A Steyn message from the Africans

South African fast bowler Dale Steyn produced the perfect yorker to uproot middle stump and win the game with 11 balls to spare for African ...

South African fast bowler Dale Steyn produced the perfect yorker to uproot middle stump and win the game with 11 balls to spare for African XI in a thrilling encounter at the Super Sport Park today.

Chasing a modest target of 199 for victory, Asia coasted to 50 without loss from just 10 overs before Pollock claimed three wickets in the 11th over to turn the match on its head.

Shaun Pollock produced a captain8217;s performance while fellow all-rounder Jacques Kallis claimed the key wickets of Kumar Sangakkara 35 and big-hitting Shahid Afridi 13 with the help of perfect conditions for swing bowling and at 96-6 there appeared to be no way back for the Asian team.

However Abdul Razzaq 38 and Anil Kumble 24 offered late hope with a seventh wicket stand of 56 before Kallis returned to claim a third wicket by trapping Kumble lbw.

The drama, however, was just beginning. Tailender Zaheer Khan marshalled his fellow bowlers towards the target with an unbeaten 20. Shoaib Akhtar smashed Justin Kemp for a straight six to bring the target down to just five runs needed with two and a half overs remaining.

Shoaib was given out next ball when he squeezed a yorker to backward point where Justin Ontong held the catch.

Umpire Steve Davis had no doubt and raised his finger immediately but Shoaib protested that it had been a bump ball and stood his ground for at least a minute. Television replays proved inconclusive.

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It was finally reduced to three runs required from the final two overs when Ashish Nehra played all around a straight ball by Steyn.

Earlier, Ashwell Prince struck 78 not out to give Africa a measure of respectability as they were dismissed for 198 by Asia in the opening one-day game of the three-match Afro-Asia Cup on Wednesday.

The South African left-hander hit five fours in 113 balls to resurrect the innings after Africa had been reduced to 57-5 in the 13th over after being put in to bat.

Prince and South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, with an aggressive 42, put Africa on track to overhaul the 150-mark with a sixth-wicket stand of 84.

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Boucher hit some powerful strokes but, after he was trapped leg before wicket by Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, Africa8217;s innings fell away and they were dismissed in 44.3 overs.

Openers AB de Villiers, with 24, and Boeta Dippenaar, 14, were the only other batsmen to reach double figures.

Pollock, who finished with 3-32, will again lead the African team in the second match at Kingsmead in Durban on Saturday before Graeme Smith returns from an ICC-imposed slow over rate ban to captain Africa in the decider at the same venue on Sunday.

The last two matches take place in Durban on Saturday and Sunday. The inaugural Afro-Asia Cup is a fund-raising initiative to help grassroots development of the sport in each continent.

Brief scores:

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Africa XI: 198 all out in 44.3 overs A Prince 78 n.o, M Boucher 42, Shoaib 2-40, Zaheer 3-37, Nehra 1-19, Kumble 1-39, Muralitharan 1-26, Afridi 1-13 bt Asia XI: 196 all out in 48.1 overs K. Sangakkara 35, V. Sehwag 21, A. Razzaq 38, A. Kumble 24, Pollock 3-32, Justin Kemp 2-40, Kallis 3-42.