Gough ready to tackle South Africa (18 May 1999)
CANTERBURY (England) - Apart from a streaker who evaded a slow-moving security yesterday Darren Gough was about the only ray of sunshine on a bleak World Cup day as the England opening bowler gave a hint that he was ready to take on South Africa at
18-May-1999
18 May 1999
Gough ready to tackle South Africa
Trevor Chesterfield
CANTERBURY (England) - Apart from a streaker who evaded a slow-moving
security yesterday Darren Gough was about the only ray of sunshine on
a bleak World Cup day as the England opening bowler gave a hint that
he was ready to take on South Africa at The Oval on Saturday.
The genial Yorkshireman earned four wickets against Africa Group A
lightweights Kenya to become only England's third bowler to take 100
limited-overs international wickets in a career when he bowled Tony
Suji's for four, the third of Gough's four victims. His haul of four
for 34 at a cold, bedraggled St Lawrence County Ground saw him reach
101 wickets, two less that Phil DeFreitas. Although he is still some
way behind Ian Botham who has 116 LOIs wickets to his credit, Gough
has a chance to surpass this figure in this tournament.
Gough, now 28 and a certainty to tour South Africa with the England
side later this year, admitted it had been a "relief to pass the 100"
mark in this match.
"No, it was not playing on my mind, but it is a relief to get there,"
he said yesterday. "It has always been an ambition to get 200 Test
wickets and 150 limited-over internationals wickets, so I an heading
in the right direction."
Gough felt he had bowled well with the new ball against Sri Lanka in
the opening World Cup match at Lord's on Friday but had not been as
tidy or as tight as he would have liked.
"But it was perfect here. I felt I had bowled well with the new ball
then came back strongly later on. Kenya were going well and I was
brought back to get some wickets," he said. He terminated the
partnership between Ravindu Shah and Steve Tikolo, bowling Shah for 46
after they had added 100 for the second wicket.
Until that stage, the England bowling, after the nervous energy
expressed at Lord's against Sri Lanka last week, was missing. There
was a decided lack of pace and swing in their bowling and even Alan
Mullally was strangely much lower key than he had been at Lord's.
Source :: Trevor Chesterfield