BBC News | England on Tour | Hussain secures first Tour victory


Front Page
World
UK
UK Politics
Business
Sci/Tech
Health
Education
Sport
Entertainment
Talking Point
In Depth
On Air
Archive



Feedback Low Graphics Help

Tuesday, November 2, 1999 Published at 18:54 GMT

Hussain secures first Tour victory

Caddick polished off the Easterns with two wickets in two overs

England relied on the efficiency of their bowlers to secure a 19-run victory over Easterns after the batting line-up succumbed to all-too-familiar inconsistency.

Only Skipper Nasser Hussain and Andrew Flintoff emerged with any credit as they put together an 82-run partnership on the way to England's 234 total in Benoni.

Hussain shrugged off the ignominy of falling for a duck in England's dismal first showing against the Nicky Oppenheimer XI to spearhead victory with a stylish 64.

Hussain was partnered for much of his innings by emerging all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who hammered 54 runs off 56 deliveries, hitting two towering sixes and five fours.

[ image: Hussain signs autographs after he led his side to victory]
Hussain signs autographs after he led his side to victory
Had it not been for their efforts, Easterns might have added to the misery inflicted at Randjesfontein in the Tour's opening match.

England's batting was familiar in its inconsistency, five wickets falling for just 30 runs in seven overs, although England's bowlers put in a more disciplined performance to limit Easterns to 215 off 50 overs.

Only two other England batsman, Michael Atherton and Gavin Hamilton, scored more than 25 but both fell before reaching 30.

Once again England's weakness in the tail was exposed as the last four batsmen fell for a total of just 32 runs, all of them in a devastating final-four over spell from 21-year-old fast bowler Andre Nel, who finished with the best figures of his career.

England's bowlers put enough pressure on their inexperienced opponents to disrupt the chase, with the exception of Hamilton who proved expensive for his eight overs.

[ image: Graeme Swann congratulates Alex Tudor]
Graeme Swann congratulates Alex Tudor
Left-arm seamer Alan Mullally gave the tourists an early breakthrough by dismissing openers Shakeel Ahmed and Deon Jordaan inside the first six overs.

But a comeback seemed on the cards as Anthony Botha and West Indian all-rounder Phil Simmons put together a 42-run partnership.

Alex Tudor, brought in as a late replacement for Darren Gough after the Yorkshire star woke up feeling stiff from yesterday's exertions, broke the stand, dismissing both batsmen in 11 deliveries to restore England's advantage.

David Smith and Hussein Manack then forged a 101-run partnership but Andrew Caddick struck in successive overs to remove them both and seal the tourists' triumph by 19 runs.

But the result would have been far closer had it not been for the 17 wides bowled by the South Africans.

Easterns v England
England beat Easterns by 19 runs
England Innings
M A Butcher c Manack b Kruger 20
M A Atherton c & b de Bruyn 29
N Hussain c Botha b Morkel 64
C J Adams run out 0
A Flintoff c de Bruyn b Morkel 54
G M Hamilton c Botha b Nel 26
G P Swann b Nel 3
C M W Read b Nel 0
A J Tudor not out 7
A R Caddick lbw b Nel 3
A D Mullally not out 1
Extras lb9 w17 nb1 27
Total 9 wkts Innings Complete (50 overs) 234
Fall: 1-40 2-83 3-83 4-165 5-203 6-216 7-216 8-224 9-233
Bowling:
Nel 10 1 33 4
Morkel 10 0 34 2
Kruger 7 1 43 1
de Bruyn 10 1 35 1
Jordaan 6 0 32 0
van den Berg 4 0 27 0
Botha 3 0 21 0
Easterns Innings
S Ahmed c Flintoff b Mullally 8
D Jordaan b Mullally 0
A G Botha lbw b Tudor 22
P V Simmons c Butcher b Tudor 29
A M van den Berg c Adams b Swann 6
D J Smith b Caddick 75
H A Manack b Caddick 26
P de Bruyn not out 15
A Morkel not out 13
Extras b1 lb8 w9 nb3 21
Total 7 wkts (50 overs) 215
Fall: 1-0 2-21 3-63 4-68 5-83 6-184 7-190 Did Not Bat: C Kruger, A Nel.
Bowling:
Caddick 10 2 33 2
Mullally 10 0 45 2
Hamilton 8 0 47 0
Adams 7 0 25 0
Tudor 5 0 17 2
Swann 10 0 39 1
Umpires: K Hurter and C J Mitchley