Date-stamped : 26 Oct95 - 10:32
Preview to the England - SA Invitation XI match at  Soweto  Eitan
Prince, 26 October 1995

Mark Ramprakash, has been included in the England  XI  for  their
historic tour match in Soweto, against a South African Invitation
XI. The Middlesex batsman who has scores of 48 and 89 on the tour
to  date, is making a strong bid for the troublesome number three
spot in the tests.

There remain three more warm-up matches prior to the  first  test
at  Centurion Park and Ray Illingworth has already confirmed that
Ramprakash will be given a chance in the Border game to prove his
ability at number three.

Devon Malcolm returns to the team after his non-selection in  the
one  day  game against Easterns on Wednesday.  Malcolm should add
some firepower after the other England seamers performed   rather
ordinarily  in the day night match.  The left arm seamer Mark Il-
lot is the other inclusion intended to boost the bowling  attack,
while  spinners  Richard Illingworth and Mike Watkinson will pro-
vide back up.

While the SA Invitation XI contains mainly `fringe`  players,  it
will also include national players, Hansie Cronje as captain, and
Jonty Rhodes. Mickey Arthur and Philip Amm will also be given   a
chance to prove themselves as openers in the presence of national
selection convenor, Peter Pollock.

The teams are:

Invitation X1: Micky Arthur, Phillip Amm, Hansie Cronje  (capt.),
Jonty Rhodes, Mark Davis, Piet Strydom, Richard Snell, Lulama Ma-
zikazana (wk), Meyrick Pringle, Geoffrey Toyana, Henry Williams.

England: Michael Atherton (capt.), Alec Stewart, Mark Ramprakash,
Robin  Smith,  Graeme Hick, Jack Russell (wk), Michael Watkinson,
Richard Illingworth, Mark Illott, Angus Fraser, Devon Malcolm.

<END> Contributed by Eitan Prince (eitan@rucus.ru.ac.za)