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| July 9, 2003 | Wednesday | Jumadi-ul-Awwal 8,1424 |
England restrict S. Africa
BIRMINGHAM (England), July 8: James Anderson, with four wickets, and Andrew Flintoff, with a spectacular catch to end Jacques Kallis’s magical run, helped restrict South Africa to 198 for nine in their day-night triangular series encounter with England on Tuesday.
England strike bowler Anderson, dispirited by four Graham Smith boundaries in his opening over, returned to claim his first three victims in a nine-ball burst costing one run.
But the South Africans gave themselves a chance, Martin van Jaarsveld making 45 in a 71-run stand with tailender Paul Adams (33 not out) after they had slumped to 104 for seven.
Banished to the outfield after conceding 24 in his first two overs, Anderson’s comeback saw him root out Mark Boucher (13), Jacques Rudolph (16) and Shaun Pollock (0) as the home side backed up their bowlers with exemplary catching.
South Africa, opting to bat on a good Edgbaston track and who had already qualified to meet England in Saturday’s final, still looked decently placed at 99 for four.
But Boucher, driving, was caught shin-high at slip by Marcus Trescothick, Rudolph sliced to extra cover and Pollock, also on the front foot and looking for runs, was caught by Flintoff at second slip for a three-ball duck.
Anderson finished with four for 38.
The key moments, however, came earlier and belonged to all-rounder Flintoff.
He, too, had to weather an early shock as Smith clattered his first two balls to the fence.
His revenge, though, came with the fifth as Smith, after a bright 39-ball 45, mis-pulled to short square leg where Anthony McGrath spilled the chance to his left before somehow trapping the ball between his legs as he fell.
The left-handed Smith had looked in fine form from the first ball, an Anderson full toss which he had smacked through point for four. He dealt with the second delivery, a half-volley, in similar fashion before clipping the fourth to square leg and pulling the fifth over wide mid-on.
Kallis, however, was the wicket England prized most.
Averaging 314 after two centuries in three innings, he made just 15 this time before aiming a drive at Richard Johnson’s lively seam.
The massive Flintoff, forming a one-man cordon and standing at third slip, flung himself right and plucked the edge out of the air, Ian Botham-style, to make it 67 for three in the 13th over.
Johnson, later forced off with injury, then removed Andrew Hall cheaply before Anderson’s burst.
Flintoff ended with three catches.
England opted for just two established batsmen — captain Michael Vaughan and opener Trescothick — in a line-up containing three seamers, one spinner and two all-rounders.
Scoreboard
SOUTH AFRICA:
G.C. Smith c McGrath b Flintoff 45
H.H. Gibbs c Clarke b Gough 2
J.H. Kallis c Flintoff b Johnson 15
A.J. Hall lbw b Johnson 3
J.A. Rudolph c McGrath b Anderson 16
M.V. Boucher c Trescothick b Anderson 13
M. van Jaarsveld lbw b McGrath 45
S.M. Pollock c Flintoff b Anderson 0
P.R. Adams not out 33
A. Nel c Flintoff b Anderson 1
M. Ntini not out 10
EXTRAS (LB-6, W-8, NB-1) 15
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 198
FALL OF WKTS: 1-28, 2-65, 3-67, 4-74, 5-99, 6-104, 7-104, 8-175, 9-177.
BOWLING: Anderson 10-2-38-4; Gough 10-3-29-1 (1nb); Johnson 8-1-34-2 (3w); Flintoff 9-0-47-1 (4w); Giles 10-0-29-0 (1w); McGrath 3-0-15-1.
ENGLAND:
M.E. Trescothick, V.S. Solanki, M.P. Vaughan, A. McGrath, A. Flintoff, R. Clarke, C.M.W. Read, A.F. Giles, R.L. Johnson, D. Gough, J.M. Anderson.
UMPIRES: D.R. Shepherd (England) and S.J.A. Taufel (Australia).
TV UMPIRE: P. Willey (England).
MATCH REFEREE: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).—Reuters
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