Former Oxfordshire youth player Dan Housego hit a maiden one-day century for Gloucestershire against South Africa at Bristol – but still ended up on the losing side as the tourists won the 50-over match by three wickets.

Housego’s superb innings of 132 off 136 balls, which included 11 fours and four sixes, proved the mainstay of Gloucestershire’s 261 after Proteas skipper Francois du Plessis had won the toss and put the home side in on a drying pitch.

But a largely second string South Africa side were always in control of the chase, and Wayne Parnell’s hard-hitting 41 ushered the tourists to their target with six balls to spare.

In triumphal mood after winning the Third Test at Lord’s and displacing England at the top of the world rankings 48 hours earlier, South Africa sought to further stamp their authority ahead of the five-match one-day international series, which begins in Cardiff tomorrow.

But the dress rehearsal did not go quite to plan as Housego, considered primarily a four-day cricketer when he joined Gloucestershire from Middlesex last winter, set about reinventing himself in front of the County Ground’s largest crowd this year.

He offered England’s batsmen much-needed encouragement as South Africa’s spin triumvirate of Imran Tahir, Robin Pieterson and Faf du Plessis all suffered horribly at his hands and those of big-hitting James Fuller.

Housego’s innings contrasted starkly with that of England and Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara, whose guest appearance for Gloucestershire, saw him make just three.