/ 25 October 1999

NORTHERNS AND BORDER DRAW

STEVE Elworthy, sandwiched between Saturday’s announcement of the national team to face Zimbabwe later this month and the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup victory over England on Sunday, produced a superb bowling performance for Northerns against Border that seems likely to only have an impact on the stats sheet. A day after the lanky paceman was left out of the South African team for the first test against Zimbabwe, Elworthy fashioned a 10-wicket haul at SuperSport Park out of a SuperSport Series match that ended in a draw with 28 overs remaining. It was one of the few highlights in a rain-affected match that saw a day and a half lost to the elements. Elworthy’s first innings figures of 7-105 as Border were bowled out for 318 was the second best of his career next to the 7-65 he took playing against Natal in the 1994-95 season. Then he claimed the three wickets of Piet Botha (16) Brad White (2) and Wayne Wiblin (1) to give him a second innings haul of 3-11, with Border on 80 for the loss of five when the game was called off on Sunday afternoon.