south africa A in zimbabwe

[brockley]

Offspinner replaces Friedel de Wet

Botha included in South Africa A squad

Cricinfo staff

August 6, 2007



Johan Botha received a late call-up to the South Africa A squad © Getty Images




Warriors offspinner Johan Botha has replaced Friedel de Wet, the Lions fast bowler, in the South Africa A squad for their tour of Zimbabwe.

"We have made this change because local conditions now show us that we have enough fire power in our seam attack and we have opted to go with another spinner in order to give more exposure to our spinners," Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, said.

"We also did not consider Lions middle-order batsman, Neil McKenzie, for the A team tour because he is playing county cricket for Somerset and is getting tough competition there in the longer version of the game."

Boeta Dippenaar will lead the 14-man squad for two four-day matches in Harare and Bulawayo. It is a strong side, with Andre Nel, Charl Langeveldt and Andrew Hall among 11 players with international experience. Ashwell Prince will join the squad after the funeral of his grandmother. He misses the first match in Harare and will meet up with the team for the second four-day match in Bulawayo.


Squad
Boeta Dippenaar (capt), Yusuf Abdullah, Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Andrew Hall, Paul Harris, Imran Khan, Charl Langeveldt, Andrè Nel, Justin Ontong, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Thami Tsolekile (wk), Mornè van Wyk.

 

[Prince EWS]

Why is Ashwell Prince playing? He's established in the test side now, surely, and they aren't playing any one-day games..

 

[NUFAN]

Squad
Boeta Dippenaar (capt), Yusuf Abdullah, Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Andrew Hall, Paul Harris, Imran Khan, Charl Langeveldt, Andrè Nel, Justin Ontong, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Thami Tsolekile (wk), Mornè van Wyk

Gun

 

[TT Boy]

Why is Ashwell Prince playing? He's established in the test side now, surely, and they aren't playing any one-day games..

According to coach Vince Barnes purely for some prep before Pakistan. The likes of Prince, Boeta and Amla haven’t been playing competitive cricket for sometime.

Stranger selections for me is that of Andrew Hall, Charl Langeveldt and Andre Nel, whose places in South Africa’s 20/20 World Cup side must now be in some doubt, if they are playing here. Other than a couple of players the squad is far too established.

 

[TT Boy]

According to coach Vince Barnes purely for some prep before Pakistan. The likes of Prince, Boeta and Amla haven’t been playing competitive cricket for sometime.

Stranger selections for me is that of Andrew Hall, Charl Langeveldt and Andre Nel, whose places in South Africa’s 20/20 World Cup side must now be in some doubt, if they are playing here. Other than a couple of players the squad is far too established.

Confirmed by Mickey Arthur- "One option was to give a number of young players a chance but we decided to give playing opportunities to those who won't be in action in September".

Tough on Hall and possibly Harris but good to see the likes of Langeveldt, Nel, Ontong and Amla excluded.

 

[TT Boy]

First day’s scorecard, Zim won the toss and elected to bat…

Zimbabwe Select XI 7 for 223 (Sibanda 68, Taibu 56*, Masakadza 40, Langeveldt 2/54, Hall 3/29)

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Zimbabwe Select 242
Sibanda 68, Taibu 63 - Langeveldt 4-62

South Africa A 280
Ontong 101, Dippenaar 77 - Brent 4-48, Mpofu 3-39

Zimbabwe Select 17 for 0

Not too bad a performance by Zimbabwe, this. It's a decent side they're facing, disappointing for Morne van Wyk to get out to Mpofu's new ball.

 

[TT Boy]

Zimbabwe Select 242
Sibanda 68, Taibu 63 - Langeveldt 4-62

South Africa A 280
Ontong 101, Dippenaar 77 - Brent 4-48, Mpofu 3-39

Zimbabwe Select 17 for 0

Not too bad a performance by Zimbabwe, this. It's a decent side they're facing, disappointing for Morne van Wyk to get out to Mpofu's new ball.

Yeah good stuff from Zim. Although, the South African batsman (Ontong and Boeta excluded) shouldn't be too proud of themselves.

 

[TT Boy]

South Africa A 280 and 44 for 1 (van Wyk 25*) need another 88 runs to beat Zimbabwe Select 242 and 169 (Matsikenyeri 67*, Hall 3-38, Harris 4-38)

Normal service has resumed as Zim capitulated at a snail’s pace, took them over 30 overs to compile just 44 runs. Although, credit to Stuart Matsikenyeri for he saved his side from losing by ten wickets.

 

[TT Boy]

South Africa A 280 and 132 for 2 (van Wyk 63*) beat Zimbabwe Select 242 and 169 by eight wickets

 

[Julian87]

A top order featuring Sibanda, Taibu, Masakadza, Matsikenyeri and Taylor looks promising for Zimbabwe imo.

 

[Prince EWS]

A top order featuring Sibanda, Taibu, Masakadza, Matsikenyeri and Taylor looks promising for Zimbabwe imo.

Duffin is solid technically as well. They only lack good-standard cricket really - the difference between what they get in club cricket in Zimbabwe and what they get on the international scene is ridiculously large and ZC stupidly made it worse by banning players from playing overseas. There's also the fact that the bowling stocks are horrible.

 

[TT Boy]

South African side for the second game...

Morne van Wyk, Imran Khan, Hashim Amla, Boeta Dippenaar (captain), Ashwell Prince, Justin Ontong, Andrew Hall, Thami Tsolekile, Paul Harris, Andre Nel, Yusuf Abdullah

Human will strangely remain at four, Khan replaces Alviro Petersen, who has returned home after suffering from constant nose bleeds. Left arm seamer Yusuf Abdullah replaces Charl Langeveldt whilst Ashwell Prince replaces off spinning all-rounder Johan Botha.

For Zim, Brendan Taylor comes back to open whilst Elton Chigumbura returns after missing the first game due to the death of his mother.

Prosper Utseya (capt), Tatenda Taibu, Hamilton Masakadza, Gary Brent, Christopher Mpofu, Brendan Taylor, Stuart Matsikenyeri, Timycen Maruma, Vusumuzi Sibanda, Elton Chigumbura, Keith Dabengwa

 

[TT Boy]

South Africa won the toss and elected to bat

Scorecard at the close of day one…

South Africa A 287 for 2 (Amla 115*, Dippenaar 103*, van Wyk 30) v Zimbabwe Select

Just reading Cricinfo’s match summary and it would seem both Hashim and Human’s hundreds were not without their chances, Human was dropped on more than three occasions whilst Amla was dropped in his forties. South Africa look set for a huge total.

 

[Julian87]

Dippenaar is so underated. And I do realise he is against pitiful bowling.

 

[TT Boy]

South Africa experience food shortages...

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/zimbabwe/content/story/307133.html

 

[TT Boy]

South Africa A 542 for 7 declared (Human 189, Amla 142, Ontong 70) v Zimbabwe Select 36 for 3 (Harris 5/2)