England under 19s lose Pro20 series 2-0

Date: Friday 23 January 2009

England were unable to level the Pro20 series in South Africa, as they lost the second game of the two-match series.

Nathan Buck was given a rest after a gruelling start to the tour, but County batsmen Josh Cobb and James Taylor did appear in the game.

Unfortunately, neither batsman was able to get into double figures as the side lost by 21 runs.

England's top score came from Jaik Mickleburgh, a young batsman who made his maiden first-class fifty for Essex against Leicestershire at Grace Road last summer.

However, his stunning fifty was not enough to give the team the victory they needed in Paarl to claim a share of the two-match Twenty20 series.

Opener Mickleburgh struck 55 from 39 balls, including six fours and a maximum, but his dismissal realistically ended the tourists' hopes of victory, as only one other England player, wicketkeeper Adam Wheater (13), reached double figures.

Obus Pienaar, Thomas Kaber and Graham van Buuren all claimed a pair of victims in a what proved to be a comfortable triumph.

Earlier, England's bowlers produced a disciplined performance to limit South Africa to 147 for seven in their allotted 20 overs.

Seamers Atif Sheikh and Hamza Riazuddin, plus spinner Liam Dawson, took two wickets apiece while South Africa skipper Jonathan Vandiar led by example with 44. All-rounder Pienaar continued his fine form with 37.

Having gone down by six wickets yesterday at Newlands, England skipper Riazuddin called correctly at the toss and chose to chase South Africa's score.

Sheikh broke through in the second over as Sam Northeast held the dangerous Mangaliso Mosehle for four. Fellow opener Andrea Agathagelou advanced the score but he became Sheikh's second victim, caught by Chris Wood, for 23 from 21 balls.

Vandiar kept the scoreboard ticking over but Riazuddin struck to remove Temba Bavuma for three thanks to Azeem Rafiq's catch, leaving the hosts 46 for three after seven overs.

Pienaar joined his captain at the crease and the pair added 71 in 9.4 overs. Leg-spinner Scott Borthwick broke the partnership, bowling Pienaar for 44 from 39 deliveries, including five fours.

Stephan Smith struck a quick-fire 15 from nine balls before he was stumped by Wheater off left-arm spinner Dawson. Riazuddin quickly removed van Buuren, also stumped, for a three-ball duck but Pienaar kept things going.

Bowling the final over, Dawson removed Pienaar - caught by Northeast - for a run-a-ball 37 which contained just two fours.

Mickleburgh then took the attack to South Africa's opening bowlers to put on 34 with Northwast before Njabulo Mgenge bowled the batsman for seven in the fourth over.

Although the Essex right-hander continued on his merry way, wickets tumbled at the other end. Pienaar caught Cobb off Bavuma before Kaber cleaned up Dawson and Riazuddin.

Mickleburgh's dismissal, caught by Vandiar at extra-cover off van Buuren, was a crushing blow and left the tourists 88 for five. Taylor's run out soon after and Borthwick's demise, caught by Vandiar off van Buuren, left England struggling.

Rafiq was eighth out, caught by Bavuma off Pienaar, as Wheater and Wood finished unbeaten.

Full match scorecard is available below, along with a set of averages for the first ever England under 19s Pro20 series:

The team now face a three-day practice game on January 26 against SASSU at the University of Johannesburg. Then comes a one-off four-day test against their South African under 19 counterparts in Benoni, which begins on January 31