Boland snatched a dramatic victory in a Standard Bank Cup match that seemed threatened to end in a wash-out at Paarl on Wednesday night.
Rain twice interrupted the Border innings. Boland were just about to set off on a reduced run chase when the rain returned, and seemed to return every time the covers were removed. In the end, Boland were given just 25 overs to reach a target of 165 set by the Duckworth/Lewis system.
That they did so, was thanks to two dramatic innings. Pinch hitter Neil Carter lashed 33 runs off 26 balls at the top of the innings, but it took a brilliant, innovative innings from forgotten Proteas middle order batsman Justin Ontong to steer the home team to victory. His unbeaten 60 came off just 41 balls and included six fours and a six hit over square leg to clinch the win.
Earlier, Mark Bruyns and Justin Kreusch had set an excellent platform with a century opening stand. After a watchful start, Bruyns hit three boundaries in Ryan Groeneveld’s fourth over to step up the pace. Their innings was interrupted by rain after 16.1 overs with the score on 76. They lost some momentum, but Steven Pope was running into some dangerous form with an unbeaten 50 runs off just 53 balls when rain ended the innings with four overs remaining. Captain Con de Lange managed to keep the batsmen in check with some useful spin bowling.
When Boland eventually got to the crease at 10 pm, Carter climbed into the bowling with a will and the home team were always up with an initial required rate of 6.6 to the over. National bowlers Charl Langeveldt and Monde Zondeki were unable to stem the flow. Peter Strydom proved the most economical bowler, conceding just a single in his final over, the 21st of the innings. Good field placings by captain Kreusch pressurised the batsmen.
Ontong won the man of the match award. He showed the way by finding the right balance of finding the gaps, running well between the wickets and the occasional spectacular boundary hit to keep the Boland bandwagon rolling.
They were perhaps only playing for pride, but this defeat was a serious blow to Border’s hopes of reaching the semi-final. – Sapa