England struggle in first session

Lunch England 83 for 4 (Vaughan 10*, Flintoff 4*) v South Africa A
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Charl Langeveldt grabbed three wickets in six overs to give South Africa A the upper hand at lunch on the first day at Potchefstroom, as England were given a timely reminder of the step-up in class that awaits them ahead of next week's first Test at Port Elizabeth. After being asked to bat first, Andrew Strauss gave England some early momentum by cracking an even 50, but two quick wickets just before lunch left Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff needing to engage in some damage limitation.

By lunch, England had reached 83 for 4, in a session that posed more questions than answers, especially after Mark Butcher had missed out for the second innings running. Butcher missed much of last summer through injury, but was preferred in this match to Robert Key on the strength of his international performances over the past three years. But, following his 6 from 12 balls at Randjesfontein on Wednesday, he lasted just seven more deliveries, before wafting a simple catch to Mark Boucher behind the stumps, to give Langeveldt a wicket with his sixth ball of the morning.

Boucher was another man with much to prove after his omission from South Africa's Test squad, but he enjoyed a far more auspicious morning, with a hand in both wickets to fall. His first victim was Marcus Trescothick, who took 11 balls to get off the mark and had scratched his way to 7 from 43 deliveries by the time he fenced a lifting delivery high to Boucher's left, to give Ethy Mbhalati a deserved first wicket.

Strauss, however, was in fine fettle and needed little time to get into his stride. He opened his account with two flowing cover-drives, and followed up with a square-drive and a pull for four, all off Mbhalati. He had one scare on 25, when a inswinging bouncer from Charl Willoughby all but brushed his gloves, but he responded with a high and handsome cut for four, and reached his fifty from 68 balls with a push for two through the covers off Langeveldt.

But with lunch approaching, England's innings floundered dramatically. Strauss was served up a juicy wide delivery, which should have been his 11th four of the morning, but was instead plucked at point by Justin Ontong. And then, after facing three just three balls, Graham Thorpe was adjudged lbw to a full delivery, again off Langeveldt. It could have been even worse, but Flintoff somehow managed to edge his first delivery clean through the gap between the keeper and Andrew Puttick at first slip.

England 1 Marcus Trescothick, 2 Andrew Strauss, 3 Mark Butcher, 4 Michael Vaughan (capt), 5 Graham Thorpe, 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7 Geraint Jones (wk), 8 Ashley Giles, 9 Simon Jones, 10 Matthew Hoggard, 11 Steve Harmison.

South Africa A 1 Andrew Puttick, 2 Martin van Jaarsveld, 3 Ashwell Prince (capt), 4 JP Duminy, 5 Justin Ontong, 6 Mark Boucher (wk), 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Alfonso Thomas, 9 Charl Langeveldt, 10 Ethy Mbhalati, 11 Charl Willoughby.