Border's strike bowlers dominated during the weather-affected first day of their Sunfoil three-day Cup match against North West at Buffalo Park yesterday.
Opening pace bowlers Phaphama Fojela and Thandolwethu Mnyaka shared six wickets between them as North West stumbled to 112/7 just before tea when rain forced the players off.
A combination of bad light and intermittent rain then saw play delayed until just before 5pm, with the players then returning for just five minutes before the umpires signalled off for bad light, with no runs added to the score.
With an early morning downpour that delayed the start of the match, adding to the frustrating afternoon overhead conditions, only 35 overs were possible on the day.
Despite the delay, Border had already done a fair bit of damage to North West’s batting order.
Fojela with 3/16 led the way superbly, while Mnyaka with 3/35 from 8.2 overs backed him up perfectly, while Darryl Brown (1/20) was the other bowler to claim a wicket.
“I was happy with my performance, but now I have to build on it,” said Fojela.
“We bowled very well today, couldn’t have asked for much more but now we must finish it off tomorrow.”
The cloud cover and stiff westerly breeze provided the Border bowlers ample assistance in the morning as Border won the toss and elected to field.
“The pitch was slowish and we bowled strict lines and length which worked for us today,” admitted Fojela.
North West initially got off to a quick start racing to 21 in the first four overs with openers Isaac Dikgale and Janneman Malan cracking four boundaries between them. However Fojela brought that to a screeching halt when he bowled Dikgale for 12 in the fifth over, bowling a wicket maiden in the process.
Wihan Lubbe then joined Malan at the crease and they took North West to 40 in the ninth over with Fojela then picking up his second trapping Lubbe (four) in front.
Mnyaka then got in on the action in the next over bowling Malan for 22 as North West slipped to 40/3.
Richardt Frenz and Marques Ackerman then took North West to lunch on 52/3.
Frenz and Ackerman continued their budding partnership after the break, extending it to 45 runs, before Brown had Frenz (14) caught behind by keeper Avumile Mnci.
Regular wickets then continued to fall as Brady Barends (0) and Armandt Erasmus (three) were bowled by Mnyaka and Fojela respectively, while Ackerman was caught by Aya Gqamane off Mnyaka’s bowling for the day’s highest score of 40 between those two wickets.
This saw North West then struggling at 112/7 with Lesego Senokwane (12) and Johannes Diseko (0) unbeaten at the crease when play was finally called.
Today’s play will resume at 9.30am with Border looking to clean up the tail and begin their innings.
Border bowlers relentless on frontal attack
Opening pace bowlers Phaphama Fojela and Thandolwethu Mnyaka shared six wickets between them as North West stumbled to 112/7 just before tea when rain forced the players off.
A combination of bad light and intermittent rain then saw play delayed until just before 5pm, with the players then returning for just five minutes before the umpires signalled off for bad light, with no runs added to the score.
With an early morning downpour that delayed the start of the match, adding to the frustrating afternoon overhead conditions, only 35 overs were possible on the day.
Despite the delay, Border had already done a fair bit of damage to North West’s batting order.
Fojela with 3/16 led the way superbly, while Mnyaka with 3/35 from 8.2 overs backed him up perfectly, while Darryl Brown (1/20) was the other bowler to claim a wicket.
“I was happy with my performance, but now I have to build on it,” said Fojela.
“We bowled very well today, couldn’t have asked for much more but now we must finish it off tomorrow.”
The cloud cover and stiff westerly breeze provided the Border bowlers ample assistance in the morning as Border won the toss and elected to field.
“The pitch was slowish and we bowled strict lines and length which worked for us today,” admitted Fojela.
North West initially got off to a quick start racing to 21 in the first four overs with openers Isaac Dikgale and Janneman Malan cracking four boundaries between them. However Fojela brought that to a screeching halt when he bowled Dikgale for 12 in the fifth over, bowling a wicket maiden in the process.
Wihan Lubbe then joined Malan at the crease and they took North West to 40 in the ninth over with Fojela then picking up his second trapping Lubbe (four) in front.
Mnyaka then got in on the action in the next over bowling Malan for 22 as North West slipped to 40/3.
Richardt Frenz and Marques Ackerman then took North West to lunch on 52/3.
Frenz and Ackerman continued their budding partnership after the break, extending it to 45 runs, before Brown had Frenz (14) caught behind by keeper Avumile Mnci.
Regular wickets then continued to fall as Brady Barends (0) and Armandt Erasmus (three) were bowled by Mnyaka and Fojela respectively, while Ackerman was caught by Aya Gqamane off Mnyaka’s bowling for the day’s highest score of 40 between those two wickets.
This saw North West then struggling at 112/7 with Lesego Senokwane (12) and Johannes Diseko (0) unbeaten at the crease when play was finally called.
Today’s play will resume at 9.30am with Border looking to clean up the tail and begin their innings.
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