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POTCHEFSTROOM, South Africa: Jonathan Trott and Matt Prior took the injury-hit touring England team to a morale-boosting four-wicket win in a 50-overs match against South Africa A in Potchefstroom on Tuesday.
South Africa A made 279 for nine after winning the toss, losing wickets at regular intervals after skipper Hashim Amla and Andrew Puttick gave them a good start with an opening stand of 77.
Despite a fluent 65 off 71 balls by captain Andrew Strauss, England were falling behind the required scoring rate when Trott (78) and Prior (54) came together in a fifth wicket stand of 66 off 64 balls.
With 64 needed off the final seven overs, the pair combined to hit 15 off the 44th over, bowled by Morne Morkel at the start of the final power play. Trott hit a four and a six off successive balls before he was bowled going for another big hit.
But Luke Wright also batted aggressively and the match was virtually decided when he and Prior scored 17 off an over from CJ de Villiers, which ended with Prior being bowled with only three runs needed.
Wright hit the first ball of the next over for four to seal victory.
England were without three front-line bowlers because of injury. James Anderson had a knee injury, fellow fast bowler Stuart Broad was still struggling with a shoulder injury and off-spinner Graeme Swann suffered a side strain in a Twenty20 international last Friday.
With Alastair Cook and Paul Collingwood both having sore backs, the tourists were down to 11 fit men for their final warm-up match before the first of five one-day internationals in Johannesburg on Friday.
It was announced during the match that Durham fast bowler Liam Plunkett would join the squad in Johannesburg on Wednesday as cover for the injured bowlers. Plunkett had originally been selected only for the Test part of the tour which follows the one-day games.
But Graham Onions took two for 46 in nine overs in his first appearance of the tour to show that he had recovered from a back injury.
Amla (37) and Puttick (62) put on 77 for the first wicket before Amla struck Wright firmly to midwicket where he was caught by Strauss, who returned to the side after missing two Twenty20 internationals.
Wright, who conceded 11 runs off his first over, came back well to finish with two for 48 in ten overs.
- AFP/yb
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