England Lions Restore Pride With Six-Wicket Win
Dimitri Mascarenhas picked up two crucial wickets.
©REUTERS/Rogan Ward (SOUTH AFRICA).
South Africa were restricted to 209 for five with Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher hitting half-centuries before the Lions raced to 210 for four in 41.2 overs, Samit Patel putting himself in the frame for an ODI debut with an unbeaten 60 as the Lions responded from a four-wicket loss two days ago in Leicester.
His Nottinghamshire team-mate Darren Pattinson enjoyed a mixed day as he bowled seven overs for 62 although he did pick up the wicket of Herschelle Gibbs.
The other six bowlers used by captain Ed Joyce were extremely economical, limiting the South African's run scoring opportunities.
Sajid Mahmood bowled eight overs for a cost of just 28 while two for 26 from Dimitri Mascarenhas and two for 17 from Jonathan Trott caught the eye.
The pair ripped out the heart of the South African batting, Mascarenhas bowling Smith for 50 and having Jacques Kallis (11) trapped in front while Trott had AB de Villiers bowled for five and JP Duminy caught by Matt Prior for six.
It took an unbroken stand of 92 from Boucher (63) and Vernon Philander (31) to get South Africa past 200.
England lost Trott early in the reply, when he was run out for two but a 71-run stand between Prior (33) and Owais Shah (46) put the Lions back on track.
Prior was caught by Boucher off of Kallis before Andre Nel struck a double blow to leave England on 97 for four.
Joyce imitated his Middlesex team-mate Andrew Strauss by stepping on his wicket having made ten before Shah bowled for 46 to leave the match on a knife-edge.
In Eoin Morgan (47 not out) and Patel, England Lions found two young stars in the making and the pair shared an aggressive stand of 113 to take the Lions home.
The One Day leg of South Africa's tour begins with a Twenty20 International against England on Wednesday at The Riverside.
© Cricket World 2008
