So much for the 'chokers' tag aye, at least for the Test side that is.

South Africa convincingly, with utter class and sophistication, brought England right back down to earth in their own backyard to take the three-match Test series 2-0 and with it the hosts' No 1 Test ranking.

When England claimed the top spot, after battering India, exactly one year ago, there was such a sense of optimism in the English camp and the media that this team was here to stay. They had all the talent in the world to remain the best team for years to come.

Only, it is never easy anymore. Gone are the days when Australia dominated world cricket for nearly a decade. That team was a freak of nature. You do not get an all-round team like the Aussies did, with every single player built in with a winning mentality and a never-say-die attitude, capable of showing up on the big occasions and winning match after match, series after series.

As much as England want to believe they are the next Australia, it is just not going to happen. Everything is on a much more even keel now.

What had become obvious was, in today's game, the team at home will win the series the majority of the time. While England have an outstanding record at home, apart from that brilliant Ashes win in Australia, the English have struggled away, crashing to a series loss in Pakistan and barely staying afloat against Sri Lanka.

South Africa are currently the deserving team to be on top of the perch. They beat England, the No 1 Test side before the contest started, in an away series. That seems to be the benchmark to get on top -- winning an away series against tough opposition.

The Proteas have easily been the most consistent side over the past year. In what was built-up as a series between the two best bowling sides in the world, the English attack, in their own grounds and pitches, rarely threatened a Proteas side packed with match-winning batsmen.

Hashim Amla just keeps going from strength-to-strength, and the humility in which he does it, is something for all cricketing aficionados to cherish. Graeme Smith always scores against England, while the likes of AB de Villiers was rarely needed to fire; such was the top order's strength.

But praise must be specially preserved for, probably, the most underrated cricketer of our time, Jacques Kallis. The all-rounder time and again showed his talent with the bat, but also, like he does every time he plays a match, with the ball. The 36-year-old, who has a staggering 12,641 runs and 280 wickets to his name in Tests, was also irrepressible in the field, never dropping a catch with those bucket hands. Yes, he is great in that too - he has 187 catches to his name.

In the bowling department, Dale Steyn showed why he is considered the best bowler in the world, while Morne Morkel and, particularly, Vernon Philander backed their strike bowler up brilliantly. Smith was helped by the fact that he finally has a true spinning option to go to in Imran Tahir.

Gary Kirsten seems to have the midas touch. The South African turned India into the best side in the world, and after leaving the sub-continent giants, made his own country into the world's best.

England will look to what might have been, particularly in the final Test, when they had their chances and did not take them. But at the end of the day, as Andrew Strauss admitted, they lost out to the better side.

The Test mace is now with South Africa; only time will tell how well and how long they hold onto it.