Trott, Collingwood power impressive England
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Paul Collingwood and Jonathan Trott had plenty to celebrate as England's one-day series finally got underway at the second attempt in Centurion, and the pair duly set about doing so in style, according to website cricinfo.
England's most experienced one-day cricketer joined forces with one of the country's newest recruits to produce a brace of allround performances that smothered South Africa's ambitions on a sluggish rain-affected track, and guided their side to an improbably comprehensive seven-wicket victory with four overs to spare.
In the end it was a cakewalk - as comprehensive in its own way as South Africa's 84-run pummelling on this same ground in the second Twenty20 last week. Chasing a meagre target of 251 (which was only nine runs more than England had been set in that game in 30 fewer overs) Collingwood and Trott came together in the 12th over with England teetering a touch on 45 for 2, but thereafter they scarcely blinked. A third-wicket stand of 162 in 30 overs put the result beyond doubt long before Trott ended their alliance by flicking Charl Langveldt to deep midwicket for 87.
It was a disappointing end for Trott (and he showed his frustration by bashing his pad with his bat as he left the pitch) but, like Kevin Pietersen five years ago, his first 50-over match against his former countrymen was a triumph nonetheless. He opened the innings in place of Joe Denly and Alastair Cook, who was ruled out before the start with a back strain, and anchored the chase with an unflustered 119-ball innings. Mickey Arthur's vocal criticism of his selection was clearly not without purpose - South Africa's coach recognised him as a threat, but there was nothing that he or his bowlers could do to rattle Trott's resolve.
AP adds: Herschelle Gibbs has been recalled as cover for injured allrounder Jacques Kallis for the remainder of South Africa's limited-overs international series against England.
Kallis is expected to be sidelined for a month with a rib injury, discovered after a scan at the weekend. Kallis missed the seven-wicket loss to England at Centurion on Sunday, which put the hosts behind 1-0 in the five-match ODI series.
It is not certain whether 35-year-old Gibbs, with 21 ODI centuries from 245 appearances, will play in the next match in Cape Town on Friday as the least experienced batsmen in the Proteas' top five, Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla, both scored half centuries on Sunday.
Gibbs, who scored a record six 6s in one over against Netherlands at the 2007 World Cup, was initially overlooked for this series. He scored 22 in his last ODI, a loss to England in the group stage of the Champions Trophy in September.
England 251 for 3 (Collingwood 105*, Trott 87) beat South Africa 250 for 9 (Petersen 64, Amla 57) by seven wickets
England's most experienced one-day cricketer joined forces with one of the country's newest recruits to produce a brace of allround performances that smothered South Africa's ambitions on a sluggish rain-affected track, and guided their side to an improbably comprehensive seven-wicket victory with four overs to spare.
In the end it was a cakewalk - as comprehensive in its own way as South Africa's 84-run pummelling on this same ground in the second Twenty20 last week. Chasing a meagre target of 251 (which was only nine runs more than England had been set in that game in 30 fewer overs) Collingwood and Trott came together in the 12th over with England teetering a touch on 45 for 2, but thereafter they scarcely blinked. A third-wicket stand of 162 in 30 overs put the result beyond doubt long before Trott ended their alliance by flicking Charl Langveldt to deep midwicket for 87.
It was a disappointing end for Trott (and he showed his frustration by bashing his pad with his bat as he left the pitch) but, like Kevin Pietersen five years ago, his first 50-over match against his former countrymen was a triumph nonetheless. He opened the innings in place of Joe Denly and Alastair Cook, who was ruled out before the start with a back strain, and anchored the chase with an unflustered 119-ball innings. Mickey Arthur's vocal criticism of his selection was clearly not without purpose - South Africa's coach recognised him as a threat, but there was nothing that he or his bowlers could do to rattle Trott's resolve.
AP adds: Herschelle Gibbs has been recalled as cover for injured allrounder Jacques Kallis for the remainder of South Africa's limited-overs international series against England.
Kallis is expected to be sidelined for a month with a rib injury, discovered after a scan at the weekend. Kallis missed the seven-wicket loss to England at Centurion on Sunday, which put the hosts behind 1-0 in the five-match ODI series.
It is not certain whether 35-year-old Gibbs, with 21 ODI centuries from 245 appearances, will play in the next match in Cape Town on Friday as the least experienced batsmen in the Proteas' top five, Alviro Petersen and Hashim Amla, both scored half centuries on Sunday.
Gibbs, who scored a record six 6s in one over against Netherlands at the 2007 World Cup, was initially overlooked for this series. He scored 22 in his last ODI, a loss to England in the group stage of the Champions Trophy in September.
England 251 for 3 (Collingwood 105*, Trott 87) beat South Africa 250 for 9 (Petersen 64, Amla 57) by seven wickets