England struggle in first session
Ashwell Prince inserted England in their second warm-up match against South Africa A at Potchesfroom
Lunch England 83 for 4 (Vaughan 10*, Flintoff 4*) v
South Africa A
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
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.