OWN CORRESPONDENT, Birmingham | Tuesday 3.45pm.
DARYLL CULLINAN and Pat Symcox have given South Africa hope of playing in the final of the Emirates triangular series against Sri Lanka after brilliant knocks against England at Edgbaston on Tuesday, taking the South African score to 243/7 after 50 overs.
Apart from Cullinan and Symcox, the South Africans did not perform well, with only one other batsman, Hansie Cronje, moving beyond 30 runs. The South Africans lost both their openers within the first hour, and from there on the wickets fell with alarming regularity.
Darren Gough was the pick of the English bowlers, and took both the openers’ wickets as well as that of Cullinan, ending on figures of 3/43 off 10 overs.
The South African bowlers will probably relish getting ball in hand and having a go at the English batsmen. Mornantau Hayward, who is seemingly a late inclusion, will be particularly keen and, if he can keep his length and line, his pace will certainly present some problems for the English.
Scoreboard:
G Kirsten c Stewart b Gough 7 (30m 22b)
M Rindel lbw Gough 10 (22m 12b 2×4)
D Cullinan not out 70 b Gough (73b 8×4 1×6)
J Rhodes c Stewart b Mullally 15 (27m 17b 3×4)
H Cronje lbw Croft 31 (68b 2×4)
J Kallis b Austin 19
S Pollock not out 22
Pat Symcox b Mullally 51 (39b 2×4 4×6)
Extras 16
Total (for 7 wkts) 243 — 50 overs
Fall of wickets: 1/20 2/25 3/73 4/140 5/160 6/172 7/241