Cricket: Gough elixir earns England a leisure day: Seamer stitches up victory

Western Province . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 and 178

England A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .321 and 35-0

England A win by 10 wickets

DARREN GOUGH has spent four years attempting to live down his cricketing introduction when he was memorably - but erroneously - reported to be 'the son of a Barnsley rat-catcher'.

The description - the result of press box mischief - stuck enough for 'Son Of' to become one of his nicknames. But yesterday he moved another step closer to being known for what he is rather than what he is not, taking the four key wickets as England A rolled over the previously unbeaten Castle Cup leaders to make it eight wins out of eight.

Western Province had begun their second innings yesterday 144 runs behind. By the time the deficit was passed they were eight wickets down and England, eventually set 35 to win, did so with 10 wickets and more than a day to spare.

Gough dismissed the only Province batsmen who had impressed in the first innings - Deon Jordaan and Alan Dawson - the only one to do so in the second - Hershelle Gibbs - and the West Indian Test batsman Carlisle Best.

Jordaan, having given a sharp chance to Dominic Cork at gully, went first, leg before, rapidly followed by Best, who chipped lamely to a specially set short extra-cover. With Adrian Kuiper being smartly stumped after Robert Croft drifted his arm ball past him, Province were poorly served by their Test caps. Best, Kuiper and Meyrick Pringle totalled 14 runs and no wickets between them.

Kuiper's dismissal left them 75 for 4 but the captain Eric Simons and sporting prodigy Gibbs added 42, the best partnership of the innings, before Mark Ilott - who again impressed - found Simons' outside edge. With Dawson edging a snorter to second slip and Gibbs hanging his bat out for another nick Gough then took his match figures to 7 for 104. It was a disappointing end to a studied innings from Gibbs, whose name should be noted. A mixed race 20-year-old, he has played international cricket, rugby and football at junior level.

There was a silly episode when England, desperate to attack Dean MacHelm, an incompetent No 11, fed singles to Ritchie Ryall, who is hardly Viv Richards's class. By the time it worked there were enough runs to chase for Mark Lathwell to be brilliant - a back-foot six over mid-wicket - and barmy - a flat- footed slash dropped at point - before England secured a day off at the beach.

(Third day of four: Western Province won toss)

WESTERN PROVINCE - First Innings 177 (D Jordaan 65).

ENGLAND A - First Innings 321 (M B Loye 68, A Dale 64, J P Crawley 51, A P Wells 24).

WESTERN PROVINCE - Second Innings

S G Koenig lbw b Cork. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 D Jordaan lbw b Gough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 C A Best c Croft b Gough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 H H Gibbs c Rhodes b Gough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 A P Kuiper st Rhodes b Croft. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 * E O Simons c Rhodes b Ilott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 A C Dawson c Wells b Gough. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 ] R J Ryall not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 M W Pringle lbw b Cork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 A Martyn c Dale b Ilott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 D MacHelm c Crawley b Ilott. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Extras (b4 lb10 w2 nb2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .178

Fall: 1-29 2-35 3-64 4-75 5-117 6-124 7-142 8-143 9-165.

Bowling: Ilott 21-7-26-3; Gough 21-3-57-4; Dale 3-0- 15-0; Cork 16-6-36-2; Croft 14-4-30-1.

ENGLAND A - Second Innings

* H Morris not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 M N Lathwell not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Extras (w1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Total (for 0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Bowling: Pringle 5.5-1-12-0; Dawson 5-0-23-0.

Umpires: C Mitchley and R Brooks.