It was an absolutely nail-biting chase as Border claimed their first CSA three-day competition win of the season over the in-form South Western Districts team by just two wickets at Buffalo Park on Saturday afternoon.
Border were set a target of 149 to win after SWD were bowled out for 232 in their second innings during the morning session. Border looked to be cruising to an easy win before two collapses saw them lose five wickets for 15 runs and then three wickets for 22 at different stages to almost derail their effort.
However Clayton Bosch (15no) and Phaphama Fojela (8no) kept their nerve to take Border home, with Fojela hammering the ball to the boundary off the first ball of the 56th over.
The chase got off to the perfect start with openers Bradley Williams and Sihle Magongoma deciding to take their time as they still had most of the day to chase down the low target.
Their opening partnership of 49 was at barely two runs an over but it had them in a great position needing 100 to win with all 10 wickets in hand.
However Magongoma’s dismissal for 25 in the 25th over sparked a disastrous collapse.
Williams was next to go for 27, caught off the bowling of Bradley de Villiers with the score 60/2.
That soon became 64/5 as Mkhululi Calana (1) was caught behind off the bowling of Hershell America, Jason Niemand was trapped in front for a third ball duck by de Villiers and Martin Walters bowled by America for 10.
The momentum had swung fully back to SWD, but Mncedisi Malika and Malwande Zamo then staged the match-winning partnership, sharing in a stand of 53 before Zamo was trapped LBW by Niel Hornbuckle for 23 with the score 117/6.
Malika and Bosch then looked like they would take the hosts home, but with 12 needed to win Malika pushed for an unnecessary two runs and was run out for 37.
Basheer Walters then fell for one with the score on 139/8 with 10 still needed, but there was to be no further drama as the hosts edged over the line.
In the morning SWD resumed their innings on 146/5 with Obus Pienaar on 33 and Hornbuckle on two at the crease, and a lead of 62 runs over the hosts.
They enjoyed a decent start, moving their partnership from three to 46 before Bosch made the breakthrough, bowling Pienaar just after he had reached a well deserved 50.
Hornbuckle and Tsepo Ndwandwa then added 25 for the seventh wicket before Bosch had Hornbuckle caught behind for 37, leaving SWD on 214/7.
This then exposed the tail and Walters returned to clean it up as he picked up the final three wickets for the addition of just 18 runs.
Walters, with figures if 6/94, was the pick of the bowlers, while he was backed up well by Bosch with 3/27...