Openers Marcus Trescothick and Vikram Solanki scored centuries and shared a record 200-run stand on Saturday as England hammered South Africa by six wickets in a tri-series one-day international at The Oval.
After Jacques Kallis’ 107 had lifted South Africa to a challenging 264 for six, England scored 265 for four in 44,5 overs to post one of its biggest wins in 24 one-day internationals against the Proteas.
While Solanki scored 106 off 108 balls including 16 fours, stand-in captain Trescothick, 114 not out, played his second match-winning innings in the space of three games.
After the big opening stand, the home side lost three wickets for three runs in 16 balls as Robert Key and Anthony McGrath fell without scoring. Solanki had been caught by Kallis at slip off Makhaya Ntini, who took two for 56, including two for one in three balls.
But Andrew Flintoff, who had bowled superbly to take 3-46, steered England close to victory with 32 runs off 21 balls including two sixes and three fours. He helped Trescothick in a 44-run, fourth wicket stand.
The win enabled England to shrug off the shock defeat by Zimbabwe in the series opener, and also the loss of skipper Michael Vaughan to a back injury.
Vaughan suffered soft tissue damage in the lower back before play Saturday and had to hand over to the left-handed opener who was one of his rivals for the captaincy.
England’s victory also ended a four-match losing streak to South Africa which travels to Canterbury to play Zimbabwe on Sunday.
Trescothick, who scored 86 and 108 not out in a one-day series against Pakistan last week, continued with his impressive form with the bat with his sixth century in his 66th match.
He also nursed Solanki through his maiden limited overs hundred in his 13th match and more than made up for the absence of Vaughan.
Solanki, recalled to the England one-day team after a three-year absence, dominated the stand and reached his 50 off as many balls and raced to the 100 off 101 balls hitting 16 fours.
”It panned out to be a perfect game for me,” said Trescothick after captaining England only for the second time.
”I always thought it was going to be a challenging target. As the day went on, it (the wicket) got better and better.”
Solanki said he played his natural game and refused to be overawed by the opponents or the target.
”I didn’t put any undue pressure on myself,” said Solanki. ”It was my first significant score and played another innings like another one-day match.
”I am happy that I was given another chance.”
It was almost an unblemished innings by the Worcestershire right hander apart from edging a Shaun Pollock delivery to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher when on 19 and England on 42. But it was a no ball.
The 193-ball partnership broke a 17-year-old record opening stand between Bill Athey and Graham Gooch, who put on 193 against New Zealand at Old Trafford in 1986.
While giving credit to both Trescothick and Solanki, skipper Graeme Smith criticized his bowlers for performing poorly.
”I was very happy with the total,” said Smith.
”Anything over 260 was a good total because the wicket was slow when we batted. I don’t think we bowled with enough pressure in the first 15 overs. Too many bad balls, and too many boundary balls.
”You’re not helping yourself out. All credit to the openers. They put us under pressure from the word go, and really came at us.”
Earlier, Kallis played an emotional innings and dedicated his ninth 100 to his father, Henry, who is diagnosed with lung cancer.
After reaching his 50 and his century, Kallis pointed his bat to the number on his back – 65. That is the age of his dad.
”It was for my dad who’s 65, and has been diagnosed with cancer,” said Kallis. ”He’s a strong guy and a real fighter, and we’re a close family and we’ll help him all we can. I am sure he’ll get through it.”
Kallis shared a 111 partnership with Mark Boucher, who contributed 55, as the pair lifted South Africa out of trouble at 72 for three. A superb opening burst by swing bowler James Anderson, 2-54, and a brilliant run out had claimed the top-order.
Returning to the side after being rested from England’s shock defeat to Zimbabwe in the series opener, Anderson accounted for Herschelle Gibbs for five and skipper Graeme Smith for 15 in his first seven overs.
Then Richard Johnson cut short a promising innings by Jacques Rudolph, 20 runs with four boundaries, when the left hander backed up too far and failed to beat the bowler’s direct hit at the non-striker’s end.
Kallis, the senior batsman in the side with 175 internationals, was finally bowled by Flintoff after hitting a dozen boundaries.
The South Africans amassed 81 runs in the last 10 overs with 21 of them coming in the last over bowled by medium-fast Darren Gough.
Kallis completed 6 000 one-day runs during the course of his 133-ball innings to became only the second South African behind Gary Kirsten (6 798 runs in 185 matches) to reach the milestone. – Sapa-AP