Sport - Cricket

Middle-order batting worries for England

LONDON June 27. England cricket captain Michael Vaughan on Friday urged his team to ``learn a little bit faster'' following the surprise four-wicket loss to Zimbabwe.

England was humbled on Thursday by a solitary Grant Flower innings after the middle of the order again struggled, leaving the host at least 30 runs short of a competitive total. England plays South Africa at The Oval on Saturday.

``We have got to try and learn a little bit faster than we have already,'' said Vaughan. ``The middle order is a little bit of a worry,'' added Vaughan. ``They are inexperienced players.''

England warmed up for the series with a 2-1 win over Pakistan, but didn't play as well at Trent Bridge.

After a strong start, the middle order managed 64 runs between overs 15 and 40, repeating performances against Pakistan at Old Trafford and Lord's.

To make matters worse, England dropped four catches and missed a run out.

The teams (from): England: Michael Vaughan (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Vikram Solanki, Andrew Flintoff, James Troughton, Anthony McGrath, Rikki Clarke, Chris Read, Kabir Ali, Ashley Giles, Darren Gough, James Anderson, Robert Key, Richard Johnson and Steve Harmison.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Rudolph, Andre Nel, Paul Adams, Nicky Boje, Alan Dawson, Andrew Hall, Charl Langeveldt, Makhaya Ntini, Dewald Pretorius, Boeta Dippenaar, Martin van Jaasveld and Morne van Wyk. — AP

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