CAPE TOWN - Former Proteas all-rounder Wayne Parnell virtually single-handedly carried Northamptonshire to the brink of victory over Yorkshire in the English County Championship, but ultimately came agonizingly unstuck at the very final hurdle.
Parnell claimed match figures of 10/143 with "five-fors" in both innings before being last man out with Northants' chase falling short by just a single run.
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The 31-year-old had kept Northants' hopes alive with an obudurate 33 off 102 balls at No 8, but was eventually caught behind with victory in touching distance.
It was the culmination of high drama at Headingley as the last wicket partnership between Parnell and Ben Sanderson was delayed for an hour due to dark skies.
Only after the floodlights were in full operation were Parnell and Sanderson able to add 12 runs before Yorkshire captain Steven Patterson could claim the final wicket.
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Parnell, who played 111 international matches for the Proteas across formats, is the overseas professional at Northants and will be returning to South African domestic cricket with Western Province next season.
In a recent interview on the IOL Sport Show, Parnell stressed that he is eligible for Proteas selection, which is particularly interesting with the T20 World Cup set to be held later this year as he is a vastly experienced T20 campaigner having played in the Indian Premier League, Caribbean Premier League, Pakistan Super League and England's T20 Blast over the years.
@ZaahierAdams
IOL Sport