Marais’s triple century stuns EP on day one

EASTERN Province meandered to 19 without loss in four overs when bad light brought the opening day of the three-day Sunfoil match to an early close against Border at Buffalo Park in East London yesterday.

But it was all anti-climactic after the fireworks of the Border innings.

Border middle-order batsman Marco Marais earlier smashed his way into the record books with a magnificent, unbeaten triple century.

He added a record 428 for the fifth-wicket with partner Bradley Williams, 113 not out, while saving his side from blushes after they had lost four wickets for 84 in the morning session.

Border declared their first innings on 512/4 after 80.2 overs.

Marais, 300 not out, undoubtedly played the innings of a lifetime, showing utter disdain for all the EP bowlers, while Williams reached his maiden century, beating his previous highest score of 61.

It was the second-highest score at Buffalo Park, after the 390 scored by the Lions’ Stephen Cook in 2010-11, and it is the highest for Border, eclipsing Peter Kirsten’s previous record score of 271.

The pair’s partnership started well before lunch, at a time when Border were struggling against a rampant EP attack.

EP had won the toss in good bowling conditions early on, and their opening bowler, Tladi Bokako, struck with the first ball of the innings when he had Border opener Mkhululi Calana, caught in the slips by Eddie Moore.

Gerhardt Abrahams at No 3 steadied the ship for a neat 31, but then Stich Seyibokwe was dismissed for eight and Moore took another good catch, when he held onto a snick from Gionne Koopman for a steady 34.

Thereafter, it was the Marais-Williams show for the next 4½ hours.

Marais started like a house on fire. He got going with an effortless push off his legs for four to square leg , followed by three to deep mid-wicket.

But two balls later, he skied a ball to deep mid-off and the fielder managed to get his hands to the ball, but could not hold on. It proved a most expensive miss. As Marais savaged EP’s bowling, the visitors’ fielding deteriorated as the afternoon wore on, with misfields galore.

In the end, the declaration came as a glorious relief for the EP fielders.

Williams’s 113 came off 174 balls, with seven boundaries and two sixes, while Marais’s 300 was made off 191 balls, with 35 fours and 13 sixes.

He was dropped a number of times during his great knock, and EP will rue their fielding lapses.

The match resumes at 9.30am today .