England Gough up a nine-wicket victory

England Gough up a nine-wicket victory
REUTERS

BLOEMFONTEIN, JAN 23: ]A Record opening partnership between captain Nasser Hussain and Nick Knight swept England to a crushing nine-wicket win over South Africa in their triangular limited overs cricket series match on Sunday.

England passed South Africa's mediocre total of 184 in the 40th over, finishing on 185 for one. Fast bowler Darren Gough, the Man-of-the-Match, laid the foundation for England's victory with a haul of four for 29 and then Hussain and Knight finished the home side off with a stand of 165.

It was the highest partnership for the first wicket against South Africa in limited overs matches, surpassing the unbroken 154 shared by Desmond Haynes and Brian Lara for West Indies at Queen's Park Oval at Port-of-spain, Trinidad in 1991-92.

Hussain scored 85 (114b, 12x4) before cutting a ball from left-arm spinner Nicky Boje to Herschelle Gibbs at short cover in the 35th over. Knight was unbeaten on 71 ( 112 b, 7x4, 1x6) . Graeme Hick was not out on 12.

South Africa slumped despite a sound, ifslow, batting pitch and Jacques Kallis' (57: 105b, 5x4) 17th ODI half-century, that ended in the 39th over when Gough uprooted his off-stump with a perfect away-swinger. Opening bowlers Gough and Andy Caddick did the initial damage by reducing South Africa to 23 for four in the seventh over.

South Africa's last hope disappeared in the 46th over when Lance Klusener heaved one of Hick's off-spinners to Caddick at long-on to be out for 27.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa: G Kirsten c Read b Gough 1, H Gibbs lbw b Caddick 9, J Kallis b Gough 57, D Benkenstein b Gough 2, H Cronje c Read b Gough 2, M Boucher c Gough b White 11, P Strydom c Caddick b Ealham 34, L Klusener c Caddick b Hick 27, S Pollock not out 19, N Boje c Adams b White 2, D Terbrugge b White 5; Extras: (b4, lb5, nb2, w4) 15.
Total: (all out, 49.5 overs) 184
Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-18, 3-21, 4-23, 5-53, 6-122, 7-137, 8-172, 9-176
Bowling: Gough 10-1-29-4 (nb1, w3), Caddick 10-1-23-1 (w1), White8.5-0-45-3 (nb1), Swann 5-0-24-0, Ealham 10-1-22-1, Hick 6-0-32-1.

England: N Hussain c Gibbs b Boje 85, N Knight not out 71, G Hick not out 12; Extras: (lb10, nb1, w6) 17. Total (for 1 wkt, 39.3 overs) 185
Fall of wicket: 1-165.
Bowling: Pollock 8-2-22-0, Terbrugge 6-1-23-0 (w1), Kallis 4-0-34-0 (w-), Boje 10-1-47-1 (w1), Strydom 2-0-7-0, Klusener 5-0-25-0 (nb1, w3), Cronje 4.3-0-17-0.

Result: England won by nine wickets.
Man-of-the-Match: Darren Gough (England).