Kevin Pietersen’s first official innings on the road to England redemption came to an abrupt halt when he was dismissed for 19 in Surrey’s total of 363-3 against Glamorgan on Sunday.
Once again, it was South Africans who did for him. He was caught by Warriors all-rounder Colin Ingram, now a Kolpak player, off the bowling of Craig Meschede, born in South Africa but Somerset educated.
Pietersen has made no secret of his desire to play for England again, after being sacked after the humiliating Ashes loss in 2014, but the England selectors have made it clear that he will need to earn his place through runs in the county championship. But, having scored 170 in the warm-up match against Oxford MCCU last week, he faced just 28 balls, hitting four fours before he edged to the slips.
Ingram, meanwhile, believes his Proteas career, in which he played 40 limited overs matches, is over.
‘For now, it’s the end of the road,’ he told BBC. ‘I’d like to come here and play as much cricket as possible. Although it was a big decision I’m really happy with it. I’ve always seen my career as a journey, if I looked back and I had never got to play county cricket I would definitely have regretted it.’
Elsewhere on the circuit, Alviro Petersen scored an industrious 115 for Lancashire, helping his county close at 292 for eight against Derbyshire after being put in to bat. He shared a 49-run partnership with his compatriot Ashwell Prince to help steady the innings after two wickets fell for five runs. Prince was dismissed for 21 off 47 balls. Petersen faced 198 balls and hit 14 fours before he fell, sixth wicket down.
Derbyshire, by the way, is led by Wayne Madsen, nephew of duel cricket and hockey star Trevor Madsen and nephew of Transvaal opener Henry Fotheringham.
Over at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Riki Wessels spent most of the day watching Alex Hales score an unbeaten 222 as Notts ran up 393-7 on day one against Yorkshire. His innings contributed 18 off 62 balls. Vernon Philander is next in.