South Africa swept to a 107-run victory over England on the penultimate day of the first Test at the Supersport Park in Centurion after taking seven wickets in the second session to go ahead in the four-match series.

England, needing an improbable 376 to win, were bowled out for 268 just before tea as their lower order offered scant resistance to a barrage of pace once South Africa had taken the second new ball.

Kagiso Rabada proved the destroyer-in-chief with 4/103, assisted by Anrich Nortje who took three wickets for 56 runs.

“Our bowling unit was very effective and it is a massive confidence booster to our team,” said South Africa captain Faf du Plessis after arresting a run of five straight Test defeats. “We played with great skills over the last two days with contributions from everyone.”

The skipper, who has been in the firing line especially after the hammering his team took in India a couple of months back, hailed this win as “the start of a new chapter.”

“We needed this win as the last couple of months have been tough. We worked really hard building up and I thought it was a really good Test.

“The effort today was incredible… We haven’t won a Test for a while and for us, this is the start of a new chapter.”

England had been hoping for heroics in a delicately poised contest as they started the day on 121/1 and still looked capable of a dramatic win despite losing two wickets by lunch. But the turning point proved the key wickets of both England captain Joe Root and potential match-winner Ben Stokes.