The Proteas squeezed out a 13-run win against Northamptonshire on Sunday as they finished off their preparations for the ODI series against England.
Half-centuries from Hasim Amla (56), Faf du Plessis (50) and David Miller (51) helped the Proteas to a solid start.
A second-wicket partnership of 94 runs by Amla and Du Plessis helped South Africa to recover after a Quinton de Kock duck, but the pair couldn’t see their side past the 100-mark, Du Plessis losing his scalp to take the visitors to 95-2 (19.5 overs).
Amla was next to go in the 24th over, after a 67-ball 59 (seven fours and a six), to leave Miller at the crease as Farhaan Behardien joined him in the middle.
The pair strung together a dominant partnership to take SA from 123-3 to 197-4, before Behardien was out lbw on 33.
Miller fell shortly after that, as the bulk of the run-scoring came to an end, the Proteas stuttering on 206-5.
Chris Morris (19-ball 26) and JP Duminy’s (20-ball 29 ) 54-run eighth-wicket partnership was vital in pushing their side t0 275-7, after all-rounders Dwaine Pretorius (11) and Andile Phehlukwayo (8) lost their scalps in the 43rd and 44th over respectively.
Despite Ben Duckett losing his wicket to Morris for a duck in the middle of the opening over, Northamptonshire recovered well through Max Holden and Chesney Hughes. The pair took their side to 93 runs before Duminy bowled Hughes (31) in the 16th over.
Holden was next to go in the next over, courtesy of the No 1 ODI bowler Imran Tahir, who bowled the 19-year-old on 55 off 55 balls.
Northamptonshire managed to drag themselves past the 100-mark, but Tahir struck again to reduce the hosts to 120-4.
A 42-run fifth-wicket partnership between James Kettleborough (19) and Steven Crook pushed the hosts to 162, before Morris picked up his second wicket to dismiss Kettleborough on the last ball of the 29th over.
Cape Cobras all-rounder, Rory Kleinveldt, was the next to go, Morne Morkel picking up the wicket of his fellow countryman.
Crook’s 28-ball 42 was ended next, with Pretorius reducing the hosts to 185-7 (32.3 overs). Morris took his third in the 40th over as the hosts kept in touch with the required run rate.
A half-century by Thomas Sole (54 off 43 ball) saved his side’s downward spiral as the home side got closer to the required target, but a wicket apiece from Phehlukwayo and Morkel finished off Northamptonshire, as the Proteas bowled out their opponents for 262.
Photo: Philip Brown/Getty Images
