Dippenaar replaces injured McKenzie

Published June 12, 2003

JOHANNESBURG, June 11: Boeta Dippenaar will replace the injured Neil McKenzie in South Africa’s one-day squad on their tour of England.

McKenzie withdrew on Tuesday after failing to recover from a back injury he sustained six weeks ago on South Africa’s tour to Bangladesh.

Middle-order batsman Dippenaar, who turns 26 on Saturday, was originally selected solely for the test squad, which he and McKenzie remain part of.

“I know the England tour is a really big one and I was looking forward to the tests,” Dippenaar said in a United Cricket Board statement. “Now it’s great to be part of the whole trip. It’s going to be very special.”

Dippenaar has played 61 one-day internationals, scoring 1,810 runs at an average of 42.09.

“Boeta was the logical choice, he has been in the mix for a number of years and has performed well,” the release quoted selection convenor Omar Henry as saying.

“This is another opportunity for him to nail down a place in the ODI team.”

The squad will assemble at a training camp in Pretoria on Friday before departing for the United Kingdom on Sunday.

South Africa’s first match is against Ireland in Dublin next Wednesday.—Reuters