South Africa wins yet another thriller

By Ted Corbett

EAST LONDON, FEB. 5. Any ground that, like Buffalo Park, in the much- maligned South African port of East London, has a snake pit at one end and a cemetary at the other must be the right place for a sudden death knock-out. Yet after the tense last-over win by South Africa on Friday night there is still everything to play for; the close-run tournament will go to the final match.

England went down by two wickets with only two balls remaining and lost its best chance of a place in next Saturday's final. England still has a prayer if it wins the last qualifying match of the triangular tournament against Zimbabwe. If Zimbabwe beats South Africa in Port Elizabeth tomorrow there will be a night of the busy calculators at Centurion next Wednesday when run rate may settle this tight competition.

England will have to play out of its socks that night but judging from its enthusiasm last night in a hazy atmosphere, with sweat on every limb and a 16,196 crowd whose patriotism knew no limits, it still has the mental toughness and the resilience for yet another comeback. ``I am pleased with the way my boys played. We lost a good game but it is not the end of the world,'' said Nasser Hussain, the England captain.

The key moment came when Neil McKenzie, the new South African middle order batsman, was run out by England's new boy Vikram Solanki with a direct hit on the run at cover point. This brilliant piece of cricket brought in Lance Klusener who hit 11 off his first three balls, 19 off 16 balls and put his side in front of the England run rate for the first time. His stand of 38 with Jonty Rhodes settled the match.

Buffalo Park has a reputation for low scores so while Nick Knight was going strongly England thought it needed only 230 when Nasser Hussain lost the toss for the fifth time in the tournament and was told to bat. Such is the fear of making runs under floodlights in these semi-tropical parts that Hansie Cronje was the first captain to insert a team in the seven matches so far. It's always a better idea in this town than anywhere else. Last time England was here it bowled South Africa out for 127 and still managed to lose by 14 runs.

Nick Knight, the leading scorer in the tournament, dominated the England innings until Mark Alleyne, the Man of the Match, hit 53 in 68 balls, ensured that 70 came off the last 10 so that England set South Africa to make 232 and began bowling as slight favourite.

Cronje had been criticised for failing to use a pinch hitter against Zimbabwe this week but when he sent in the wicket- keeper Mark Boucher, a local hero, at No. 3 the move rebounded and once again Jacques Kallis was the bedrock of its innings. It looked as if his innings was blessed when Chris Read, the wicket- keeper the new object of love-hate among the English Press corps, dropped him on 12 and 21.

As Read also took three catches - including one off Kallis - he will have to wait until the daily delivery of newspaper faxes arrives in the team hotel to discover whether he is a villain or a hero.

Alleyne then grabbed three wickets and, as the tension grew, held a low catch at mid-off to get rid of Rhodes. In the absence of Craig White, who should be fit for the final play-off game on Wednesday, this bits and pieces team came into its own and it will be needed again if England is to finish its long tour with a success.

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