CAPE TOWN, Feb 1: South Africa’s World Cup team suffered a seven-wickets thrashing at the hands of the Western Province provincial side in a 40-overs warm-up match at the Bellville club here on Saturday.

South Africa, batting first on a pitch which had early life, crashed to 69 for six before being bowled out for 155.

Western Province cruised to victory with 9.5 overs to spare, with former Zimbabwe player Neil Johnson hitting 70 off 53 balls.

South African captain Shaun Pollock admitted: “It wasn’t very good at all. We were very rusty after a few weeks off but it was disappointing. Hopefully it’s the sort of performance we have got out of our system.”

Pollock refused to blame the pitch, saying it had not behaved unreasonably.

“The odd one held up and the odd one bounced but the guys who batted up front said it wasn’t too bad.”

Pollock top scored with 26 against some lively bowling from the provincial side. Fast bowler Quinton Friend took four for 33.

It was a different story when Western Province batted.

Skipper Graeme Smith, who turned 22 on Saturday and was considered unlucky to miss selection for the World Cup squad, made 36 as he got the side off to a solid start.

The fireworks, though, came from the left-handed Johnson, who shone for Zimbabwe in the 1999 World Cup in England as he hit four sixes and seven fours.

His first six was slammed off medium-pacer Lance Klusener and he then smashed three off five balls from left-arm spinner Robin Peterson before holing out to Peterson when the scores were level.

The teams meet again in another warm-up match at the Green Point Track, also in Cape Town, on Thursday in what will be their last game before the World Cup opening match against the West Indies three days later.

Summarised scores:

SOUTH AFRICA 155 in 38.5 overs (S.M. Pollock 26; Q. Friend 4-33, P.R. Adams 2-27);

WESTERN PROVINCE 156-3 in 30.1 overs (G.C. Smith 36, N.C. Johnson 71 not out).—AFP