A long overdue Proteas performance was how all-rounder Andile Phehlukwayo described his side’s nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka as he continued to stress the team’s effort cannot be called into question.

The Proteas turned in their best display of the showpiece event albeit in a dead-rubber outing.

Recalled to the team, Dwaine Pretorius took three wickets before Faf du Plessis and Hashim Amla put on a second-wicket stand at Chester-le-street. The win brought some smiles back to the embattled dressing room, a few days after teammate JP Duminy offered up an apology to the team’s fans.

‘We owed it to the country and ourselves,’ Phehlukwayo said.

‘We’ve been working really hard and it just hasn’t gone our way. A performance like that was long overdue.’

One of the few players that will leave England with his reputation boosted, the budding Proteas star was speaking along the same lines when he opined that his squad mates’ efforts should not be doubted.

‘We can’t fault the effort. The guys are really trying and we have been giving our all in all of the performances but we’ve just fallen short at times.

‘To see a performance like that today is really nice to see for the country’s sake. I don’t think we’ve been far off. I think we’ve just lost games in patches and that’s something you can’t do in international cricket,’ he added.

The Proteas face Australia at Old Trafford on 6 July.