Tiaan van Vuuren continued his outstanding tour of England, claiming a second consecutive five-wicket haul as South Africa A wrapped up an eight-wicket victory over England Lions inside three days at The Kent County Cricket Ground in Beckenham.
The 24-year-old fast bowler finished with career-best figures of 6/52 in the second innings and an impressive match return of 11 wickets, helping South Africa A seal a 2-0 series victory in the unofficial four-day series.
England Lions resumed the third morning on 134/5 but found little resistance against Van Vuuren and the South African attack. The Knights seamer struck early when Rehan Ahmed (44) picked out Tony de Zorzi at midwicket. He then had overnight batter Ekansh Singh caught behind for 30 as the visitors tightened their grip on the match.
Dane Paterson also played his part, claiming 3/50 and removing Liam Patterson-White for nine. Van Vuuren then finished the job by dismissing Eddie Jack and Naavya Sharma in quick succession as England Lions were bowled out for 158, setting South Africa A a target of just 74 runs.
The chase wasn’t entirely straightforward. South Africa A lost both Tony de Zorzi (0) and Lesego Senokwane (8) early, slipping to 20/2. However, Jordan Hermann (32*) and Zubayr Hamza (28*) calmly guided the visitors home, reaching the target in just 12.2 overs.
The result continues an impressive run for South Africa A, who have now won five of their last six first-class matches away from home. That stretch includes a 2-0 series win over the West Indies and a drawn series against India.
Head coach Wandile Gwavu was pleased with the way different players stepped up throughout the series.
“We’re very pleased to have won the second match and the series. Across both matches, different players stood up at important moments, especially when we were under pressure, which was encouraging to see.
“It puts us in a good position heading into the white-ball series and highlights the depth and quality that exists within our system.
“Our objectives remain the same. We want to win whenever we play, but we also want to learn as much as possible and gather valuable information from competing in different conditions.”
Attention now shifts to the one-day leg of the tour, with the first of three matches against England Lions scheduled for Friday, 5 June in Leicester.
Four-Day Series Results
22–25 May – Arundel Castle Cricket Club Ground, Arundel
South Africa A won by 8 wickets
29 May–1 June – The Kent County Cricket Ground, Beckenham
South Africa A won by 8 wickets