England continued their encouraging countdown to next month’s ICC Under-19s World Cup in New Zealand with a convincing win against South Africa in the second match of their Tri-Series in Potchefstroom.
Middlesex pair Savin Perera and Luke Hollman impressed with bat and ball respectively, as they had in England’s opening match against Namibia last Thursday, and there were also significant contributions from captain Harry Brook, Somerset all-rounder Tom Lammonby, and Surrey’s Will Jacks, as England won a rain-affected day/night match by 112 runs under the DLS Method.
England made two changes to the team who had beaten Namibia, with Middlesex seamer Ethan Bamber handed his debut – and receiving his under 19s cap from selector David Graveney before the start – and Adam Finch joining his Worcestershire teammate Dillon Pennington in the seam attack.
They were put into bat and quickly lost the wicket of Somerset’s Tom Banton. Brook then joined Perera to put on 149 in 24 overs for the second wicket.
Brook, who made his senior debut for Yorkshire last season, hit 12 fours and two sixes in an innings of 91 from 82 balls before he was bowled by Gerald Coetzee.
Perera, who top-scored with 74 against Namibia, fell 10 overs later for 84 from 109 balls.
But Lammonby and his Somerset teammate Fin Trenouth maintained England’s momentum in the closing overs, with Trenouth hitting 29 in a fifth-wicket stand of 57, and Lammonby ending unbeaten on 62 from 53 balls – the left-hander from Devon has picked up from where he left off at home to India last summer, when he was named England’s man of the series.
Rain ended England’s innings on 289-5 with one of their 50 overs remaining, and South Africa were set a revised target of 279 off 44.
They made a bright start, with openers Jiveshan Pillay and Matthew Breetzke putting on 81 inside 14 overs. But then Jacks, whose off-spin was another encouraging feature of the India series, dismissed them both in the space of three overs.
Finch also claimed a wicket, and Hollman then took over as his leg-spin accounted for four of the next six wickets, and the South Africans slumped to 166 all out.
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Hollman, the youngest member of England’s squad, ended with four for 30 from his nine overs, after taking 4-42 against Namibia. Jacks earned 3-33, also from nine overs, and Brook chipped in with a couple of late wickets.
England now only need to win one of their remaining two matches, against Namibia on Wednesday and South Africa 24 hours later, to secure a place in the Tri-Series final next Sunday.
Last week it was announced that former England seamer Jon Lewis will lead the under 19s as head coach in the World Cup, with Jonathan Trott joining as batting coach.
