England Lions were dismissed for less than 160 twice in their four-day match against a CSA Invitational XI, in a heavy defeat concluded today (December 12) on their tour of South Africa.
Having impressed after being asked to field first by CSA captain Sinethemba Qeshile, the Lions impressed by taking 10 wickets before Lunch on day two. Surrey's Tom Lawes took four of those 10, including dismissing opener Jordan Hermann with the first ball of the match, while Gloucestershire quick Zaman Akhter finished with figures of 3-51 off 15 overs. CSA were all-out for 289, only Lesego Senokwane and Qeshile making scored of more than 50.
However, they were in trouble early on in their first batting innings, with opening batter Freddie McCann pinned lbw by Codi Yusuf for a duck, before James Rew also fell cheaply. Hamza Shaikh and James Coles were also dismissed for single-figure scores, and by the time Farhan Ahmed became the seventh wicket to fall the Lions were 72-7.
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The only resistance came from Lawes, who scored a 38-ball 48 to see the side to more than 150. Akhter and Dillon Pennington were the final two wickets to fall in consecutive overs, meaning the Lions were bowled out for 154 and conceded a first innings deficit of 135.
A century from Hermann in CSA's second innings was the only meaningful contribution against a Lions' bowling attack with several changes from the first innings. John Turner went wicketless while Pat Brown took four, Kasey Aldridge and Henry Crocombe with two apiece and Mitchell Stanley and Dan Mousley each with one. A second-innings total of 256 meant the Lions were chasing 392 in the fourth innings.
They were nowhere near touching distance, however, demolished for the second time in consecutive days, this time for just 107 in less than 30 overs. Only Shaikh, Aldridge and Ahmed made it into double figures in the second innings, while Tsepo Ndwandwa was the pick of the bowlers with seven wickets.
The four-day match concluded a development tour which began on November 20 and mostly featured an individualised training camp. It also marked Andrew Flintoff's first tour in charge of the Lions, after he was appointed head coach of the side earlier in the winter.
