Cricket: Cairns desperate to play in South Africa

12:05 PM

Chris Cairns is desperate to play on the South African leg of the New Zealand cricket team's tour.

The star all-rounder's knee injury flared up again in Tuesday's win over Zimbabwe at the ICC Knock-out Trophy in Nairobi, threatening his place on tour.

He is to have a scan on the knee on arrival in South Africa next week.

Cairns says he is crossing his fingers that the knee comes right as he has never toured South Africa before or played a test match against them.

Cairns will miss the Black Caps' semi final against Pakistan in Nairobi tonight with Scott Styris replacing him in the starting 11.

Meanwhile, in the last quarter-final of the tournamnet South Africa easily beat England by eight wickets.

England were bowled out for 182 and South Africa, lead by an unbeaten 78 by Jaques Kallis, cruised past the modest English total.

South Africa now meet India in the second of the semi-finals on Friday.
- IRN