Flintoff blows South Africa away

31 August 2008 | By Paul Marshall

Owais Shah shows every inch of his class during an unbeaten 44 today at Lord's

Andrew Flintoff’s violent 31 not out from 12 balls perfectly complemented Owais Shah’s unbeaten 44, handing England a seven-wicket victory over South Africa and their fourth consecutive NatWest Series win.

Shah’s composed knock came from a mere 40 balls and accompanied four fours and a crunching six, however it was Flintoff who stole his thunder in the gloom at Lord’s as he smashed the winning runs to end with a strike-rate of over 258 in a match decimated by rain intrusions.

England’s all-rounder brutally finished matters in a hurry after Kevin Pietersen’s 34-ball 40 had also helped set the successful chase of a target reduced to 137 following Duckworth-Lewis calculations.

South Africa’s initial effort of 183 for six looked to have given them a fighting chance after their respective innings was itself cut to 33 overs, Herschelle Gibbs smacking a free-flowing 74.

However Flintoff’s exemplary figures of 3-21 from seven overs put the skids on ambitions the tourists had of achieving 200 before he wielded the willow in astonishing fashion to secure a comfortable win that kept England on course for a series whitewash.

England’s openers had got off to a comparatively turgid start when Matt Prior fell without scoring after nicking Dale Steyn through to Mark Boucher.

Ian Bell, having struck Morne Morkel for England’s first boundary after 4.2 overs, departed for 13 in similar fashion when his big swing again found the wicketkeeper’s gloves.

Shah opened his boundary account when he clubbed Vernon Philander agriculturally down the ground in the seventh over, beautifully flicking his second four in the same over wide of fine leg.

Pietersen responded with his first four from Morkel’s following over and then smashed Philander powerfully to the leg-side rope, clearly intent on upping the rate with around eight runs an over needed.

Kevin Pietersen's flamboyant 40 provides a platform for Shah and Andrew Flintoff to finish off the tourists

Jacques Kallis’ introduction after 10 overs heralded a brace of spectacular swipes through the leg side sandwiched with a classic off-drive from Pietersen, with Shah also swinging the last ball high into the stands for a maximum to make it 20 runs from the over.

Shah’s third four came in the shape of a high, slapped effort over long-on from the returning Steyn with Pietersen imperiously blasting Johan Botha for a six over midwicket shortly afterwards.

The England skipper had moved into the forties with the vicious strike but two balls later departed after attempting a repeat that ended in Hashim Amla’s hands on the leg-side boundary.

Incoming batsman Andrew Flintoff quickly got into his stride with a classy late cut off Morkel that sped to the point fence and, after watching Shah bring up England’s 100 with a dab into the leg-side, butchered the last ball of the over through mid-off for four.

Flintoff looked in superlative form and responded to Botha’s spin with a huge strike that sailed high over long-on.

Shah complemented Flintoff’s raw power with a wristy yet powerful sweep for four behind square in the same over and, while continuing to rotate the score intelligently, watched his partner advance down the track and murder Philander for a pair of meaty leg-side boundaries.

Having again been given the strike by Shah, Flintoff then swung Andre Nel away to wide fine leg for the winning four to cap off a near perfect day for the Lancastrian following his earlier wicket successes.

South Africa had looked in good shape after being put into bat thanks to a rollicking opening stand of 66 in nine overs from Amla and Gibbs, the latter meting out three striking boundaries to James Anderson early on to set the tempo.

Flintoff raises his bat to the crowd after hitting the winning runs during his quickfire innings of 31 runs

Gibbs flicked Steve Harmison over point for four after a brief rain delay and Amla also afforded the Durham seamer little quarter as he sliced him for 16 runs and four fizzing boundaries in an over.

England were looking slightly ragged when Pietersen turned to Flintoff and his introduction brought about the downfall of Amla in somewhat unfortunate fashion when Gibbs, having tapped the ball to Shah at mid-off, called an uncertain Amla (39) through for the single only to see him run-out by yards at the striker’s end after Shah had collected the ball on the turn.

Stand-in skipper Kallis continued his miserable tour when he came and went for just a single after flashing a wild drive into the hands of Prior to leave his side 75 for two.

Gibbs reached his 35th one-day half-century with a lightly dabbed single from Samit Patel in the 19th over having faced 45 balls with seven boundaries, although he lost his partner AB de Villiers to the same bowler the following over when he heaved an innocuous ball to Flintoff at deep midwicket for a laboured 14.

JP Duminy played a contrasting innings for 20 and having collected a six and two fours became Flintoff’s second wicket when he could only scoop a full ball to Bell at midwicket.

South Africa looked in danger of losing the momentum they had strived for throughout a stop-start innings, and their fears were realised when Gibbs unluckily played on to Broad with just five overs left.

Philander and Boucher registered a boundary in consecutive balls but the former became Flintoff’s final wicket for 10 when an attempted haymaker in the 32nd over ended in the hands of Anderson at long-off.

With just five balls left of the innings the covers were rushed out once again with Boucher and Botha at the crease, rain bringing an abrupt end to the South Africa innings.