Cricket: Royal party leads Rhodes to roam: South Africans enjoy a day out in idyllic surroundings on their return to Britain after 29 years

Earl of Carnarvon's XI 223

South Africa 224-3

South Africa win by 7 wickets

NOT SO much a match fit for a king, perhaps, but the Queen was in attendance as one Australian broadcaster told his viewers that HRH 'cannot stomach cricket'. South Africa's return to these shores after 29 long years was deemed a royal occasion here yesterday, whether he liked it or not.

A capacity crowd also suggested that lining the stomach was an important part of the proceedings and that they had the pockets to match. At pounds 25 a head, it cost something of a king's ransom for a first glimpse of the tourists, and a programme set the well-heeled and the well-oiled back

another tenner. Some would not have dared ask the price of a picnic hamper.

No complaints, though, over the setting. There are beautiful cricket grounds and then there is this one, on the Hampshire- Berkshire border. If the match was undemanding, at least the tree-enclosed pitch bathed in sunshine provided the perfect scene of English tranquility.

The man on the public

address system was busy, asking us to acknowledge 'the united cricket team of South Africa'. Here they were at last, Kepler Wessels leading his side out after losing the toss for the 50-over bash. They were late, too, having cut their trip down from London too fine. No doubt, nearly 30 years ago, they would have made it with time to spare.

In the old days, too, news of their arrival might have been conveyed with the words 'Boers to the south, M'lord'. As for raising a private army to repel the invaders, the Earl of Carnarvon's lieutenants would have been hastily dispatched to the shires. In these modern times, cheque book in hand, they had come up with a useful assortment under David Gower's leadership.

Having signed off with a century against Essex last September, he picked up a bat again only on Wednesday, when he had 20 minutes facing the bowling machine in the Southampton nets. His one boundary suggested he had never been away, but he made just seven before Hansie Cronje claimed his wicket.

Emotion? Well, Wessels may have had a slight lump in his throat when he said: 'I never thought I'd see the day.' It was his most telling line in the midst of the usual niceties reserved for these moments.

There was a message, too, from Ali Bacher, the managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa. 'This will be the first match in the United Kingdom that carries the support of all South Africa. Our programme at grass roots is bringing people together that apartheid cast asunder.'

The South Africans won friends, as well as the match. 'It was doing a bit, but slow,' Trevor Ward said on losing his wicket on this pitch. Gower was thankful for a fine 78 from Gregor MacMillan, the Surrey- born Oxford Blue, and a stand of 49 in 38 balls between Carl Hooper and Shane Warne.

After two early losses, though, there was no stopping South Africa in this first one, Jonty Rhodes kicking off the tour with a 101-ball century containing 12 fours and three sixes, and featuring in a partnership of 192 with his captain to set up victory with 16 balls to spare. Welcome back.

Richard Snell, the former Somerset bowler, is to join the South African tour party as a replacement for the injured pace bowler, Aubrey Martyn, who has sustained a stress fracture of the back. The problem was originally thought to be a pulled muscle, but a test on Wednesday showed the extent of the injury.

(Photograph omitted)