XI CSA Invitational 289 (Senokwane 79, Lawes 4-38, Akhter 3-51) and 256 (Hermann 131) won England Lions 154 and 107 for 284 runs
The four-day match at Western Province cricket Club concluded a three-week tour of South Africa, which saw the Lions group of 19 players focus on what the ECB described as “high-quality, individualized training”.
However, the same two players were back in action with the bat too soon, compiling an eighth-wicket stand of 78 after the Lions stumbled to 72 for 7 in their first innings.
Captain Dan Mousley, who recently made his debut for England in the Caribbean, held out for a while with 24, before Lawes (48 off 38) and Zaman (32 off 39) took the score back to respectability. However, the Lions then lost their last three wickets for four runs to concede a first innings deficit of 135.
The Lions, who had rotated their team throughout the game, used eight pitchers in total. These included another recent England debutant, John Turner, going wicketless, while Derbyshire’s Pat Brown, a T20I international in 2019, was the pick, with figures of 4 for 44 in 12 overs.
Set a nominal target of 392, the Lions’ batting deficiencies were quickly exposed once again. Yusuf and de Swardt claimed two wickets each as the visitors collapsed to 39 for 5, and this time it was Farhan Ahmed, with 24 for 29 at number 7, who stopped CSA for a short time. Tsepo Ndwandwa closed the contest with 3 for 23 in 6.5 overs.
