Proteas prosper in draw

1 July 2008

Paul Harris cuts through point on the way to a maiden half-century for South Africa

Opener Neil McKenzie played his way into form and Paul Harris registered his first half-century for South Africa as the tour game with Somerset at Taunton ended in a draw.

McKenzie needed some runs under his belt after a golden duck in the first innings at the hands of Somerset’s acting skipper Andy Caddick.

And he responded with a patient 63 from 109 balls, including seven fours.

Harris surpassed his previous best score for the Proteas of 46 against Pakistan in the Lahore Test in October 2007.

His unbeaten 50 came off just 48 balls and contained two sixes and seven fours and injected some life into a quiet final day.

South Africa’s stand-in skipper Ashwell Prince declared shortly after Harris reached his half-century on 215 for six to leave Somerset a nominal target of 482 in a minimum of 46 overs.

By the close at 5pm they had reached 115 for three off 34 overs with an expensive Morne Morkel, Andre Nel and Harris collecting a wicket apiece.

It was a satisfactory start for the tourists with Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy and latterly McKenzie all making runs.

Only wicketkeeper Mark Boucher of the top-line batsmen failed to make a sizeable contribution with the bat.

On the bowling front, Morkel gave glimpses of his pace, Nel bowled consistently throughout and Makhaya Ntini and Harris improved in the truncated Somerset second innings.

And coach Micky Arthur expects skipper Graeme Smith (hamstring), Kallis (elbow) and Amla (groin) to be fit to face Middlesex at Uxbridge in a three-day game starting on Friday.

Zander de Bruyn gets up close and personal with South Africa batsman JP Duminy

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McKenzie batted fluently on the second evening in reaching 37 not out but dropped anchor today and was content to occupy the crease.

Boucher fell for just seven in the third over the day when he played across the line of a Steffan Jones delivery that cut back into him and knocked his off stump out of the ground.

His replacement de Villiers produced some fine drives but also rode his luck in making 48.

He had a slice of good fortune on 20 when he mistimed a pull at a full toss from Caddick and the ball lobbed over the head of wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter for two runs.

And de Villiers was given another life on 37 when Caddick dropped a straightforward catch at mid-on off spinner Michael Munday.

De Villiers’ luck ran out when he went on to the back foot and clipped Arul Suppiah straight to Mark Turner at short cover.

McKenzie’s patient innings ended in the following over when he only succeeded in turning a leg-side full-toss from Munday straight into the hands of de Bruyn at deep backward square-leg.

When Somerset began their reply, Morkel struck in his first over when Neil Edwards (nine) edged to McKenzie at first slip.

Suppiah reeled off a series of aggressive strokes including three successive fours off Morkel, who conceded 42 runs in his five over spell.

He was replaced by Nel, who accounted for James Hildreth - caught behind for 16 as he chased a wide delivery - in his first over.

Suppiah (41) lofted Harris straight to Price at cover early in the final session but Wes Durston and Zander de Bruyn safely negotiated the remaining overs.