England succumb to heavy defeat

Tour match, Potchefstroom, final day: South Africa A 281 & 135-3 beat England 225 & 190 by seven wickets

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England's preparations for Friday's first Test received a setback as South Africa A overcame two weather delays to seal a comprehensive seven-wicket win.

Chasing 135, the home side lost Martin van Jaarsveld in the first over, but Andrew Puttick hit 45 with seven fours.

Two wickets fell in consecutive overs but despite a 75-minute rain delay victory came with 90 minutes to spare.

England had earlier tumbled to 190 all out, Michael Vaughan hitting 100 in an otherwise poor batting display.

With the home side then moving serenely to 70-1, faint hopes of an escape for England arrived in the form of a violent clap of thunder, which took the players off the field.

Lightning struck a field next to the ground, but there was no rain and play resumed within 10 minutes.

It did have a beneficial effect for the tourists as two wickets fell within six balls.

There was mixed fortune for England's new-ball attack

Puttick was caught behind and Justin Ontong hooked Steve Harmison to the fine-leg boundary, where Ashley Giles took an impressive running catch to his left.

Jean-Paul Duminy and Ashwell Prince hit two fours each early in their innings, but with 34 still required for victory, the rain that had threatened earlier arrived with a vengeance and resulted in a 75-minute stoppage.

Duminy lashed four fours as 21 came from a Simon Jones over soon after the resumption and skipper Prince cut Andrew Flintoff to the boundary for the winning runs with the final ball of the 30th over.

Vaughan had begun the day on 82 not out, his team 98 ahead with three wickets intact.

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He signalled his intentions in the very first over with a four through mid-on and a six over long-on from the spin of Ontong.

Hopes of a long partnership with county colleague Matthew Hoggard were ended in the fourth over of the morning when the seamer was caught at second slip, having failed to add to his overnight three.

Having pulled Charl Willoughby through mid-wicket for four and clipped him away to reach three figures, Vaughan chased a wide one from the left-armer end edged to keeper Mark Boucher.

He spent 226 minutes at the crease and faced 151 balls.

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England: ME Trescothick, MP Vaughan (Capt), AJ Strauss, MA Butcher, GP Thorpe, A Flintoff, GO Jones (Wkt), AF Giles, SP Jones, SJ Harmison, MJ Hoggard.

South Africa A: Ashwell Prince (Capt), Justin Ontong, Mark Boucher (Wkt), JP Duminy, Charl Langeveldt, Ethy Mbhalati, Albie Morkel, Andrew Puttick, Alfonso Thomas, Martin van Jaarsveld, Charl Willoughby.