By Andy Wilson
England Lions endured the most frustrating day of their tour as the third one-day match against South Africa A was abandoned on a wet Saturday in Potchefstroom.
Only eight balls were possible after the Lions captain James Vince won the toss and inserted the home team, two of them bowled by Tim Bresnan– his first in England colours since the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh early last year.
The washout means the Lions cannot lose the five-match series, having won the first two games in Bloemfontein and Kimberley. The teams now move on to the Mamelodi Oval in Pretoria for the fourth match of the series on Monday.
We managed eight balls, then this happened. Barbecues delayed. #EngLionspic.twitter.com/x7h0iwfXZK
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) January 31, 2015
The Lions had made three changes from the team who won in Kimberley last Wednesday.
Sam Billings returned to the middle order in place of Adam Lyth, although Jonny Bairstow retained the wicketkeeping gloves.
Bresnan, who joined the squad in Potchefstroom after flying home early from Tasmania where he had been playing for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League, replaced Samit Patel, and Boyd Rankin returned to the side in place of Harry Gurney, who has been feeling a slight niggle in his thigh.
The washout was equally frustrating for the South Africa players especially Quinton de Kock, Wayne Parnell and Aaron Phangiso, who had been drafted into the A-team to gain more match practice ahead of their departure with the senior World Cup squad on Wednesday.