Mixed fortunes for South Africans in England

A full schedule of County Championship, Norwich Union League and Benson & Hedges quarter-finals had mixed fortunes, over the past week, for the nine South African's plying their trade in the English summer.

Neil Johnson got over his recent slump with the bat and together with Nick Pothas played the leading roles in a draw for Hampshire against Warwickshire, this after having to follow-on. Johnson scoring 79 and 74* also took 1/47 while Pothas helped himself to 59 and 71* plus a few catches and a stumping behind the wickets. Shaun Pollock only managed four with the bat and took 1/31 and 0/47 for Warwickshire.

In the other County games Mark Davis took 3/71 and scored eight in a drawn match between Sussex and Lancashire while the Nottinghamshire trio of Nicky Boje 36, 1/49, 15 and 1/5, Kevin Pietersen 29, 0/9, and 46* and Greg Smith nine not out, 1/69 and six had to face defeat against Gloucestershire. Sven Koenig scoring a patient 101 helped Middlesex to a win over Northamptonshire.

In the Norwich Union League Pollock, playing against some of his South African friends, ended on the winning side with a match winning performance of 70 and 3/12. Boje 2/26 and a duck and Smith 3/41 and 10 could not help as Warwickshire easily won against Nottinghamshire. Davis 28, Andrew Gait 12 and Koenig five were all on the losing teams as Sussex went down to Lancashire, Derbyshire to Essex and Middlesex to Northamptonshire.

The Benson and Hedges quarter-finals saw Pollock and Warwickshire move on to the semi-finals at the expense of Davis and Sussex. Pollock could not get any runs or wickets, while Davis managed three not out.

The next round of County Championship matches starts today.