Ken Borland

South Africa staged one of their habitual batting collapses as they were bowled out for 147 and lost to Zimbabwe by 29 runs in their Pran RFL T20 Triangular Series match at Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.

20th over – WICKET – Lonwabo Tsotsobe swings across a full, straight delivery from Kyle Jarvis and is bowled for one.

19th over – WICKET – Marchant de Lange misses a loose drive at a Richard Muzhange yorker and is bowled for three.

18th over – Christopher Mpofu settles the outcome with two wickets in another outstanding over. WICKET – Robin Peterson falls for 13 to the first ball of the over as he tries to slog-sweep another Mpofu slower ball, but can only sky it straight upwards, the bowler himself taking the catch. Mpofu rather foolishly bowls a short ball with fine leg up and Colin Ingram pulls it behind square for four. WICKET – All hope is gone now for South Africa as Ingram tries to heave yet another slower ball straight down the ground, but can only sky it to deep mid-on, where Vusi Sibanda hangs on to the catch this time! Ingram’s 48 off 39 balls was a defiant but ultimately unsuccessful effort.
17th over – Muzhange spoils an outstanding over with a last-ball full toss which Ingram muscles straight down the ground for six.

16th over – Clever batting by Peterson brings 10 runs off the last three balls of Jarvis’s over. The left-hander shovels a good full ball between long-on and cow-corner for his first boundary and then ends the over with a brave scoop from off-stump, behind the wicket and away to the boundary.

15th over – WICKET – Muzhange returns and claims the wicket of the dangerous Albie Morkel with his first ball back! It’s a rank bad ball that does the trick, though, as the left-handed Morkel bottom-edges a cut at a very wide delivery and is caught behind for 10.

14th over – Cremer’s figures take a battering in his final over which costs 15 runs. Morkel starts the over by easing a straight drive majestically for six, before the leg-spinner pitches too short and is pulled fine for four by Ingram, who then drives crisply through wide mid-on for four more.

12th over – Cremer strikes again! WICKET – JP Duminy (6) runs down the pitch and past a Cremer googly. The left-hander is so far down the track that wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor can afford to fumble the ball, drop it, fumble again and then only effect the stumping on the third attempt! A key wicket though for Zimbabwe.

11th over – Colin Ingram strikes back with a sweetly-struck sweep for six off Prosper Utseya.

10th over – Two wickets in two balls for Cremer! WICKET – Justin Ontong (4) uses his feet but he ends up chipping a cramped drive to Utseya at cover. WICKET – Dane Vilas then tries to cut his first ball, but it’s a big-turning googly and he ends up chopping the ball on to his stumps!

9th over – WICKET – Utseya gets the key wicket, rather gifted to him by Richard Levi, who just plonks a short-arm pull into the hands of Craig Ervine at cow-corner. Levi played some great shots though in his 40 off 28 balls.

7th over – Medium-pacer Muzhange comes on and Levi launches a no-ball straight out of the ground for a magnificent six! The free hit brings just a single as Muzhange finds the blockhole.

6th over – Off-spinner Utseya comes on but Ingram collects four runs off his second delivery with a beautifully-timed late-cut. Utseya ends the over with a full toss, which Ingram bashes down the ground for four more.

5th over – Ingram is dropped first ball as he tries to pull a bouncer outside off stump from Mpofu and Sibanda drops a sitter running in to square-leg! Poor Mpofu then concedes a boundary off the last ball of the over via a nifty leg-glance by Levi.

4th over – Jarvis is surprisingly kept on and goes even worse as Levi gets stuck into him. Levi effortlessly slog-sweeps a one-bounce four, drives a low full toss crisply through extra cover for another four and then strokes a six over long-on.

3rd over – WICKET – Mpofu’s impressive start continues with a wicket! Hashim Amla tries to drive on the up again, this time over mid-on, but skews a slower-ball up in the air and Hamilton Masakadza takes a good back-pedalling catch. Amla is out for 11 off seven balls.

2nd over – Jarvis undoes the fine work done by Mpofu in the first over as he concedes 14 runs, including three boundaries through the covers – two by Amla and one by Levi.

Zimbabwe innings

Zimbabwe’s top three were in the groove as they steered them to 176 for four in their Twenty20 Triangular Series match against South Africa at the Harare Sports Club on Wednesday.

20th over – A lucky start to the final over for Marchant de Lange as his first ball is a wretched, short delivery down leg and Brendan Taylor somehow manages to glove it to wicketkeeper Dane Vilas, who takes a good catch diving forward. Captain Taylor’s 38 off 21 balls ensured a great finish for the innings though.

19th over – Full and wide from Albie Morkel and Taylor just chips it straight back over his head for four.

18th over – Superb batting by Taylor! Wayne Parnell bowls a half-volley which the Zimbabwe captain short-arm punches over long-on for a magnificently-timed six. Taylor then bashes a short ball and a full delivery through the covers for boundaries!

17th over – A good over from Morkel is spoilt as Taylor’s pull-drive off the last ball flies to deep midwicket, where Justin Ontong drops the catch and spills the ball over the boundary for six!

16th over – An eventful Parnell over! His first ball is driven very high back over his head by Vusi Sibanda and Richard Levi drops a steepling catch! Parnell drops the next ball short and Sibanda smashes a pull shot through midwicket for four. WICKET – But two balls later, Sibanda tries to heave the left-arm seamer leg-side, but can only slice a catch high to Lonwabo Tsotsobe at deep backward point. Sibanda’s 58 off 50 balls as been a really useful innings, but he’s out at a bad time for Zimbabwe. WICKET – Parnell claims a second wicket with the last ball of the over as Elton Chigumbura pulls his first ball, but mistimes it to Colin Ingram at deep midwicket.

14th over – WICKET – The fantastic opening stand is eventually broken on 114 as Masakadza skies a slog-sweep off Robin Peterson to Colin Ingram at cow-corner. Left-arm spinner Peterson held that delivery back well. Masakadza’s 55 off 39 balls was a mighty fine innings though!

13th over – Parnell is introduced for the first time and drags a slower-ball down leg, Sibanda whipping it through backward square-leg for four.

12th over – The part-time spin of Justin Ontong is employed, but the gamble doesn’t pay off as 14 runs come from the over. Two attempted leg-breaks come out as long-hops and are spanked for four through the covers and six over long-on by Masakadza.

11th over – Tsotsobe returns but Masakadza plays an expert paddle-sweep to collect four runs past short fine-leg.

10th over – Sibanda breaks the boundary-drought as he leans back and launches Peterson straight over long-off for a majestic six!

5th over – De Lange’s first ball of his second over is too full and Sibanda lambasts it through the covers for another boundary. Four balls later, it’s stand and deliver from Masakadza as he swats the fast bowler over wide long-on for four more.

4th over – Tsotsobe overpitches and Sibanda drives the ball superbly straight back over the bowler’s head for four.

3rd over – De Lange starts with a short ball outside off stump and Masakadza cracks it for four with a beautiful back-foot square-drive.

2nd over – Sibanda steps forward and heaves Tsotsobe high and handsome over backward square-leg for a big six!

1st over – Masakadza edges a turning delivery from Peterson just short of Albie Morkel lunging at slip, but ends the over well with a confident sweep shot for four.

Fullback Nick Abendanon scored a hat-trick of tries as England ran riot in a 57-31 (half-time 31-10) victory over the SA Northern Barbarians in their tour match at Olen Park on Tuesday.

With Abendanon making over a hundred metres running with ball in hand, and replacement wing Jonny May showing searing pace, England were an attacking threat throughout, although defensive lapses early in the second half allowed the Barbarians back into the game.

May expertly finished two tries in the 63rd and 70th minutes which settled the contest after the Barbarians had scored twice after half-time to close the gap to 24-31.

The 22-year-old May, who only arrived in South Africa last weekend as a replacement for George Lowe, came off the bench in the 26th minute after Ugo Monye injured himself in a tackle which knocked him out and damaged his neck.

Monye went to hospital for a scan, but England management are confident there is no serious damage to his neck.

Abendanon, himself a late call-up to the tour party, scored in the 19th, 32nd and 36th minutes.

Flyhalf Charlie Hodgson, who dominated the territorial battle with his boot but also sparked his backline well, missed just one kick at goals as he added seven conversions and a penalty.

Eighthman Ben Morgan and centre Anthony Allen were the other England players who scored tries, while the tourists were also awarded a penalty try in the last minute.

The Barbarians, drawn from B Division provinces, were thoroughly outplayed except in the third quarter, when scrumhalf Shaun Venter scored twice in three minutes.

Scorers

SA Northern Barbarians – Tries: Joubert Engelbrecht, Shaun Venter (2), Deon Scholtz. Conversions: JC Roos (4). Penalty: Roos.

England – Tries: Nick Abendanon (3), Ben Morgan, Jonny May (2), Anthony Allen, penalty try. Conversions: Charlie Hodgson (7). Penalty: Hodgson.

England captain Chris Robshaw will miss the third and final Test against South Africa on Saturday after he cracked a thumb in the second Test in Johannesburg last weekend, coach Stuart Lancaster confirmed on Monday.

Lancaster said Robshaw took a blow to the thumb in the first Test in Durban and then another blow in the second Test. Scans of the thumb on Monday revealed an undisplaced fracture and the medical advice was that the openside flank should not play in the third Test in Port Elizabeth on Saturday so as to avoid possible surgery.

Hooker Dylan Hartley will take over the captaincy, Lancaster told a news conference in Johannesburg on Monday.

“It’s disappointing to lose our captain and also such an influential player. Last August Chris was not even in the World Cup squad and what he has done since then has just been outstanding. He will now miss just his third game this season which, playing in such an attritional position, is amazing.

“But Dylan has always been part of the leadership group, he’s driven training, he’s the first-choice in his position, respected by the players and captain at Northampton,” Lancaster said.

Robshaw has been a tremendous force at the breakdowns, despite England’s two narrow defeats in the first two Tests, but potential replacements Thomas Waldrom and James Haskell have both produced powerful performances on tour already. Phil Dowson is also expected to return to training this week after a tight hamstring kept him off the replacements’ bench for the second Test.

Lancaster also announced the England team to play a tour match against the SA Northern Barbarians in Potchefstroom on Tuesday, with the most notable selection being that of Lee Dickson at scrumhalf.

The coach said Dickson will use the match to get some crucial game time following the shoulder injury that has forced Test scrumhalf Ben Youngs out of the tour.

Dickson has been on the bench for the first two Tests and will be competing with the experienced, livewire halfback Danny Care for a place in the starting XV for the final Test.

“It’s a useful opportunity for people who need some game time, like Lee Dickson. He’s desperate to play and he was always going to start this game. We’ll probably take him off to protect him at half-time,” Lancaster said.

Lee Dickson’s older brother Karl, who arrived in South Africa on Monday morning as the replacement for Youngs, will then replace him.

The midweek team will once again be led by lock George Robson and shows six changes from the side that beat the SA Southern Barbarians last week, including a start for British and Irish Lions wing Ugo Monye, who has recovered from a hamstring niggle.

“We want to finish with two wins this week, finish on a high. It’s important to finish on a high note,” Robson stated.

Team – 15-Nick Abendanon, 14-Christian Wade, 13-Anthony Allen, 12-Jordan Turner-Hall, 11-Ugo Monye, 10-Charlie Hodgson, 9-Lee Dickson, 8-Ben Morgan, 7-Carl Fearns, 6-Jamie Gibson, 5-George Robson, 4-Graham Kitchener, 3-Paul Doran-Jones, 2-Tom Youngs, 1-Matt Mullan. Replacements: 16-Joe Gray, 17-Rupert Harden, 18-Mouritz Botha, 19-James Haskell, 20-Karl Dickson, 21-David Strettle, 22-Jonny May.

It took a moment of brilliance from wing JP Pietersen for South Africa to avoid the embarrassment of squandering a 28-10 lead and lose the second Test against England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday.

The Springboks triumphed 36-27 after Pietersen’s 73^rd minute try – he began the move with a mazy run, bumping off defenders, from his own half – pulled them clear, but England deserve huge credit for their remarkable comeback.

In the first half, they were absolutely hammered up front by the power and ferocity of the Springbok ball-carriers, but they fronted up manfully in the second half and, with the home side disrupted by unfortunate injuries, they came roaring back.

“It was a golden moment for me, I played some of my best rugby tonight, both on attack and defence,” Pietersen said. “But in the second half we dropped our concentration and we had to scramble to contain some line breaks. That’s when work-rate comes first for your team, you need to help when they’re getting tired.”

It was little short of assault in the first half as the Springboks dominated the collisions, earning three tries.

“We had a good first half, we wanted speed on the ball and to run hard, to get momentum,” eighthman Pierre Spies said.

“We were much more clinical at the rucks, especially in the first half, and we were better, more accurate, at the breakdown.”

Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer praised new captain Jean de Villiers for keeping control of a tense situation in the second half.

“We learnt a lot out there, panic could have set in but Jean did really well. I would rather have this sort of win than 80 minutes of SuperRugby and then the team lose in this sort of situation later on,” Meyer said.