Western Province achieved a crucial 154 run victory over the KwaZulu Natal Dolphins in the top-of-the-table Supersport Super Six cricket match at Newlands on Sunday.
As a result, the Capetonians moved eight points clear of their rivals in their bid to host the SuperSport Series final.
An excellent performance by the home bowlers earned the victory after Ashwell Prince set a challenging target.
Resuming on 287 for 3, WP got on with the business from the start. Despite the early loss of JP Duminy, Prince batted aggressively to reach his eighth first class century. He finished on 110, made off 194 balls and hit fourteen fours and a six. Neil Johnson also hit out, and their morning’s work produced 84 runs off 17 overs.
Set a target of 351 in a minimum of 95 overs, KZN were soon in trouble.
Fabian Lazarus completed a miserable debut by being out first ball. Two more wickets fell before lunch, which saw KZN on 18 for three after eight overs.
And there was no respite after the break.
Ahmed Amla charged down the track to Claude Henderson’s third ball, and was stumped by the proverbial country mile, but his colleagues had few answers to the questions posed by Henderson and the pace trio of Alan Dawson, Charl Willoughby and Quinton Friend.
At 105 for eight the humiliation was almost complete, but Lance Klusener then found some support, first from Nixon McLean (35 for the ninth wicket) and Andrew Tweedie (56 for the tenth).
In fact, with Tweedie growing in confidence and Klusener striking the ball cleanly, a fairy tale finish still looked possible. But then Willoughby came back, and promptly found the edge of Tweedie’s bat.
Klusener was left unbeaten on 80, made off just 104 balls. He twice cleared the rope and hit eight fours.
Henderson’s all-round efforts saw him named man of the match, as much for his brave 71 on the opening day as for his good bowling. – Sapa