Eastern Province Jumbos visited Boland Park on Wednesday and scored an easy 30-run victory over Boland in their Standard Bank Cup limited-overs cricket match.
The Jumbos won the toss and elected to bat and struggled to what seemed a moderate total of 200 for seven wickets in their 45 overs.
But it proved to be more than enough and except for a period when Justin Ontong seemed to be taking his side to victory, EP never really looked like losing.
Once Ontong was trapped leg-before by Nantie Hayward for 65 (74 balls, 6×4, 1×6) in the 33rd over, the curtain came down quickly on the home team.
Wesley Euley followed Ontong back to the pavilion two overs later and the balance of the batsmen just compounded. The home team were eventually all out for 170 in the 41st over.
Hayward took 4/36 in his nine overs while Geoff Love bowled with distinction as well, wrapping up the tail and finishing the match with 3/26 in 5,5 overs.
What must have been disappointing for the Jumbos batsman was that many of them started off well but none of them managed to go on with it. Captain Robin Peterson, hot from his role in South Africa’s win over the West Indies on Tuesday, scored 35, Dumisa Makalima 27, Arno Jacobs 28, James Bryant 46 and Wade Wingfield 38.
It all mounted up, though, and proved to be good enough on the night.
What would have pleased EP and the national selectors was the form of Mfuneko Ngam. He may have only taken one wicket but conceded just 26 runs and he seems to be coming back to his best after nearly two years of injury.
Best of the Boland bowlers was Henry Williams who, although failing to take a wicket, conceded just 14 runs in his six overs. Neil Carter took two wickets but was somewhat loose, giving away 54 runs in his nine overs. — Sapa