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BIRMINGHAM (England), July 9: England captain Michael Vaughan’s One-day International best 83 guided his side to a four-wicket day/night victory with 11 overs to spare against South Africa at Edgbaston here on Tuesday (partly reported in Wednesday’s edition).
Vaughan, in what was a dress rehearsal for Saturday’s Lord’s final, faced 115 balls including 15 fours in a morale-boosting innings.
Rikki Clarke’s 37 was also his best One-day International score, the Surrey all-rounder sharing a stand of 64 in 67 balls with Vaughan.
Disappointingly for England, Vaughan was out lbw padding up to medium-pacer Andrew Hall with England five runs short of victory while Clarke was lbw to spinner Paul Adams with the scores level.
Chris Read and Ashley Giles were both nought not out as Andrew Hall’s wide ended the match.
Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff (54) shared a stand of 100 in 104 balls after England wobbled at 30 for three before the all-rounder’s top-edged hook off Makhaya Ntini was well caught by Adams at fine leg.
Earlier, Lancashire fast bowler James Anderson took four for 38 as South Africa were held to 198 for nine after Proteas captain Graeme Smith won the toss.
South Africa responded by removing both England openers with the score on 11.
Vikram Solanki, trying to pull Ntini from outside off-stump, was caught at mid-on by Andre Nel for two.
Shaun Pollock then had Marcus Trescothick taken in the slips by Hall for eight.
All-rounder Jacques Kallis struck first ball, bowling Anthony McGrath (11) to leave England 30 for three.
But Vaughan and Flintoff put England’s middle-order problems behind them.
Flintoff then hoisted Kallis for six over mid-wicket. His fifty came from 36 balls including one six and six fours.
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 Tres’hick 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 c Hall b Pollock 8
V.S. Solanki c Nel b Ntini 2
M.P. Vaughan lbw b Hall 83
A. McGrath b Kallis 11
A. Flintoff c Adams b Ntini 54
R. Clarke lbw b Adams 37
C.M.W. Read not out 0
A.F. Giles not out 0
EXTRAS (B-1, W-3) 4
TOTAL (for six wkts, 39 overs) 199
FALL OF WKTS: 1-11, 2-11, 3-30, 4-130, 5-194, 6-198.
DID NOT BAT: R.L. Johnson, D. Gough, J.M. Anderson.
BOWLING: Pollock 6-1-15-1; Ntini 6-0-30-2 (1w); Kallis 6-0-43-1; Nel 8-1-38-0 (1w); Adams 6-0-44-1; Hall 7-0-28-1 (1w).
RESULT: England won by four wickets.
UMPIRES: D.R. Shepherd (England) and S.J.A. Taufel (Australia).
TV UMPIRE: P. Willey (England).
MATCH REFEREE: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Andrew Flintoff.
NEXT MATCH: South Africa v Zimbabwe at Southampton on Thursday.
Standings
(Tabulate under — played, won, lost, no result, tied, bonus points, total points, run rate):
England 6 3 2 1 0 2 22 +0.825
South Africa 5 3 2 0 0 1 17 +0.271
Zimbabwe 5 1 3 1 0 0 9 -1.347
—AFP/Reuters
