Just as each of their last three white-ball series this summer have panned out, England will head into the final T20 against South Africa with the scores level at 1-1.
Jos Buttler's side succumbed to a bruising defeat against the Proteas in the second T20 international, meaning that the series is evenly poised heading into the final match on Sunday afternoon.
Match preview
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With lofty expectations following the resignation of former captain Eoin Morgan, life as England skipper has not gone to plan so far for the incumbent Buttler.
Two defeats in his first two series as captain marked a less-than-ideal start, with the hosts unable to take victory against South Africa in the rain-affected 50-over matches.
There had been the hope of triumph heading into the final ODI at Headingley, before the Yorkshire rain ended that match barely halfway through the first innings.
It had looked as if England were about to turn a corner with the white ball after the first T20 international, with the hosts cruising to a 41-run victory at the Bristol County Ground.
Despite the 24-hour gap in between fixtures, England were unable to replicate their performance of the night prior, slipping to a 58-run defeat in the second match of the series in Cardiff.
That result leaves the series on a knife edge, as the show rolls into Southampton for the final match on Sunday.
It represents the final T20 match on home soil for England before October's World Cup, with just three warm-up games against Australia to come before the tournament kicks off.
Among the favourites to triumph down under, England will need to drastically improve their form if they are to challenge the likes of Australia and India.
Finding a way to take the shackles off England's often explosive top order will be the biggest challenge for Buttler, with the likes of Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone and Dawid Malan yet to fire on all cylinders so far this summer.
The talent is without question there waiting to be unlocked, but finding the right balance within a side expected to go deep at the World Cup could prove difficult.
At the opposite end of the scorecard, England have not suffered the same problems with the ball in hand, as they have with the bat.
A crucial cog in this new-look England side, Chris Jordan was the pick of the bowlers for England in the two matches so far, proving his worth for England at the death.
As for South Africa, there has been plenty of promise for them to take from their white-ball performances so far, ahead of the upcoming Test series against England next month.
Should they avoid defeat at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday, it will represent an unbeaten ODI and T20 series against England, something that the Proteas will no doubt be targeting.
Team News
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Rotation has been key for England in the recent white-ball matches, given the density of the current schedule, with changes once again expected to be made on Sunday.
After blitzing the Indian top-order in his T20 international debut, Richard Gleeson has found wickets hard to come by in an England shirt, with the Lancashire bowler among those who could be rotated.
David Willey could be the man to take over from Gleeson, with the Yorkshire all-rounder yet to be involved in the South Africa T20 series.
It has been a summer to remember for Reece Topley so far, with the left-arm medium-fast bowler staking his claim to be involved in England's World Cup squad come the summer.
Elsewhere, Harry Brook could be in line for a start, having been another Yorkshire player yet to be involved in either of the first-time matches.
The standout player in the second T20 match, Rilee Rossouw hit an impressive 96 not out, marking his return to the South African white-ball side in stylish fashion.
Rossouw spent much of his time at the crease with Reeza Hendricks, who also caught the attention of the Welsh crowd by notching up a half-century off just 32 balls.
Such was his stellar knock the evening prior, where he scored 72 off 28 balls, Tristan Stubbs was bumped up in the South Africa order, as the 21-year-old once again helped steer his side to victory.
The pick of the bowlers for South Africa was Tabraiz Shamsi, who bounced back from a difficult evening the night before to post figures of 3-27 just 24 hours later.
England squad: Jos Buttler (c, wk), Moeen Ali, Jonathan Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Richard Gleeson, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, David Willey
South Africa squad: David Miller (c), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen
Series so far
First T20: England won by 41 runs
England 234-6 (20.0)
South Africa 193-8 (20.0)
Second T20: South Africa won by 58 runs
South Africa 149/10 (16.4)
England 207-3 (20.0)
We say: England to win
With everything to play for in the series, England will be desperate to finish it off with a victory.
At a ground that they know well, expect England to see off the South African challenge and wrap up a 2-1 series win.
Amos Murphy
