The lower order batsmen boosted South Africa A – 2nd unofficial Test vs. India A

South Africa A 6-231 (Simon Harmer 68*, Wayne Parnell 64*, Temba Bavuma 42, Parvez Rasool 2-39, Ishwar Pandey 2-49) vs. India A

Wayne Parnell and Simon Harmer got their side back in the game by stable unbeaten knocks after India A bowlers ripped through the top order of South Africa A.

The hosts scored 231 runs in 81.3 overs for the loss of six wickets in their first innings.

The second and final unofficial Test commenced on Saturday, August 24, 2013, at LC Villiers Oval, Pretoria,

Earlier, Justin Ontong, the skipper of South Africa A, won the toss and opted to bat first. The decision bounced back when they lost their three top order batsmen for just 11 runs. Reeza Handricks, Dean Elgar and Rilee Rossouw went back to the dressing room for 2, 0 and 3 runs. Temba Bavuma and Justin Ontong provided some resistance against the lethal bowling of the rival team. They found it hard to score the runs freely and got their initial boundaries in 18th and the next over and took the score to 51. Ontong was caught by Murali Vijay off Shahbaz Nadeem for 28 and was replaced by Thami Tsolekile.

Simon Harmer - Top scorer of the day
Simon Harmer – Top scorer of the day

Bavuma hit three fours in the 23rd over of Ishawar Pandey and added another two boundaries in the 30th one. The right arm off spin bowler, Parvez Rasool, got rid of both batsmen in the 34th over and brought back the Blue Shirts A in the game again. Tsolekile scored 13 whereas Temba Bavuma was declared leg before wicket for 42 off 74 balls with 5 fours. The Proteas A were struggling at 6-97 and it looked like they will be swallowed by the deadly bowlers of the visitors when Wayne Parnell and Simon Harmer joined together.

Parnell started off with two back to back fours in the 35th over and surpassed the hundred runs mark of the innings. The batsmen went back to their shells and added just four runs in the coming nine overs. Harmer hit 2 fours in the 51st over as the score reached 128 and tea break was taken instantly after the end of that one. The duo started off from where they left before the break and kept the score board ticking the score board with the odd boundaries. The pair was at 29 each after the last ball of the 63rd over was bowled and Harmer got three more fours in the following ones.

Wayne Parnell kept on stealing the runs at his end as Simon Harmer attained his 11th First-class fifty in the 74th over. The batsmen went past the hundred runs partnership while Parnell achieved his seventh First-class half century in the next one. Simon Harmer was batting at 68 off 115 balls with 1 six and 9 fours, Wayne Parnell secured his end for 64 off 172 comprising 8 fours as South Africa A managed 231 with four wickets in hand after 81.3 overs.

Ishwar Pandey and Parvez Rasool were the top wicket takers with two each whereas Siddarth Kaul and Shahbaz Nadeem shared one wicket each.

The two in form batsmen are still on the crease and an addition of 75-100 runs to the total can put South Africa A on top against India A.


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