Big centuries from North West batsmen Kagiso Rapulana and Yassar Cook set them up for a comfortable 54-run victory over Border in their Cricket South Africa One-Day Challenge match at Buffalo Park on Sunday.
Rapulana powered his way to 151, while Cook hit an unbeaten 123 as North West scored a daunting 329/2 in their 50 overs, which eventually proved to be too much for Border who were in the match at a stage but a middle-order collapse ended their chances and they ended 275 all out.
It sealed a miserable weekend for Border after they lost the three-day encounter by 30 runs on Saturday morning and followed it up with another one- day loss, stretching their win-less start to the season.
In Sunday’s match Border won the toss and elected to field first and got off to a good start.
Opening bowler Bamanye Xenxe had Yaseen Vallie (2) caught by Sihle Magongoma in the second over, with the visitors 4/1 at that stage.
However, that just brought Cook to the crease and along with Rapulana they set off on a huge 268-run partnership, putting the Border bowlers to the sword all around the ground.
They brought up North West’s 50 in the ninth over and their half century partnership soon after. Rapulana then brought up his half-century with a boundary, off just 44 deliveries and they then took the team past 100 in the 19th over.
Cook, who was playing the anchor role then brought up his 50 off 78 balls shortly before North West passed the 150 mark in the 31st over.
Rapulana, who had also slowed down a bit, then brought up his hundred off 108 balls, which seemed to be the spark as both batsmen began picking up the rate, bringing up the 200 in the 38th over. Cook then reached his hundred off 126 balls before the 250 was brought up in the 43rd over.
Rapulana’s swashbuckling innings finally came to an end in the 46th over, just after reaching 151 off 135 balls (19x4; 1x6), Xenxe bowled him with the score on 272/2.
However, there was no respite for Border as this brought Jean Bredenkamp to the crease and he hammered his way to a 17-ball 43 (4x4; 3x6) to power the visitors over the 300 mark and set Border a massive target to win.
Borders chase got off to a bad start as Magongoma (11) fell in the fifth over with the score on 17/1.
Bradley Williams and Somila Seyibokwe then steadied the ship with a confident 54-run partnership before Williams was trapped LBW for 29 by Brady Barends at the start of the 15th over.
This brought captain Jason Niemand to the crease to join Seyibokwe but that didn’t stop them from scoring a quick 30-run stand that brought up the 100 in the 19th over.
At this stage Border were still in the game, but a flurry of wickets saw their chances go up in smoke.
North West spinner Katleho Leokaoke started the collapse as he bowled Seyibokwe for 30.
Niemand (29) was then run out going for a quick single with Mo Vallie, while Mncedisi Malika fell for a second ball duck, hitting Leokaoke straight to the sub fielder at mid-on and then Malwande Zamo (5) was trapped in front to become Leokaoke’s third wicket.
Border had tumbled to 123/6, effectively ending their chances, but that didn’t stop Xenxe from dominating a quick 43-run partnership with Vallie, hitting two fours and two sixes before he hit the ball straight down third man’s throat to depart for 29.
Vallie continued on valiantly, dragging Border past the 200 run mark and bringing up his own half century with back-to-back boundaries in the 40th over, while last man Basheer Walters had some fun hitting an unbeaten 39 off 29 balls (3x4; 3x6) in an entertaining 71-run last wickets stand. But it was too little too late for Border...