ANDY CAPOSTAGNO, Johannesburg | Friday 6.00pm.
A CAPTAIN’S innings from Pieter Strydom and a remarkable assault from Tyron Henderson helped Border to recover from 113-6 to 260-8 at the close of the first day of the Supersport Series final against Gauteng at the Wanderers. Strydom, who made a pair in last year’s final against Western Province, scored an unbeaten 78 from 173 balls with eight fours and two sixes.
But he was eclipsed by Henderson who has so far slammed three sixes and six fours in 43 not out from only 24 deliveries. Remarkably, Henderson’s 43rd run was the first not to come from a boundary hit. The pair have so far added 55 for the ninth wicket after Strydom and Vasbert Drakes (45) began the recovery with 85 for the seventh wicket.
Andrew Hall was the hero for Gauteng on the day, taking 4-58 with his medium pacers after Gauteng had opted to field first. He was forced to take the new ball in the absence of the injured David Terbrugge and responded by trapping Brad White lbw for a duck and having Piet Botha caught in the slips for 14 in his opening spell.
It became 42-3 when Steven Pope holed out in the covers off the bowling of Kenny Benjamin, but some high class strokes from Mark Boucher seemed to be putting the pitch into perspective after lunch. He and Wayne Wiblin had added 41 for the fourth wicket when Hall tempted Boucher into thick edging a drive to the diving Ken Rutherford in the gully, to be dismissed for 18.
Strydom came to the crease and began a calculated assault on the left arm spin of Clive Eksteen, hitting him for 22 in two overs, but was forced into his shell by the fall of two quick wickets, Wiblin for a painstaking 25 and Ian Mitchell for nought. Gauteng picked up two further wickets with the second new ball, but reckoned without the hitting of Henderson.