Cricket
Ingram sets up SA 'A' victory
2010-08-24 18:47
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Colin Ingram (Gallo Images)
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Colombo - Colin Ingram continued from where he left off at the end of the domestic season to set up South Africa A side’s convincing victory over their Pakistan counterparts in their triangular 50 overs tournament that began at Colombo’s Singalese Sports Club ground on Tuesday.
The South Africans won by a convincing 6 wickets with 26 balls to spare and will take a lot of confidence into their second match against Sri Lanka A on Sunday.
Thami Tsolekile’s side were set a modest target of 220 and Ingram made sure there would be no mishaps along the way as he batted from the 5th over until the 40th. By the time he was dismissed for 85 (111 balls with 9 fours and a six) the Proteas had the job done with 27 runs needed in the last 10 overs.
He shared important partnerships along the way with other young South African batting talents, putting on 58 for the third wicket with Rilee Rossouw in 13 overs and 88 for the fourth in 21 overs with the in-form Dean Elgar. The latter was top scorer in the two-match unofficial Test series against Sri Lanka A and finished this match unbeaten on 47 (82 balls, 3 fours).
South Africa won the toss and for a while it looked as though they might be chasing a big total as Asad Shafiq (80 off 107 balls with 8 fours) and Aamer Sajjad (77 off 106 balls with 2 fours and a six) added 137 for the third wicket in just 29 overs.
But Rusty Theron, who dismissed both these batsmen, and Vernon Philander engineered a collapse that saw 7 wickets fall for 61 runs in 11 overs. Bearing in mind the problems the Proteas have had with death bowling it must have been very encouraging for national coach Corrie van Zyl to witness such an impressive turnaround. Theron finished with 4/47 and Philander with 3/42 and all 5 bowlers used had economy rates of less than 5 runs to the over.