Date-stamped : 21 Jan96 - 22:16 ODI # 1041 South Africa v England, 7th One-day International. Port Elizabeth 21 January 1996. ====> report Monday 22, January 1996 Cricket: Final humiliation for England PORT ELIZABETH, South Africa, Sunday - A delighted President Nel- son Mandela was on hand to watch South Africa wrap up the seven- match series against England with an emphatic 54-run victory in the final limited-overs international at St. George`s Park here Sunday. "Congratulations in particular to captain Hansie Cronje for the excellent manner in which he has led the national team,`` Mandela said at the prizegiving. There was both merit in the President`s congratulations and in the way the South Africa`s assured themselves of a 6-1 series triumph and a final humiliation of the tourists. Some excellent England bowling -- most notably Darren Gough`s four for 33 including two wickets in consecutive balls in the 49th over of the scheduled 50 -- restricted the home side to 218 for nine. But the South African bowlers came straight back at the tourists, skittling England for 154 with just one ball of the final four overs bowled. Fanie de Villiers, the veteran who has been hampered by injury, got the last two wickets to fall to end with figures of four for 32. De Villiers, after only coming in for the final three matches of the series, was a somewhat surprise inclusion in the South Afri- can squad for next month`s World Cup. Not so lucky, though, was 36-year-old veteran Adrian Kuiper, whose 61 not out provided the backbone of the bottom of the South African batting. Kuiper was still at the crease at the end of the innings as the last six batsmen provided a scant 13 runs to the total between them. The prospect of a score above the 250 mark, which looked likely before the almost suicidal run out of Jacques Kallis for 2, faded rapidly as the bottom of the batting fell to pieces against some concentrated England bowling. South Africa won the toss and batted on a wicket which has proved unpredictable in the past. It was a decision which seemed to pay dividends as Andrew Hudson (44) produced a solid opening platform while Steve Palframan (10) and Gary Kirsten (17) were sent back to the pavilion. Hudson and Cronje came together and put on a third-wicket stand of 62 before Hudson was caught by Graham Thorpe off the bowling of Craig White. Cronje, who got 60 hard-won runs before falling to a catch by Graeme Hick off Paul Martin`s bowling, was joined by Kuiper. But the run-out of Kallis by Thorpe provided a turning point and with Kuiper forced to use a runner because of a hamstring strain, the early impetus of the innings floundered. England suffered an early blow in their chase for the 219 runs needed for a face-saving victory when captain Mike Atherton edged a Shaun Pollock delivery to the safe hands of Brian McMillan at slip in the fourth over with only five runs on the board. White (20) went next with the total on 35, bringing Robin Smith and Graeme Hick together. It was a partnership which looked threatening until Smith was caught by Palframan -- replacing the injured Dave Richardson -- off McMillan`s bowling for 21. McMillan struck again the following ball, clean-bowling Neil Fairbrother for a duck. Hick went on to make 43 before being bowled by Pat Symcox trying to force the pace. With Hick`s dismissal, the fight went out of the England side and even a last-ditch 21 from Dominic Cork was not enough to save the tourists as De Villiers wrapped up the tail. Source :: Lake House/Lanka Internet Services ====> more Electronic Telegraph Monday 22 January 1996 S Africa Tour - 7th One-Day International: Atherton losing the mind game By Mark Nicholas in Port Elizabeth South Africa (218-9) beat England (154) by 64 runs. S Africa win series 6-1 IN blazing sunshine, and amid a sea of the bright colours of South Africa, President Nelson Mandela gave the Benson and Hedges Trophy to Hansie Cronje. His team had walked all over England, winning by 64 runs yesterday and by 6-1 in the series. South Africa`s play was intelligent and uncompromising, while England gave a performance of numbing indifference. Afterwards Michael Atherton said his team should have won the first match in Cape Town, and that they had been on the slippery slope since. They were, he added, short of confidence and would need to play with conviction in the early matches of the World Cup. No kidding. Well as the England bowlers have fought back from their initial indiscipline in the series, the fielding that sup- ports them is sketchy and the batting that should lead them has lacked character. There are no surprises in the 14 for the World Cup, but a number of international careers are on the line. Eng- land have three weeks before the first match, against New Zea- land, in Ahmedabad, to bring spirit and passion to their play. South Africa have unearthed a wonderful instinctive cricketer in Shaun Pollock, who was named man of the series and is to become a Warwickshire player next summer, and a remarkable 19-year-old in Paul Adams, who has inspired and enthralled his people. Much in the way that he had done on Friday in East London, Adams played his part in restricting the England run-chase. Cronje left him until late, and he confused the middle and lower order with his varied spin. The path had been cleared by Fanie de Vil- liers, who was somewhere near his best, and Pat Symcox, the strapping off-breaker who took the valuable wicket of Graeme Hick. The one exciting performance for England in the otherwise unhappy series came from Darren Gough. The effervescent Yorkshireman has found his in-swinger and his accuracy, and in tandem with the ad- mirably controlled Richard Illingworth took the sting out of South Africa`s early aggression. After 30 overs they were handily placed at 123 for three, with Cronje and the recalled Adrian Kuiper going nicely. But Gough had his yorker working, and Illingworth refused to allow Cronje his favourite mow over midwicket. South Africa managed just 49 from the final 10 overs, including 12 from the last bowled by Dominic Cork as Kuiper, his former colleague at Derbyshire, struck out over mid on and extra cover. His unbeaten 61 took 65 balls, not especially racy by his own violent standards, but it was quite enough to ensure that South Africa were beyond the reach of England`s uncertain reply. Atherton has not been himself in the limited-overs matches and after a good delivery from Pollock he went wearily to the dress- ing room. He is not entirely comfortable with his batting role, given the fielding restrictions in the first 15 overs. He points out that the World Cup will be played in utterly dif- ferent conditions and that we must not place great importance on recent events. Fair enough, but the World Cup will be played in the mind, too, and it is in the mind that England are off the pace. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by Ravi (sista@*.latech.edu)