders, cheers against them and a humbling 107-run defeat.

There was no magic from Stokes, as he misread a delivery from Keshav Maharaj that would turn into him to clip his glove, pad and then his off stump for just 14. Not even that burst from Jonny Bairstow which gave a bit back to Australia’s attack. After striking the first delivery of the second new ball for four, Bairstow skewed the next to gully.

As for resistance from the tail, the final six wickets came for 46 runs. No Jack Leach, either - quarantined back at the hotel with talk he may return home because of the toll the team bug has taken on him. A bug which, to be fair to this side, meant preparations beforehand and energy levels across the four days were less than ideal.

Yet there were moments when those whose minds were untainted by 2019’s hysteria might have wondered if this chase was on. Legendary Proteas bowler Shaun Pollock informed that the cloud cover would actually assist the batting side, blocking out the sun from baking and thus widening cracks in a pitch that was not degrading as it usually did.

That played out through to lunch where England were 171 for three at lunch, with 205 to get. Just before Stokes went, just 172 remained. Even the unflappable Faf du Plessis was beginning to stir. Each boundary bought a reactive change in the field as he started paying attention to the countdown of runs rather than wickets.

But once Anrich Nortje’s hostility removed the key threat of Joe Root for 48, skimming his outside edge with a delivery that left the right-hander off the pitch, reality returned, shaking those dreaming out of yet another dream. Rabada provided the rudest awakening, curtailing Jos Buttler’s late burst of sixes on his way to figures of four for 103 - the last of the recognised batsmen caught on a hopeful swish in the deep.

The right thing, now, is for serious judgment, just as it might have been to bask in what would have been a second hall-of-fame chase in as many months. Beers will still be drunk, but they won’t taste as sweet. And the answers being mulled over internally will be much more unpalatable.

There remain many questions to answer for this England side (Getty Images)

The white-ball-isation of this side needs to be addressed, principally how they seem incapable of adhering to a batting plan - the one they want to adopt, of watchful yet active - without the parameters laid out in front of them, whether a target of runs or time.

As a collective they struggle to dictate the pace of games. And while they were able to make up for that at Headingley, there were six Tests this year – including here at Centurion – where they lost the thread of the game and were unable to get it back. Like boxers whose tactics are to swing often and hopefully in the final round when they are way behind on points. It might work spectacularly once in a while but you’ll lose more than you win. And very quickly, those batterings take a heavy toll. The calendar year's tally of six defeats in 12 and just four wins reflects that.

In January a 381-run defeat at Bridgetown against West Indies which brought calls for change, but an opening series loss to South Africa at the end of December suggests those changes are still a long way from being made.

There has been a lot to celebrate in 2019, but it ends as it begun: the Test side built on potential dismantled by a more organised one putting their poorer resources to better use. In defeat, disappointment and painful introspection. ​