By Andy Wilson
England Lions travelled to the Mamelodi township on the east of Pretoria today as they aimed to clinch their one-day series against South Africa A.
The Lions opened their tour in the famous Johannesburg township of Soweto last month, but the ground was on a university campus well away from the bustling communities. This was very different, as the team coach snaked through the township to reach the Mamelodi Oval.
For Khomotso Masubelele, the manager of the South Africa A team who is also the cricket operations manager for Northerns Cricket Union, it was an especially proud moment.
“It’s massive,” he said. “For a community like this to be embraced by these big-name players that are coming through, it’s going to be one hell of a match for them.
“I think in terms of cricketing levels in South Africa we’ve only hosted franchise stuff, so international cricket on your doorstep is going to be massive.
“We’re running a development programme here through the Northerns Cricket Union where cricket is developed from mini-cricket right through to the senior teams, men and women.
“Even for some of our guys to be honest it will be a great thing. Obviously the expectations should not be the same as if you are playing in the big grounds from an infrastructure point of view, the set-up and stuff it will be a little bit different.
“But people just need to appreciate the opportunities of having games of this nature in areas like that in terms of what it can do for the community itself, and what good things it can bring for them, for all the young and aspiring cricketers in that particular community.”
The Lions were forced to make one change from the team selected for the third game of the series in Potchefstroom which was washed out on Saturday. Liam Plunkett has jarred his neck, and he was replaced by Samit Patel, with Harry Gurney again ruled out by a niggle in his thigh.
Justin Ontong won the toss and chose to bowl, with David Wiese, Stiaan van Zyl and Eddie Leie returning to South Africa A’s team in place of Quinton de Kock, Wayne Parnell and Aaron Phangiso, who had been due to play in Potchefstroom but have now returned to the senior Proteas squad before their departure for the World Cup on Wednesday.
England Lions: Jason Roy, Alex Lees, James Vince (capt), Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ben Stokes, Sam Billings, Samit Patel, Tim Bresnan, Mark Wood, Boyd Rankin, Stephen Parry.
South Africa A: Dean Elgar, Reeza Hendricks, Stiaan van Zyl, Theunis de Bruyn, Justin Ontong (capt), Dane Vilas (wk), David Wiese, Chris Morris, Eddie Leie, Marchant de Lange, Mthokozisi Shezi.