In a nail-biting finish to their Standard Bank limited-overs match at Mercedes-Benz Park on Wednesday, the Border Bears beat the Eastern Province (EP) Jumbos by 11 runs.
Steady rain, which began falling during the supper break, caused more than two hours to be lost and as a result the Jumbos were set a revised target under the Duckworth-Lewis system of 128 off 24 overs, after they had dismissed the Bears for 188.
Three quick wickets, all of them to Charl Langeveldt, had the visitors reeling as the Bears, fielding with great passion, saved precious runs time and time again.
Then an outstanding acrobatic catch by Mark Boucher, diving far to his left, saw the Protea vice-captain pouch a snick off the dangerous James Bryant’s glove, and at 53 for four wickets, the Jumbos were in a spot of trouble.
The 19th over was crucial. With 43 needed at 7,2 runs to the over, Pieter Strydom trapped Johan Botha in front and two balls later Laden Gamiet ran out EP skipper Robin Peterson for a valuable 29.
With three overs to go the visitors needed 30, and things had swung Border’s way. Johann Louw was caught by Gamiet at point and 26 were needed off two overs.
Henderson started the last over with 20 required with Wade Wingfield facing. A single brought Craig Thyssen to face and he was castled second ball.
With three balls left, sixes were required off each ball. This was a tall order though and Border went on to squeeze through for victory.
Earlier Border had won the toss and elected to bat. They started their innings like a house on fire and Mark Bruyns, Steven Pope and Boucher pushed the score along at a rate well above five an over initially.
Interestingly the Border skipper, Justin Kreusch, opened the innings with Bruyns and it was good to see the Bears experiment in order to make a fast start.
Boucher scored an aggressive 41 (59 balls, 6×4) before he hooked a short ball from Mfuneko Ngam to a deep mid-wicket position where Wingfield took a good catch.
At 86 for four in the 20th over Gamiet managed a rescue act scoring a neat 32 and later adding 55 valuable runs for the sixth wicket with Craig Sugden.
Sugden was batting well when he pulled a hamstring when on 27 at 161 for six, and he was compelled to call for a runner. Gamiet, perhaps the fleetest Bear between the wickets, did the job admirably as Sugden, despite his injury and pain, began to open up and score all round the wicket in a brave knock.
The architect of Border’s collapse was Griqua import medium-pacer Johann Louw, who bowled an excellent line and length and was rewarded with fine figures of 5/27, his career best.
Amazingly four of his victims were leg-before, good decisions by visiting umpire Karl Hurter. Altogether Hurter gave seven lbw decisions from the city end.
The return of Louw to the bowling crease at 156/5 (38th over) saw the last five wickets fall for 32, with Louw grabbing four of them with no help from the field.
Sugden top scored with 42 not out (47 balls, 3×4). — Sapa