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And for all its obvious, ongoing flaws in terms of balance between batting and bowling resources, it will be fairly hard to quibble about.

This latest series win in the 50-overs arena is a follow-up to the 5-0 sweep on our soil two seasons back, while the Proteas clinched the 2017/18 home Test series 3-1 and the 2016/17 one Down Under by a 2-1 margin.

Certainly there was glowing praise even from sometimes parochial Australian pundits for the manner in which the tourists turned the screws before and then in the “death” phase of the home team’s stiff run-chase (target 321) at Hobart on Sunday, through their inspiring, three-pronged pace arsenal of Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.

This was a rare day when veteran leg-spin ace Imran Tahir, the staple fourth element of the main bowling battery, took a bit of tap (7-0-58-0) but it didn’t matter that much because fifth element Dwaine Pretorius – current occupant of the head-scratching No 7 berth in the side — produced a second consecutive, more than credible showing with his medium-fast fare.

There were 130 runs in the final 10 overs, including 75 in the last five, as both stormed to explosive centuries: their alliance was marked, as much as anything else, by how few false strokes either played en route, and that against the pedigreed likes of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins enough of the time.

His fifth century in the format and personal best score (138) also represented a powerful case for retaining him at No 5, where he was promoted to in the Tasmanian-hosted clash after operating at six in Perth and Adelaide.