For the second game in a row it ended with a six as Christiaan Jonker hammered Junior Dala over deep midwicket to give Border the perfect start to their Africa Cup T20 campaign at Buffalo Park on Friday night.
Border sealed a bonus point eight wicket win after chasing down Easterns below par 124/6 in 15.1 overs, thus seeing them rise to the top of the log, a point ahead of Free State who also won their opening match against Zimbabwe earlier in the day with a six.
Border's win was built on a superb bowling effort to start with led by captain Simon Harmer, followed by a wonderful half century from opening batsman Somila Seyibokwe, who laid the platform from which Jonker finished from.
“It was a phenomenal team effort from everybody and we are delighted with the win,” said Border captain Harmer.
“To win with a bonus point was something we set out to do, with the weather forecast this weekend looking dicey it was important, so we have taken care of today.”
“It was a great innings by Seyibokwe, which set the tone in the run chase, especially when you chasing a bonus point the start is vital, and Phaphama Fojela with the ball, I think his experience showed today and he got rid of two of their key batters which set it up for the rest of the bowlers.”
Easterns got their innings off to a terrible start as Border fast bowler Fojela removed both openers in his second over, both clean bowled having their middle stumps pegged back as Easterns slipped to 10/2 after four overs.
Wesley Marshall tried to bring Easterns back into it, but he was then stumped for a run a ball 17, becoming Harmer's first victim in the ninth over, with Easterns then in all sorts of trouble at 47/2 after 10 overs.
Harmer then bowled a maiden in the 11th and Easterns were in real danger of not reaching 100, but were then pulled from the fire by captain Ernest Kemm and Matthew Arnold.
Kemm stayed calm while wickets fell around him to notch the innings high score of 38 off 40 deliveries only falling in the 19th over, while Arnold who joined Kemm at 75/5 showed good impetus to score an unbeaten 30 from 20 balls, allowing Easterns to at least give their bowlers something to bowl at.
Harmer ended as the pick of the Border bowlers with 2/12 off four superb overs, while Fojela with 2/23 backed him up well.
Border's chase then got off to a decent start as Seyibokwe and Gionne Koopman put on 27 for the first wicket, with Koopman (11) then needlessly run out in the fourth over.
Yaseen Vallie then came to the crease and played the perfect back up role for Seyibokwe as he took centre stage and flayed the Easterns bowlers around the ground.
Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi was clearly seen as the main threat in the Easterns bowling line up, but his first ball, with Border on 58/1 after six overs, was hammered by Seyibokwe for four and called a no ball.
Shamsi was however able to exact his revenge two overs later, as after Seyibokwe cracked him for another four to bring up his half century off 31 balls, Shamsi then trapped him LBW with the very next ball for 52 (8x4, 1x6), leaving Border on 80/2 after nine overs.
That was then Easterns last success in the match as Jonker joined Vallie at the crease and they shared an unbroken partnership of 49 with Vallie ending on 25 off 31 balls (2x4) while Jonkers 31 featured four towering sixes.
Border will now aim to take that momentum into their second match against Zimbabwe on Saturday afternoon.
The Africa Cup continues on Saturday with Free State against Easterns at 12:30pm and Border against Zimbabwe at 4:30pm.
Perfect start for Border in cup tournament
Border sealed a bonus point eight wicket win after chasing down Easterns below par 124/6 in 15.1 overs, thus seeing them rise to the top of the log, a point ahead of Free State who also won their opening match against Zimbabwe earlier in the day with a six.
Border's win was built on a superb bowling effort to start with led by captain Simon Harmer, followed by a wonderful half century from opening batsman Somila Seyibokwe, who laid the platform from which Jonker finished from.
“It was a phenomenal team effort from everybody and we are delighted with the win,” said Border captain Harmer.
“To win with a bonus point was something we set out to do, with the weather forecast this weekend looking dicey it was important, so we have taken care of today.”
“It was a great innings by Seyibokwe, which set the tone in the run chase, especially when you chasing a bonus point the start is vital, and Phaphama Fojela with the ball, I think his experience showed today and he got rid of two of their key batters which set it up for the rest of the bowlers.”
Easterns got their innings off to a terrible start as Border fast bowler Fojela removed both openers in his second over, both clean bowled having their middle stumps pegged back as Easterns slipped to 10/2 after four overs.
Wesley Marshall tried to bring Easterns back into it, but he was then stumped for a run a ball 17, becoming Harmer's first victim in the ninth over, with Easterns then in all sorts of trouble at 47/2 after 10 overs.
Harmer then bowled a maiden in the 11th and Easterns were in real danger of not reaching 100, but were then pulled from the fire by captain Ernest Kemm and Matthew Arnold.
Kemm stayed calm while wickets fell around him to notch the innings high score of 38 off 40 deliveries only falling in the 19th over, while Arnold who joined Kemm at 75/5 showed good impetus to score an unbeaten 30 from 20 balls, allowing Easterns to at least give their bowlers something to bowl at.
Harmer ended as the pick of the Border bowlers with 2/12 off four superb overs, while Fojela with 2/23 backed him up well.
Border's chase then got off to a decent start as Seyibokwe and Gionne Koopman put on 27 for the first wicket, with Koopman (11) then needlessly run out in the fourth over.
Yaseen Vallie then came to the crease and played the perfect back up role for Seyibokwe as he took centre stage and flayed the Easterns bowlers around the ground.
Proteas spinner Tabraiz Shamsi was clearly seen as the main threat in the Easterns bowling line up, but his first ball, with Border on 58/1 after six overs, was hammered by Seyibokwe for four and called a no ball.
Shamsi was however able to exact his revenge two overs later, as after Seyibokwe cracked him for another four to bring up his half century off 31 balls, Shamsi then trapped him LBW with the very next ball for 52 (8x4, 1x6), leaving Border on 80/2 after nine overs.
That was then Easterns last success in the match as Jonker joined Vallie at the crease and they shared an unbroken partnership of 49 with Vallie ending on 25 off 31 balls (2x4) while Jonkers 31 featured four towering sixes.
Border will now aim to take that momentum into their second match against Zimbabwe on Saturday afternoon.
The Africa Cup continues on Saturday with Free State against Easterns at 12:30pm and Border against Zimbabwe at 4:30pm.
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