South Africa got off to a disastrous start in the first game of the seven-match Standard Bank one-day series at the Wanderers, Johannesburg. Rain and a strong performance from England made life difficult for the hosts. Eventually, rain handed England a premature, but imminent victory.

Batting first in overcast conditions, the hosts were tottering at five for the loss of two wickets and things appeared to get progressively worse at fifty-one for five. Heavyweights like Herschelle Gibbs, the skipper Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis were dismissed cheaply courtesy indiscreet batting and disciplined England bowling led by a recalled Darren Gough and a retained Matthew Hoggard. That exposed the inexperienced middle order. While Adam Bacher, Justin Kemp and Ashwell Prince got off to starts, none of them carried on and South Africa found themselves in a horrific downward spiral. As matters turned grave at ninety for the loss of seven wickets, rescue came in the shape of a gritty Mark Boucher and later by Shaun Pollock and vice-captain Nicky Boje in an useful half-century partnership. While Boje departed eventually for thirty-three, Shaun Pollock batted almost till the end for a dogged thirty-seven, helped on the way by a mighty blow for six from Makhaya Ntini. South Africa, at the end of their allotted fifty overs, ended at a very modest but all things considered, respectable total of 175. It was strange tactics from Michael Vaughan that Kabir Ali and Ashley Giles, who picked up two and three wickets respectively failed to bowl their full quota of overs.

England opened with Marcus Trescothick and wicket-keeper Geraint Jones. But the drama was not found wanting. Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock struck to leave England rattled at twenty-one for the loss of three wickets. Andrew Nel was certainly fired up after striking early, and he then sent back Andrew Strauss for fifteen. Skipper Michael Vaughan played foot-fancy to desperately avoid playing the ball back onto his stumps and in the process, nearly got out hit- wicket in the twentieth over. But once the frontline bowlers were out of the attack, Vaughan and Kevin Pieterson got into some blistering cover drive mode much to the despair of the spectators who were buoyed by the early blows. Vaughan appeared especially fluent, batting on forty-four with Pieterson proving a valuable aid in the absence of the imposing Andrew Flintoff, who has returned to England with an ankle injury. Pieterson scored twenty-two in the half-century stand with the skipper as the duo raised England's hundred.

Michael Vaughan demonstrates his proficiency at the 'Nataraj' shot patented by Indian great Kapil Dev.

If South Africa had held back a mysterious trump-card, they did not get a further chance to flash it as rain whip-lashed the Bull-Ring.

The umpires decided there remained little point in continuing the proceedings just past the twenty-five over mark. At the time of leaving the field, England's score read 103 for three wickets, twenty-six comfortable runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis scorecard. South Africa's day had only got gloomier.

Although it would seem unfair to the players chosen for the first game, perhaps someone like AB de Villiers may be effective, given his reasonably noteworthy performances during the recently concluded Test matches.