Sunday 25 June 2017 21:02, UK
Stand-in captain Jos Buttler highlighted the strong pool of England's playing talent after South Africa were condemned to a NatWest International Twenty20 Series defeat.
Dawid Malan was named man of the match after making the highest-ever score by an England player on T20 debut. The Middlesex left-hander smashed 78 from 44 balls in helping the hosts to a 19-run victory in the Cardiff decider.
But there were also significant contributions from other newcomers as England clinched the series 2-1.
Tom Curran added two wickets to the three he took on debut at Taunton on Friday, while leg-spinner Mason Crane claimed the prize scalp of AB de Villiers as his first international victim.
"Depth is huge if you are going to become a really good side," Buttler said. "If you look around at all the best teams in cricket over the years, they've always had fantastic players not playing.
"Those great Australian sides had guys who could have played 50 or 100 Tests for another nation.
"Dawid showed by that performance that there are some good players really knocking on the door. It was a fantastic knock because having played here before we knew the wicket was a little bit two-paced.
"It's not an easy thing to do, but he showed great composure on a wicket which he made look a lot easier than it was. He looked as if he was playing his 50th game, as opposed to his first."
Malan, who making his England debut just over two months shy of his 30th birthday, was the only batsman to pass 40.
But Buttler, handed the captaincy after Eoin Morgan chose to rest himself in order to blood new faces, also reserved praise for Curran and Crane.
"I was impressed with Tom again," Buttler said. "He bowled well at Taunton and he knows his game very well, as does Liam Plunkett.
"Mason also seemed very composed. You're limited to do what you can because you can't bring the boundaries in.
"De Villiers obviously targeted that over to put pressure on a young guy in his second game. But Mason showed great heart and character to get his wicket."
South Africa were in with a chance of victory when De Villiers, who made 35 from 19 balls, was at the crease.
He had struck two sixes and a four in the 11th over before Mason gained revenge by having him caught on the boundary, resulting in ecstatic celebrations from the bowler.
Buttler said: "De Villiers obviously targeted that over to put pressure on a young guy in his second game. But Mason showed great heart and character to get his wicket."
De Villiers felt the Proteas paid the price for some shoddy work in the outfield as they fell short of the 182 victory target.
"We let ourselves down in the field with a couple of fumbles and a few dropped catches," De Villiers said.
"We lost by 19 runs and I can think of 20-plus runs we threw away in the field with silly mistakes. They fielded pretty well and saved about 10, so there's a 30-run swing there.
"But the positive thing is that some young guns have shown in this series they can play the game at the highest level."
