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| February 7, 2003 | Friday | Zul Hijjah 5,1423 |
All-rounder White gives England fitness boost
EAST LONDON (South Africa), Feb 6: All-rounder Craig White gave England hope he might be fit for the World Cup by bowling a complete 10-over spell during the team’s final warm-up match against Border here at Buffalo Park on Thursday.
Nick Knight’s unbeaten 81 later ensured a comfortable eight-wicket victory following their five wicket triumph against Eastern Province on Tuesday.
But far more heartening for England captain Nasser Hussain was the sight of 33-year-old Yorkshire paceman White, who tore a muscle in his side during the Boxing Day Test against Australia at Melbourne, getting through his overs and taking two for 26 in the process.
Meanwhile, as England were wrapping up a victory on the field, their officials were hoping for a win of a different sort as they tried to persuade tournament chiefs in Cape Town to move the team’s controversial Feb 13 World Cup tie in Harare against Zimbabwe to South Africa on safety grounds.
Thursday’s match was seen as vital to White’s World Cup prospects and England, who have a high regard for his ability to reverse swing the ball at sharp pace, as well as his lower-order batting, were desperate not to lose him.
After bowling Border out for 202 inside 47 overs, left-hander Knight’s innings steered England home with more than 12 overs to spare.
He faced 112 balls, striking one six and eight fours.
Hussain was 19 out after Knight’s fellow left-handed opener Marcus Trescothick had posted a run-a-ball 58 in a stand of exactly 100 in 111 ballstaking three for 38 from nine overs.
Fast bowler Stephen Harmison, who has been repeatedly wided by umpires in his fledgling England one-day career, took three for 44 in 9.4 overs and only strayed twice.
Steven Pope was the only Border batsman to offer any meaningful resistance, the 30-year-old number three making 90 off 150 balls including 11 fours in front of his home crowd before he was seventh out, caught by Michael Vaughan off Giles.
Meanwhile, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tim Lamb was in Cape Town making a plea to the World Cup event technical committee in to have its Harare match relocated. game is scrapped without being played anywhere, England are set to be docked points and fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for causing the cancellation of one of the World Cup’s 54 scheduled fixtures.
Summarised scores:
BORDER 202 in 46.4 overs (S. Pope 90; A.F. Giles 3-38, S.J. Harmison 3-44);
ENGLAND 203-2 in 37.3 overs (N.V. Knight 81 not out, M.E. Trescothick 58).—AFP
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