Border yearn for elusive win

The struggling Border cricket team have a great chance to bounce back from a poor start to the season when they face the high-flying South Western Districts team in their CSA three-day and one-day matches at Buffalo Park over the next four days.

Border, who in six matches in both competitions so far have drawn one game, while losing the other five, come up against a side that is unbeaten in 10 games.

SWD has so far won one three-day match while drawing the other four, and won all of their one-day matches, which sees them second on the pool B three-day log and top of the one-day table.

Border, in contrast, prop up both pool B tables, so a win over an in-form team would be a boost for the young side.

“I am really hoping we can get that elusive win,” said Border coach Frank Plaatjes.

“The vibe in the camp is very positive, despite the tough start to the season, and there is so much talent in this team that we are quite positive that we can pick up a couple of wins.”

It will be a bit of a homecoming for Yamkela Oliphant and Tsepo Ndwandwa as both players got their starts at Border before making the move to SWD.

“It is going to be interesting, because they have been part of our team instructions and know how we operate, but it’s not really something we are worrying about,” said Plaatjes.

Border’s big focus in the match will be improving their batting, which has let them down so far over the season.

Their bowling department has, however, been on point and will be expected to put in another good shift against SWD.

“The first innings sets up the game. If you have got a solid first innings score of 280-plus, you know that it will be very difficult to lose the game from there, but if you keep being bowled out for a hundred it makes things very difficult,” said Plaatjes.

“But these are things we know and it is just about putting those performances together.”

In their last games, against North West at Buffalo Park, Border came close in both matches, so they should take heart from that effort.

“I wasn’t happy with the loss but we showed some positive signs, like our second innings, where we batted really well and didn’t disgrace ourselves in the chase, so we must take that positivity into the game against SWD,” said Plaatjes.

The action gets under way with the three-day game from 10am on Thursday, while the one-day match will start at 10.30am on Sunday.

I wasn’t happy with the loss but we showed some positive signs