England captain Michael Vaughan last night doused Ashes expectations despite his team's rewriting of history in South Africa.

Vaughan's men became the first English touring side to win here for 40 years after closing out a draw on the final evening of the fifth and final Test.

In fact, England are only the second country behind Australia to have triumphed on South African soil since the Proteas were readmitted to world cricket in 1991-92.

While Vaughan lauded his battle-weary squad, however, he insisted their achievements in the past 12 months, including a record-breaking eight consecutive wins which stretched into this 2-1 success, did not necessarily increase the prospect of breaking Australia's 16-year hold on the Ashes urn.

He said: ''Australia are by far the best team in the world and have been for a number of years.

''We have watched them regularly and they seem to be getting a little bit better.

''We are getting into the habit of winning, which is great, but let's just be realistic.

''They have got so much experience and expertise and we will have to be at our very, very, very best to beat them in the summer.

''But we can certainly play well against them and put them under some pressure.''

England's victory over five matches maintains their position as the closest team to the almighty Australians in the world rankings.

Vanquished South African captain Graeme Smith backed the theory that a huge gulf exists, however, when he said: ''They will have to perform very well, Australia are clinically good all round and my money would still be on Australia.

''To beat Australia in the Ashes you need a full team effort, 11 people to contribute day-in, day-out.''

A fully-fit Andrew Flintoff is also a necessity and the England management have recognised the fact by sending him home for surgery on his problem left ankle.

Only playing here by virtue of a cortisone injection which eased the pain of his bone spur, the 27-year-old Lancastrian will miss the one-day series that follows to have an operation with a four-month recovery period.

That would mean Flintoff, who has been replaced in the one-day squad here by Matthew Hoggard, missing the start of England's international summer.

''He needs it doing, it was just trying to pick a period when he could have it done,'' said Vaughan.

''No disrespect to Bangladesh but I would rather him miss games against them than Australia, Pakistan and India.''

As well as Flintoff's creaking joints, Steve Harmison - who broke a barren spell of 59 overs with two wickets in mid-afternoon - is struggling with a calf injury and Simon Jones will hang on as cover.

Harmison, meanwhile, has fallen one further place to ninth in the ICC Test Player bowling rankings after the conclusion of a personally-disappointing series.

The Durham paceman - who began the tour as world number one - took only nine wickets at an average of 73 and gradually slipped down the rankings with each match. He was hampered by a calf injury in the later Tests but even before then he was severely off-form.