SHELL SHOCKED England stumbled to yet another South African defeat in East London last night, mesmerised by 18 year old spinner Paul Adams and tortured by their own inadequacies.
The 14 run defeat, on a controversial pitch at Buffalo Park, leaves England 5-1 down in the one day series and with just one more game left, Port Elizabeth tomorrow, before a World Cup campaign which now seems most a hopeless case.
Adams, who glories in the nickname Gogga, took three for 26 after coming on with England seemingly cruising to victory at 75 for three, chasing a mediocre South African total of 129.
Two batsmen were also run out, sacrificed like lambs as Neil Fairbrother tried to sneak singles to short fine leg off Adams - who was immediately named man of the match for a performance which merely adds to his remarkable emergence on the international stage.
Hick made 39, putting on 56 with Jack Russell after an early order England collapse on a pitch which the South African authorities are to make the subject of an official inquiry.
But that will be of no consolation at all to Mike Atherton's side who, in truth, threw away another game and who seem even more capable of turning any drama into a crisis.
