OWN CORRESPONDENT, Durban | Monday 5.35pm.
ENGLAND’S final warm-up match before this week’s second Test against South Africa ended in a draw with KwaZulu-Natal successfully preventing the tourists from claiming a morale-boosting victory.
Natal, starting their second innings with a 111-run deficit after bowling England out for 421, finished on 152 for two with opener Doug Watson hitting an unbeaten 52 while captain Dale Benkenstein reached 20 not out.
Alex Tudor made an early breakthrough by removing Mark Bruyns’ off-stump after he offered no stroke.
But Watson and youngster Ahmed Amla forged a 94-run partnership spanning 39 overs to effectively end any possibility of a positive result.
Left-arm spinner Phil Tufnell claimed a consolation wicket just seven overs before the close when Amla drove straight to Andrew Flintoff in the gully for 53.
Flintoff, celebrating his 22nd birthday, was earlier denied his maiden first-class century for England when he finished unbeaten on 89 after seamer Ross Veenstra claimed two wickets in successive balls to wrap up the tourists’ innings.
Resuming on 401 for eight, just 20 runs were added before Tudor edged behind to wicketkeeper Duncan Brown and last man Tufnell edged to Watson in the gully off the next delivery. — The Guardian