NEIL MANTHORP, East London | Saturday 7.00pm.
ENGLAND’S bowlers battled under a blazing sun as a Border/Eastern Province combined XI reached an impressive 331 for five on the first day of their four-day match at Buffalo Park on Saturday.
A perfect batting pitch offered little help to the England seamers who toiled as local men James Bryant (72), Wayne Wiblin (63), Pieter Strydom (66 not out) and Brad White (48) made the best of the conditions in England’s last match before the third test against South Africa starts on December 26.
England made an early breakthrough but somewhat controversially when Carl Bradfield (11) refused to walk after edging a low catch off Darren Gough to Mark Butcher at first slip.
Umpire Ian Howell referred the decision to third umpire Laird King and, in a repeat of the acrimonious incident in the second test when Jacques Kallis was given not out after a ‘catch’ by Chris Adams, the television replays were inconclusive.
But this time England were spared similar distress by Howell who reclaimed responsibility for the decision and gave the batsman out.
But that proved to be the only wicket of the morning session and only two more wickets fell between lunch and tea. Opener White perished lbw while sweeping at off-spinner Graeme Swann and Bryant edged a Gavin Hamilton outswinger to wicketkeeper Chris Read after an excellent 72 from 122 balls which included 14 boundaries.
Hard-hitting Wiblin belted a dozen fours and a six in his 63 before touching a wide bouncer from Alex Tudor to Read and the wayward Tudor claimed the last wicket of the day when a legside delivery flicked Laden Gamiet’s back leg and deflected onto the stumps.
Strydom finished with a cultured 66 not out while 20-year-old Robin Peterson, in his fourth first class match, hit an unbeaten 41 with six boundaries from just 39 deliveries. — Reuters