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Boje leads from the front
25/04/2008 07:41 - (SA)
London - Northamptonshire captain Nicky Boje starred with both bat and ball as the former South Africa spinner's side took charge against Warwickshire on Thursday's second day of four in the latest round of matches in England's County Championship.
And he hasn't been the only South African to have made a significant contribution to this Second Division fixture.
Boje, 58 not out overnight, pressed on to 105 in a total of 385 at Northamptonshire's Wantage Road home ground and then took three for 15 as Warwickshire slumped to 129 for seven at stumps.
Northamptonshire's innings had already featured an even 50 from former Proteas all-rounder Lance Klusener.
Meanwhile South Africa fast bowler Monde Zondeki, who had two wickets overnight, led the Warwickshire attack with four for 125. His figures might have been better had he not bowled 17 no-balls in his 19 overs.
Another bowler in the wickets, but rather more economically, was England seamer Matthew Hoggard who pressed his case for a Test recall by taking five for 51 for Yorkshire against Hampshire on his Headingley home ground as the visitors declined to 115 for five at the close.
Position
Hoggard, dropped after England lost the first Test in a 2-1 series win in New Zealand earlier this year, is looking to regain his place in time for the first Test against the Black Caps at Lord's on May 15 and this performance, watched by national selector Geoff Miller, won't have harmed his prospects.
Earlier Andrew Dale, in the nerve-wracking position of being 99 not out overnight, went on to make 138 in Yorkshire's first innings 398.
England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has impressed with the ball since making his return from a fourth operation on his troublesome left ankle injury but it's been a different story with the bat and on Thursday he was out for a golden duck whilst playing for Lancashire at his Old Trafford home ground.
Somerset seamer Peter Trego, who took two wickets in two balls, was the successful bowler as Flintoff was caught behind.
Lancashire closed on 221 for nine at the end of a rain-affected day in reply to the visitors' first innings 238.
Barbados-born teenager Chris Jordan took three for 32 for and West Indies quick Pedro Collins three for 78 as Surrey bowled out Durham for 224 at the Riverside with South Africa's Dale Benkenstein, the hosts' captain, top-scoring with 67.
Dropped
Surrey skipper Mark Butcher made 65 but both he and fellow ex-England batsman Mark Ramprakash, the dominant batsman in the County Championship during the past two seasons, were both out before the end of the day as the Brown Caps closed on 123 for four.
Matt Prior, dropped as England's wicket-keeper after poor glove work on the pre-Christmas tour of Sri Lanka, showed his batting hadn't lost its spark by making 105 for champions Sussex in a total of 303 against southern neighbours Kent at Hove.
Kent, thrashed by Nottinghamshire last week, then collapsed to 65 for six.
All-rounder Ravi Bopara, looking to add to his tally of three England Test caps, made 137 in Essex's 270 against Derbyshire at Derby in an innings where no other batsman managed more than 27.
He then caught Australia batsman Chris Rogers off South Africa fast bowler Andre Nel as Derbyshire ended the day on 64 for one.
In another Second Division match, Middlesex wicket-keeper David Nash fell four short of a hundred at Lord's as his side made 308 against Glamorgan.
In reply, seam bowler Tim Murtagh took all three wickets to fall as the Welsh county struggled to 85 for three.
- AFP
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