The Supersport Series match at Paarl between the Cape Cobras and the Dolphins petered out into the expected draw on Sunday.
With the pitch giving no assistance to the bowlers, and the batsmen on both sides showing absolutely no willingness to take the slightest risk, the result had been on the cards for most of the four days.
The day produced just 188 runs, although play was called off at the start of the final hour with 15 overs remaining.
Earlier, Paul Adams held the tail together as 31 were added to the overnight score. Ugasen Govender ended proceedings by bowling Monde Zondeki and Charl Willoughby with successive deliveries.
If he had been given a chance to bowl in the second innings, he would have had the rare chance to take a hat-trick split over three overs. Nevertheless, he had the satisfaction of recording his best bowling in first-class cricket with five for 57.
Dale Benkenstein took the other wicket to finish with a competition-best return of four for 41. The end of the Cobras’ innings shortly before 11am was effectively the end of the match, as both teams were content to sit tight and play out time.
The Cobras might have staged a miraculous recovery when Willoughby found the edge of Imraan Khan’s bat with a single to his name, but Ian Harvey dropped the chance at second slip.
There was no further drama as Doug Watson and Hashim Amla played out patient half-centuries.
The home team missed a chance to give Paul Adams some valuable match practice as Derrin Bassage was given a long spell in preference to the left-arm spinner, who showed good control albeit bowling a leg-side line. Fellow spinner Con de Lange bowled at times to a 7-2 leg-side placing.
Hashim Amla earned the man-of-the-match award. He was dismissed once in the match while scoring 195 runs, and he occupied the crease for more than eight-and-a-half hours. — Sapa