OWN CORRESPONDENT, Cape Town | Saturday 4.40pm.
ALLROUNDER Andy Flintoff’s unexpected appearance as a bowler together with opening batsmen Michael Atherton and Michael Butcher getting their second innings off to a sound 83 without loss start before tea, England enjoyed a stunning day at Centurion Park on Saturday.
Flintoff, the 22-year-old Lancastrian, claimed 3/6 from 4,1 overs to help shut the Northerns/Gauteng XI’s innings down for 201. And that gave England, who had scored 303, a handy first innings advantage of 102 runs.
*Friday
ENGLAND’s hopes of making further inroads into the Combined Northerns/Gauteng batting order was halted by bad light at Centurion Park on Friday.
Replying to England’s 303, after most of the morning session had been washed out by rain, the Combined XI reached 85 for three when the umpires called play off with a further 16 overs remaining.
Dangerous stroke-maker Neil McKenzie finished unbeaten on 56 having hit 10 boundaries while highly-rated youngster Martin van Jaarsveld had progressed to five.
Darren Gough had earlier given England a flying start by trapping opener Sven Koenig leg before with the sixth ball of the innings, while Andrew Caddick had Test opener Adam Bacher caught behind for four.
All-rounder Gavin Hamilton then trapped the threatening Daryll Cullinan, who averages 90 in first-class cricket this season, leg before for 11.
Resuming on 238 for six, England took their total past 300 after battling contributions from Hamilton (16) and Andrew Flintoff (26) while impressive seamer David Terbrugge finished with four for 67. The Guardian