BIRMINGHAM, England, 9 July 2003 — Michael Vaughan scored a career-best 83 and put on a 100-run stand with Andrew Flintoff as England, chasing 199 to win, beat South Africa by four wickets with 11 overs to spare in yesterday’s triangular series one-dayer.

Flintoff (54 off 40 balls) and Vaughan rebuilt the innings after the home side, desperately short of specialist batting, slumped to 30 for three.

Vaughan then put on a run-a-ball 64 with all rounder Rikki Clarke to see England to the brink of victory.

Earlier quick bowler James Anderson took four for 38, including three wickets for one run in nine balls, as the South Africans struggled to 198 for nine after opting to bat during the day-nighter at Edgbaston.

Anderson, smashed out of the attack after conceding four boundaries in the opening over of the match, returned to remove Mark Boucher (13), Jacques Rudolph (16) and Shaun Pollock (0). Flintoff also dismissed Graeme Smith (45) and took three catches, the first a spectacular effort to remove danger-man Jacques Kallis (15).

Both sides had already qualified for Saturday’s final, Zimbabwe missing out.

Pakistan to Host India

in A Team Tri-Series

In Karachi, Pakistan confirmed yesterday they will host an Indian side for the first time since 1998 when they stage an ‘A’ team triangular one-day tournament, also involving Sri Lanka, in November.

“The tournament is part of our initiative to eventually pave the way for restoration of bilateral ties at the senior level with India,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman Samiul Hasan told Reuters.

Pakistan will also play India at ‘A’ team level when Sri Lanka stage a one-day triangular tournament next month.

Latif Reprimanded

for Letter to ICC

Pakistan authorities have reprimanded captain Rashid Latif for going public with a letter to the International Cricket Council (ICC) saying bookmakers were still trying to influence matches.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive Ramiz Raja told Reuters yesterday that Latif had violated board regulations governing players under contract by going public.

“Rashid had written to us and apologized for going public with his letter and has promised to abide by his contractual obligations in future,” Raja said.

But Raja said the PCB was satisfied that Latif had not named any specific team or player and had only expressed his personal view.

Latif, 34, submitted evidence to a Pakistan judicial inquiry into match-fixing. As a result of the inquiry former captain Salim Malik was banned for life in 2000.