SA A pipped in Wanderers thriller
Source: Supetcricket - September 11, 2002 - 06:38

A third wicket stand of 151 between Martin van Jaarsveld and Ashwell Prince wasn't enough to prevent South Africa A sliding to a nine run defeat against Australia A at the Wanderers on Wednesday.

Chasing Australia A's 268/7, a win for the the home side appeared to be on the cards after van Jaarsveld and Prince's heroics.

But despite a flurry at the death by Justin Kemp and Steve Elworthy, they were restricted to 259/8, and slid to their fourth straight defeat in the best of seven series.

South Africa needed 12 off the last over from Brad Williams, but Kemp was castled by the first delivery, after hitting 12 from 11 balls.

Their last realistic hope of victory went when Elworthy (2) hit the third ball, a full toss, to Simon Katich on the cover point fence.

Van Jaarsveld, one of the finds of the series, was out for 108 in the 46th over, shortly after surviving a run out attempt on 101.

Jacques Rudolph, who ran for his Titans team-mate in the latter stages of his knock, appeared to be caught short of his ground attempting a quick single.

However, the fact that Rudolph was running so wide meant that television evidence was inconclusive.

Two balls later, van Jaarsveld was caught at long off by Brad Williams off Stuart Clark. He scored his runs from 114 balls with 11 fours.

Once again, South Africa A lost early wickets at the top of the order.

Robin Peterson was first man out, caught in the deep by Brad Hogg off Brad Williams for 3. He was soon followed by Jacques Rudolph, who was bowled by Clark for 10.

Van Jaarsveld and Prince then set about the Australian attack with their magnificent stand. The pair came together with the home side on 31/2 and confidently played the hosts into a strong position.

Prince finally fell in the 35th over when he skied an attempted hook to Michael Hussey off Brad Hogg. The Western Province player hit 75 from 84 balls with nine boundaries.

Skipper Neil McKenzie continued his miserable run of form when he was yorked by Clark for 13, his fourth straight failure of the series with the bat.

Andrew Hall was also yorked by Williams towards the death for 14.

Earlier Justin Langer (90) and Michael Hussey (68) helped Australia A reach a formidable 268/7 from their allotted 50 overs after being sent in to bat.

Ian Harvey hit a six off the last ball to finish on 15 not out and Wright was not out on 1.

Langer and Hussey shared a quickfire 80 run partnership before Langer was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Ashwell Prince. Michael Hussey was bowled by Andre Nel during the slog of the final overs and Brad Hogg also added an explosive 38 off 36 balls before giving Robin Peterson a catch mid-off to give Andre Nel his fourth wicket

Ryan Campbell (21) was first out when got a short ball from Andre Nel which he top-edged to David Terbrugge, who took a fine low catch on the fine leg boundary.

Andrew Symonds (18) followed in the 25th over when he drove Nel to mid-off where Robin Peterson clung on to a stinging head-high catch.

Greg Blewett was dismissed for a duck in the following over, Justin Kemp's first, when he edged the EP seamer to Thami Tsolekile behind the stumps.

Simon Katich came in and bludgeoned the first two balls he faced from Kemp to the boundary. But his stay at the crease lasted just three more balls, as he was bowled off the inside edge by Peterson for 10.

The tourists had thus slumped from 112/1 to 125/4.

South Africa A had earlier won the toss and sent the visitors in to bat. Although Mfuneko Ngam passed a fitness test on Tuesday, the Eastern Province paceman was excluded along with Mornantau Hayward.

Andre Nel and David Terbrugge were drafted in along with Justin Kemp who, replaced Gary Kirsten.

Tsolekile also gets his first game in place of Errol Stewart.

Down three-nil in the series following a crushing seven wicket loss at Centurion on Sunday, South Africa have to triumph in the Johannesburg clash if they are to keep alive their chances of winning the seven match limited overs series.

In Benoni on Friday, Terbrugge's opening spell of swinging and highly penetrative bowling saw South Africa almost defend their miserable 193.

SA A v AUSTRALIA A SCOREBOARD

Australia A innings
R Campbell c Terbrugge b Nel 21
J Langer run out (Prince) 90
A Symonds c Peterson b Nel 18
G Blewett c Tsolekile b Kemp 0
S Katich b Peterson 10
M Hussey b Nel 61
B Hogg c Peterson b Nel 38
I Harvey not out 15
D Wright not out 1
Extras (2b, 4nb, 8w) 14
Total (for 7 wkts) 268 - 50 overs
Fall of wickets: 1/78 2/112 3/114 4/125 5/205 6/242 7/260 Elworthy 9-0-56-0 (1nb, 2w), Terbrugge 9-1-50-0 (3w), Nel 10-0-50-4 (3nb, 1w), Hall 9-0-44-0 (1w), Kemp 5-0-26-1 (1w), Peterson 8-0-40-1

South Africa A innings
R Peterson c Hogg b Williams 3
J Rudolph c Clark 10
M van Jaarsveld c Williams b Clark 108
A Prince c Hussey b Hogg 75
N McKenzie b Clark 13
A Hall b Williams 14
J Kemp b Williams 12
S Elworthy C Katich b Williams 2
T Tsolekile not out 1
D Terbrugge not out 0
Extras (4b, 10lb, 7w) 21
Total (for 7 wkts) - 259 - 50 overs
Fall of wickets: 1/14 2/31 3/182 4/208 5/233 6/242 7/257 8/258
Bowling: Williams 9-0-42-4 (5w), Clark 10-1-46-3, Harvey 10-1-43-0 (2w), Wright 7-0-32-0, Hogg 6-0-86-1, Katich 5-0-35-0, Symonds 3-0-21-0

Australia A won by nine runs.