Lions & Proteas warm-up for Lord’s

Date released: 15 August 2008

A host of players due at Lord’s were sharpening their skills at Grace Road when England Lions took on the touring South Africa team in a 50-overs match.

Good knock: Key showed good form ahead of the FP Final The Lions were led by Kent captain Robert Key. Key will bring his county side to Lord’s on Saturday for the Friends Provident Trophy Final. At Grace Road he was skippering three other players that will be hoping to take part in the showpiece final.

Their opposition, South Africa, are returning to Lord’s on Sunday 31 August for the last of the five-match NatWest One-Day International Series against England.

Key's Kent team-mate Joe Denly opened the batting for the Lions. The highly rated youngster will have been disappointed to score only ten, before Proteas’ paceman Dale Steyn bowled him.

Steyn looked fit with some hostile quick bowling, as he completes his recovery from a broken thumb.

Another Kent player, James Tredwell was in the Lions team too. The talented spinner also struggled to impose himself on a pitch which favoured seam rather than spin.

The final Lion who will be competing in the Friends Provident Trophy Final on Saturday was Ravi Bopara. His Essex Eagles team will compete with Kent for the trophy.

Proteas on the pace

Bopara scored a useful 23, at one point forming a useful partnership with Key. Captain Key top-scored for the Lions with 51 from just 62 balls.

Protea pace pair, Steyn and Makhaya Ntini took three wickets each as England were dismissed for 184.

Good to be back: Gibbs South Africa’s reply was built on an excellent start by the recalled Herschelle Gibbs. Gibbs, dropped from the Test team, was given an early reprieve in the one-day match and went on to score 81 from 104 balls.

South Africa knocked off the 185 runs needed for victory with just over 11 overs to spare, winning by four wickets.

Essex-man Bopara picked up a wicket, having South Africa wicketkeeper AB de Villiers caught by team-mate for the day, Kent’s Robert Key.

Those two put their rivalries aside as they aimed to impress and win a place in the full England one-day side. Rivalries will be renewed on Saturday in the Trophy Final.

Tickets are still available for both the Friends Provident Final and the England v South Africa one-day international.