OWN CORRESPONDENT, Bloemfontein | Friday 11.45am.
VICTOR Mpitsang’s figures of 3-49 off 22 overs may not be spectacular, but hidden in them is the fact that Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis were among his victims.
Kirsten was caught behind for 17 – a solid enough piece of bowling but nothing memorable. Not so Kallis’ dismissal, which came with a delivery of genuine class which nipped clean past everything the world class batsman tried to get in its path to clatter into his stumps. And that on a day which seemed sure to belong to Allan Donald.
In his first game following his ankle injury, Donald was upstaged by a young man who has yet to learn what South Africa’s champion fast bowler has probably already forgotten. Donald let loose a fiery opening spell of six overs in which he went wicketless but conceded just two runs.
His second spell was nothing to enthuse over, but he returned for a late burst of raw pace which saw him claim John Commins and Ashwell Prince to finish with 2-34.
Far more pertinently in the bigger scheme of things, he came through 22 overs seemingly unscathed. Amid all the bowling heroics, Province managed to put together some useful batting performances. With Kallis gone for 40 the buck was passed to HD Ackerman and Commins, who responded as required with a fourth-wicket stand of 97. Ackerman went for 64 and commins for 60, but not before righting a Province ship which had once listed at 121-3.–MWP
Western Province 1st innings
L Ferreira c Liebenberg b Mpitsang 29
G Kirsten c Brophy b Mpitsang 17
J Kallis b Mpitsang 40
HD Ackerman c Brophy b Boje 64
J Commins c Boje b Donald 60
A Prince lbw b Donald 3
A Dawson not out 5
P Kirsten not out 20
Extras 21
Total
(for 6 wkts, 105 overs) 259
Fall of wickets: 1-50 2-53 3-121 4-218 5-222 6-236.
Bowling: Donald 22-10-34-2, Pretorius 14-3-52-0, Mpitsang 22-10-49-3, Cronje 11-1-34-0, Boje 22-9-46-1, Venter 14-7-29-0.