Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said that South Africa's perfomance in the first Test was the best he has seen from a touring side in years.
Proteas stormed to an innings victory at The Oval to draw first blood in the three-match series, which will determine who is ranked as the world's number one ranked team.
Captain Graeme Smith and all-rounder Jacques Kallis both scored centuries, while Hasim Amla racked up a score of 311 not out and take the initiative.
Vaughan, whose Three Lions captaincy came to a close after a home series defeat to South Africa in 2008, said that Andy Flower's men must pick themselves up quickly.
"It's the best performance I've seen by an away team in a long time," Vaughan told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Australia didn't play that well in 2005. Second, third, fourth day, it's the worst performance by an England team at home I've seen in many years.
"You have to give South Africa credit. When they went out to bat on that second day it started to swing a bit but Smith and Amla just played brilliant. On day three, it just looked like they could pick them off at will. They nullified Graeme Swann.
"When Smith gets runs, South Africa go on to win series. And they've got Kallis in that form, and Amla, and we've not even got to AB de Villiers who is probably the most exciting out of the lot."
The next Test gets underway at Headingley on August 2.
