Jacques Kallis gestures after swinging at an Ashley Giles delivery in Centurion on Tuesday. (AFP)

Centurion: England won their first series in South Africa in 40 years when the fifth and final Test ended in a draw on Tuesday.

Already 2-1 up in the series, England had been set 185 runs in 44 overs for victory but after losing three early wickets they never threatened the target and were on 73 for four when bad light ended play 2.4 overs early.

England captain Michael Vaughan (26 not out) and Andrew Flintoff (14 not out) secured the draw after Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock had taken three early wickets to leave England floundering at 20 for three after 15 overs.

Earlier, Jacques Kallis (136 not out) and AB de Villiers (109) had scored centuries as the home side, seeking victory after conceding a 112-run first-innings deficit, declared on 296 for six.

South Africa had resumed on 59 for two and while de Villiers and Kallis hardly put a foot wrong, England set conservative fields and let the home side make the running.

Kallis went to his 35th half-century in the 16th over of the day when he drove fast bowler Matthew Hoggard down the ground for four.

De Villiers followed three overs later with a square drive for four off left-arm spinner Ashley Giles.

Flintoff will miss the one-day series against South Africa and undergo surgery on a long-standing ankle injury. Hoggard, who was to return home after the Test series, will replace Flintoff for the one-dayers starting on Sunday. Simon Jones, who was also not in the original one-day squad, will remain in South Africa as cover for Stephen Harmison, who has an injured left calf.

Adam Bacher back

Adam Bacher returned to one-day International cricket after a gap of seven years when the South African squad to play England was named on Tuesday. Bacher, 31, played the last of his eight one-day Internationals against Australia in Sydney in 1997-98. ?I don?t think my role will be at the top of the order, but after 10 years as an opener that excites me enormously,? said Bacher.

THE SQUAD

Graeme Smith (captain), Nicky Boje, Adam Bacher, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Hall, Jacques Kallis, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Ashwell Prince, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph. (REUTERS)