August 23, 2008	Saturday	Sha'aban 20, 1429

LEEDS (England), Aug 22: South Africa were set 276 to win the first One-day International here at Headingley after England captain Kevin Pietersen and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff had hauled their side up to 275-4 after a slow start.

The pair came together at 113-3 in the 30th with Pietersen making 90 not out from 82 balls and Flintoff 78 from 70 as they put on 158 for the fourth wicket — a record for the fourth wicket in an ODI on this ground.

After playing themselves in carefully the pair unleashed a torrent of boundaries to lift England up to a daunting total for the tourists to chase under lights.

For Flintoff this was a first score of over 50 in 22 ODIs and he matched his captain shot for shot and as they put the pressure on the South Africans got ragged in the field.

Pietersen escaped two big leg before appeals and a close run out when he bat appeared to bounce over the crease when he was on 23 and took 52 balls to hit his first four.

But once he had found his range Pietersen and Flintoff took the score from 150 to 200 in just 38 balls before accelerating once more towards the end of the innings.

On a sluggish pitch Pietersen won the toss and opted to bat and although his openers Matt Prior and Ian Bell got the score up to 27-0 off the first five overs they got bogged down afterwards.Prior had a lucky escape on 23 when Vernon Philander dropped a simple chance off Andre Nel at mid-off.

Nel predictably was furious and his mood did not improve when Prior lofted him over the outfield for the first boundary for 12 overs before Bell, who did not find the fence once in 69 balls was caught at point by a leaping A.B. de Villiers.

England apart from Prior could still not find the boundary and at one point in the mid-part of the innings hit just two fours in 168 balls.

Prior fell to another catch from de Villiers off Jacques Kallis at backward point for 42 scored off 52 then Owais Shah was caught by a juggling Philander at deep backward square leg.But with the average first innings score at Headingley in 33 ODIs being just 205 England could afford their slow start with Pietersen and Flintoff providing the fireworks down the order.

Earlier, Steve Harmison had been recalled to the England starting line-up for his first ODI since the 2006 Champions Trophy.

The Durham fast bowler who cited family reasons for his one-day retirement could now be in line for a place in the 20 million dollar Twenty20 match to be played in the Caribbean in November.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND:

I. Bell c de Villiers b Kallis 35

M. Prior c de Villiers b Kallis 42

O. Shah c Philander b Botha 12

K. Pietersen not out 90

A. Flintoff b Steyn 78

L. Wright not out 2

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-5, W-6, NB-1) 16

TOTAL (for four wkts, 50 overs) 275

FALL OF WKTS: 1-77, 2-86, 3-113, 4-271.

DID NOT BAT: R. Bopara, S. Patel, S. Broad, J. Anderson, S. Harmison

BOWLING: Steyn 10-0-67-1 (2w); Ntini 9-0-38-0 (2w); Nel 10-1-53-0; Kallis 5-0-25-2; Botha 7-0-33-1; Philander 9-0-50-0 (1nb, 2w).

SOUTH AFRICA: G. Smith, H. Gibbs, J. Kallis, A.B. de Villiers, J. Duminy, M. Boucher, V. Philander, J. Botha, A. Nel, D. Steyn, M. Ntini.—Agencies