Border pull off win to end the day off on a high

THE Border U19 Coca-Cola Khaya Majola Week team ended their national cricket week on a high note as they beat Western Province by 27 runs on the DuckworthLewis method in Bloemfontein yesterday afternoon.

Having set WP a chaseable 227 to win, which was reduced to 211 in 43 overs after a short rain delay, the Border bowling attack, led by their SA U19 representatives Siphamandla Krweqe and Akhona Mnyaka defended the total superbly, bowling them all out for 183.

Krweqe claimed superb figures of 5/40 in 8.4 overs while Mnyaka was just as devastating, picking up 4/28 in nine overs.

Western Province got their chase off to a decent start as opening batsman Jesse Christensen attacked from the outset.

However, his fellow opener, Mujaahid Toffar, scratched around, taking 24-balls to score eight before he was the first wicket to fall, caught behind by captain Sinethemba Qeshile off the bowling of Mnyaka, with WP 39/1.

After taking his team past 50 in the eighth over Christensen’s swashbuckling innings was then ended on 37 off 22 balls (5x4; 2x6), as Mnyaka induced another edge, with Qeshile doing the rest behind the stumps.

Krweqe then enjoyed a superb spell, taking a quick three wickets in three consecutive overs to reduce WP to 66/5 in the 16th over.

A 25-run stand saw WP slowly getting back into it, but Gavin Kaplan (25) became Luke Dallas’ only scalp with WP struggling on 91/6 in the 22nd over.

Matthew Valentine and Grant Martin almost pulled WP back into the match with the innings’ best partnership of 70 runs. However, when Mnyaka returned to dismiss Valentine for 34 in the 40th over, WP still needed 50 runs to win off 23 balls, which proved too much.

Krweqe also returned to the attack to pick up his fourth wicket and Mnyaka then removed Martin for 51, with Krweqe then wrapping up the innings with WP 183 all out.

In the morning Border won the toss and elected to bat.

They endured a difficult start to their innings as Western Province struck twice in the first six overs.

First opener Josneil Long (4) was caught off the bowling of Diego du Plessis and then Athenkosi Mfazwe was bowled by Michael Cohen for a duck in the next over as Border slipped to 13/2.

Nathan Roux and Jason Niemand set about rebuilding the innings and the two took Border past 50 in the 15th over.

They brought up their own 50run stand off 68 balls and, after taking Border past 100, Niemand was trapped lbw for 42 at the start of the 24th over.

Roux then brought up his half century, while captain Sinethemba Qeshile (two) did not last long before he too was trapped in front, with Border on 126/4 in the 27th over.

Jason Raubenheimer was next to the wicket. However, just 16 runs were added to the total before Roux was dismissed for a well played 73 off 88 balls (7x4; 1x6).

Raubenheimer then took centre stage and, with Aphelele Fassie (14) the only other batsman to reach double figures, they took Border past 200.

Soon after reaching his half century Raubenheimer went out without adding another run, leaving Border on 219/8. They were all out for 226.