THIRD ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL, The Oval:
England 27-0 (4 overs) v South Africa
South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first in the third one-day international against England on an overcast morning at The Oval.
The hosts, in buoyant mood after taking a convincing 2-0 lead in the series, had no injury issues to deal with and were able to name an unchanged side.
South Africa, whose regular captain Graeme Smith is out with tennis elbow problems, are led by Jacques Sign of the chimes ...
EU, South Africa Haggle Over Zimbabwe at First Summit ...
Locals killed in S Africa attacks ... Kallis.
Hashim Amla starts for the tourists, while Morne Morkel replaces Andre Nel.
LATEST ACTION (ALL TIMES BST)
By Mark Mitchener
e-mail tms@bbc.co.uk (with 'For Mark Mitchener' in the subject), text 81111 (with "CRICKET" as the first word) or use 606. (Not all contributions can be used)
1104 - Eng 27-0 (4 overs)
Ntini overpitches and Prior responds with a fluent cover drive that has Arlo White and Shaun Pollock purring with admiration in the TMS box. However, he plays and misses at the next ball, then appears to edge behind - the South Africans all go up... but Prior stands his ground and that's a good decision by umpire Llong as it brushed his right hip. A no-ball from Ntini brings a free hit - Prior steps back and (rightly) has a big slog, top-edges over the slips for four, and that was a no-ball so it's another free hit! The free hit is... a legside wide, which Boucher the poucher only just stops from going to four - so we get a third free hit! Prior opens his shoulders and flat-bats Ntini back over his head for six! 17 from the first four legitimate deliveries! Ntini then somehow produces a jaffa to beat Prior's outside edge, and the final ball is dabbed to mid-wicket for a dot ball. A remarkable over, ranging from unplayable deliveries to utter tr ipe!
1056 - Eng 10-0 (3 overs)
Prior faces for the first time, and tries to force Steyn through the leg side but Albie Morkel is quickly in at mid-on. He eventually tickles a leg-bye to fine leg. A lovely straight-drive by Bell brings us the first four of the morning, then he pulls a looser delivery through backward square leg for another boundary.
"Have SA inserted England so we all get a longer game?!"
Ian Thompson, Southampton, in the TMS inbox
1053 - Eng 1-0 (2 overs)
No sign of either Morkel yet as Makhaya Ntini takes the second over. Bell is watchful as Ntini gets a bit of movement from the Vauxhall End, and plays out a maiden.
Meanwhile, if you're fed up with my text commentary on cricket, it seems even the mighty BBC News has embraced the idea - with last night's Barack Obama speech featuring a text commentary with little icons and thumbnail pictures of BBC commentators. Wonder where they got the idea from.
1048 - Eng 1-0 (1 over)
In overcast conditions, Steyn gets some early swing in the first over against Bell, who's in a sleeveless sweater and gets England under way with a single off the last ball. Meanwhile, the Oval groundsman's hut has a handwritten sign affixed over it saying "Morkel's Den", after Morne Morkel walked off the field and into the hut by mistake when he was dismissed during the Test.
1043: We're nearly under way. Ian Bell and Matt Prior opening up for England, Dale Steyn taking the new ball for the Proteas.
"After Foster's 100 yesterday v Leicester, and being the best keeper in the country, can I ask your views on where the selectors go next? Prior is stating his case in this one-day series, and our current Test keeper Ambrose has not impressed with the bat. We should take an example from the Aussies and stick with one keeper for all forms of the game - I think Gilchrist would prove my point!"
Roger Sharpe in the TMS inbox
[I was very impressed by Foster on Twenty20 finals day - he kept excellently, and batted well until he ran his captain out. I'd happily give him another go as Test keeper. But I wonder whether Mustard was a little prematurely jettisoned as ODI keeper when his replacement Ambrose scored just 10 runs in five ODIs - MM]
"It's sometimes difficult to know what a good score is at The Oval, so Jacques Kallis has taken the safe option here by fielding first"
Former Middlesex and England spinner Phil Tufnell on TMS
"It would be nice to decisively finish somebody off for once, but this is England we're talking about so South Africa will almost certainly win the next two comfortably. I also feel a little cheated that, for once, we seem to have a really strong lower order, but suddenly the top order are doing the business so we aren't getting to see them in action"
CountCagliostro on 606
Join the debate on 606
1027: Elsewhere in the ODI world, Sri Lanka won the toss and are batting first in their fifth and final ODI against India - they've already lost Sanath Jayasuriya early doors. India are 3-1 up in the series.
1025: Here are the full teams:
England: Ian Bell, Matt Prior (wk), Owais Shah, Kevin Pietersen (capt), Andrew Flintoff, Paul Collingwood, Samit Patel, Luke Wright, Stuart Broad, Steve Harmison, James Anderson.
South Africa: Herschelle Gibbs, Hashim Amla, Jacques Kallis (capt), AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Mark Boucher (wk), Albie Morkel, Johan Botha, Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini.
Umpires are Nigel Llong and Australia's Simon Taufel. Third ump is Peter Hartley on TV replays, fourth ump is Ian "Gunner" Gould who will magically produce a "new" (used) ball to be used after 34 overs have elapsed in each innings, and match referee is Sri Lanka's Roshan Mahanama. I'm joined today by Oliver Brett on match report duties (looking to restore some pride after losing to his son at tenpin bowling on a day trip to France yesterday), while our "gaffer" is the stern-faced Alistair Watkins.
1018: South Africa win the toss and will field first. They bring Hashim Amla in for Smith, while fit-again Morne Morkel replaces fellow seamer Andre Nel - so both Morkels are playing.
1015: Morning, everyone. Can it be true? Are England really in with a chance of wrapping up an ODI series win three games into a five-match series?
Whether we've all been dreaming or not after those first two ODIs, the early news we have from The Oval is that England are (predictably) unchanged. As we discovered a day or two ago, South Africa captain Graeme Smith has been ruled out by his ongoing tennis elbow problem, and Jacques "Shark" Kallis will captain the side.
Confirmed teams - and news of the toss - as we get it.
(BBC)
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