HONOURS were fairly even after two sessions of the opening day of the three-day CSA Challenge match between Border and North West at Buffalo Park yesterday, with the visitors reaching 261 for seven wickets at the tea break after 70 overs.
At the crease were their number three batsman, Wikus Botha on 87 not out, and Armad Erasmus on one. Botha had hit six fours in a 228- minute knock off 160 balls.
North West, in the running to take the trophy providing they win the match and their closest rivals, Gauteng, draw theirs, looked very positive at the start of play, seeking batting bonus points.
One of their openers, former Queen’s College batsman, Thando Bula, was in sparkling form and kept the scoreboard moving, but he was unfortunate to be out for 99 when he miscued a ball from fast bowler Lucky Pangabantu, scooping up a catch to cover. Bula, always on the lookout for runs, faced 141 deliveries and struck 12 attractive fours.
Winning the toss, North West had no hesitation in batting first on a pitch which looked full of runs, and Bula started off confidently, driving, cutting and pulling well.
After 10 overs of pace, the first of four spinners, leg-spinner Burton de Wett, was used and by lunchtime after 37 overs, four spinners had been tried, which speeded up the bowling rate. Right-armer Gionne Koopman, left-arm orthodox Shaun de Kock and leg-spinner Bevan Bennett all had a turn to bowl, but with little success by the interval.
At lunch, the visitors had advanced to 139 for one wicket, with Bula on 81 and Botha on 34.
It was medium-pacer Darryl Brown who managed the breakthrough. Opener Khagiso Rapulane and Bula had given their side a solid start, reaching the 50-mark in only 52 minutes, but Brown had Rapulane nicely caught by Koopman at slip for 21. He hit one four.
After the loss of Bula shortly after lunch at 168 for two, the Border spinners enjoyed a 90-minute period before tea when five North West wickets fell, two each to the spinners De Kock and De Wett, while a further batsman was needlessly run out.
At 200 for two wickets, North West were looking good to get to 400 in the 100 overs for bonus points, but the spinners persisted and made some excellent breakthroughs.
De Wett bowled the North West skipper Brett Pelser and then caught and bowled Nicky van den Bergh, the visitors’ wicketkeeper-batsman.
De Kock supported well and kept up the pressure. This paid off when Botha, calling his partner for a suicidal single, saw the non-striker run out after some good fielding.