SA hold on for a draw

South Africa clung on to a draw today - Day 3 of their warm-up match against the Board President's XI at Jaipur, after coming extremely close to an embarrassing defeat.

Board President's XI declared their first innings at the fall of the wicket of Dinesh Mongia, the centurion of the innings, at 361 for. Hemang Badani, on the fringes of an international comeback, seemingly forever, did well to his cause with a solid 74 not out.

Trailing by 135 runs, South Africa began their second innings solidly, with a different opening partnership to the one that too the crease in the first innings.

Zander de Bruyn, yet to make his Test debut, showed glimpse of potential in his innings of 35. Jacques Rudolph looked in good touch during his 31, before he was run out for the second time in the match.

South Africa, however crumbled from 62 without loss to 122 for 6, all the wickets falling to the spin of the two Mumbai teammates, Sairaj Bahutule and Romesh Powar.

With about 30 overs left in the match, South Africa looked in deep trouble. But the fact that they had fiddled with the batting line-up, which left captain Graeme Smith and all-rounder Jacques Kallis at # 9 and 10, worked in their cause of saving the match.

However, before Smith and Kallis came together to see through the last 14 overs, new wicket-keeper Thami Tsolekile withstood 65 deliveries in a painstaking, but promising innings of 18.

South Africa 226/5 decl. & 172/8
Z de Bruyn 35, SV Bahutule 2/68, RR Powar, 3/50
Board President's XI 361/6 decl.
D Mongia 148, HK Badani 74*


Posted by Sudeep