England Young Guns Fail

Denly - one of Steyn's three scalps.

South Africa's preparations for next week's one-day series against England was given a major boost by a comprehensive victory over a strong Lions line-up at Grace Road.

Despite resting their three most experienced one-day players - captain Graeme Smith, all-rounder Jacques Kallis and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher - the tourists romped to a four-wicket victory with 11.2 overs to spare in the first of two warm-up matches against the Lions.

They overcame a little rustiness in the field from their one-day specialists, who dropped four catches in their first competitive outing of the tour, to cruise past a Lions side featuring six players who are included in England's one-day squad.

As a statement of intent for the next few weeks, when they will play a Twenty20 International and five one-day internationals against England, it was emphatic and emphasised the progress still required by the hosts if they are to compete against the tourists.

The Lions never really threatened to post a competitive total after being put in to bat with an experiment to open with Middlesex's Owais Shah, presumably with a view to him occupying that position during the NatWest Series, failing to give the Lions the impetus they needed.

Both Shah and fellow opener Joe Denly were dropped inside the first four overs and a brilliant new ball spell of 6-3-13-1 from Dale Steyn, playing his first match since the second Test victory at Headingley following a broken thumb, succeeded in frustrating the Lions' hopes of exploiting the fielding restrictions in the early overs.

Propped up with a determined half-century from captain Rob Key, who hit 51 off 62 balls, England's innings never got going and they consistently failed to exploit South Africa's rusty fielding.

Shah was dropped before he had scored and down the leg-side by stand-in wicketkeeper AB de Villiers on 20 but was caught at point having battled to 27.

His innings set the tone for the Lions' display with Ravi Bopara also getting an early reprieve, dropped at slip by Albie Morkel on five, but ran himself out after progressing to 23.

Their innings was not helped by losing three wickets for one run in six balls with Bopara preceding two wickets in an over from Andre Nel to dismiss Matt Prior and Samit Patel.

Luke Wright attempted to give the lower order some momentum by hitting 29 off 41 balls, but Makhaya Ntini returned to wrap up the tail with a five-over burst of three for 12 as the hosts made 184.

Opener Herschelle Gibbs, who has lost his Test place recently, struggled for timing during the early stages but gave the Lions an object lesson in how to compose a one-day innings and hit a superb 81 off 104 balls to ensure the outcome was never in doubt.

His presence at the crease was also a reminder to the Lions of the need to keep their discipline having dismissed him for 13 when he clipped Gloucestershire seamer Steve Kirby straight to Key at short mid-wicket just a few balls after Hashim Amla had been caught at point.

But just as the Lions thought they had removed South Africa's danger-man, umpire Richard Kettleborough ruled a no-ball for over-stepping and Gibbs responded by hitting the free delivery over the top for four.

Kabir Ali responded by trapping Justin Ontong lbw in the next over, but it was the last time the Lions put the tourists under serious pressure with Gibbs forging a 49-run stand with de Villiers and a 64-run partnership with JP Duminy which took South Africa to within 31 runs of victory.

With a comprehensive victory and a century in sight, however, Gibbs advanced down the wicket to all-rounder Wright and edged behind to spark a mini-collapse as the win drew nearer.

His demise sparked a slump of three wickets for 19 runs in five overs until, fittingly for England Lions, South Africa's victory was completed by a leg-side wide from Wright.