Cricket: 'I am keeping my fingers crossed'

ANGUS FRASER, England's mournful-looking fast medium bowler, admitted he had reason to look miserable as he bowled the overs that set up England's victory over South Africa.

"I hurt my back sometime on the fourth day and I had to keep going on a mixture of adrenalin, a couple of pain-killers, a sense of the occasion and the cheers of the crowd," he said after taking the wicket of Allan Donald.

"I don't know how it will pan out. I am not expecting to drop out of the one-day triangular tournament. I am hoping that a bit of a rest, treatment and the enjoyment of this victory will bring about a cure. I face a long car drive back home and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I do no more damage to my back. I have not had back trouble since I was a young bowler but it usually comes along when you are tired as I was yesterday. Then you get into bad habits and to generate the same amount of pace you use bits of your body that aren't used to taking that amount of strain.

"Last night I did bugger all, frankly. I had a bite to eat, a drink and a hot bath to relax. It seemed to work. It was too important to go out or do anything exotic."