MWP, Bloemfontein | Sunday 9.00pm.
NATIONAL coach Graham Ford’s telephone account will reveal a lot of 051 numbers at the end of October.
But it will be money well spent as Ford kept track of the most impressive individual batting innings of the 1999/2000 season so far during Free State’s Supersport Series match against Boland at Springbok Park on Sunday.
The man in question was 22-year-old Hendrik “Boeta” Dippenaar who scored an almost faultless 200 not out as Free State held out for an easy draw on the final day of the four-day match. It was a score that eclipsed the 151 not out he scored against Western Province two seasons back and now clearly, the quiet, almost shy, former Grey College pupil has become the new golden boy of South African cricket.
Maybe it was the honour of representing his country in Kenya recently or maybe it was just Dippenaar’s quiet, determined demeanor that got him through four and a half sessions, but either way, Dippenaar’s innings was that of a rapidly maturing cricketer.
With Free State resuming on 100 for one overnight, Boland will look back at yesterday’s last session with nightmares.
Not only did wicketkeeper Steve Palframan drop Dippenaar with his
score on 2, but even Andrew Gait was let off the hook when he was dropped on 10.
Gait went on to score 56, but the really damage was done by Dippenaar who saw out almost 8-1/2 hours of play and 426 balls to score 102 runs in boundaries — 24 fours and a six.
For the record, Free State batted throughout the day with a chance of
a result always slim ending with 344 for seven when the game was called off at 4.30pm.
While Dippenaar rightly won the Man Of The Match award, Boland came away the Recruit of the Match award and the knowledge that they played themselves into a position where they couldn’t lose.
The recruit award went to another young star, 19-year-old Justin Ontong. The youngster not only outspun Nicky Boje but is capable of bowling prodigiously-turning offspinners and legbreaks. — MWP