LOSS TOO MANY
Clash with Limpopo a chance to get their season back on to winning track
Confident Border look to bounce back
The Border cricket team is targeting their friendly three-day match against Limpopo this coming weekend to gain some confidence and much-needed form after a poor start to their CSA three-day and one-day campaigns.
After four matches, two in each competition, Border have suffered three losses and a rainaffected three-day match draw, which has left them second from bottom on the three-day and bottom on the one-day pool B logs early in the season.
“I am a firm believer that the competition is not won in November. There are still eight games left (in each competition), so we just have to take it game by game, look to get the first win under our belts and then take it from there,” said Border coach Frank Plaatjes.
“We must remain positive and play positive cricket and that is how we will get results.
“We have a three-day friendly starting on Friday here at Buffalo Park against Limpopo, and hopefully our batters can spend some time at the wicket and work on what we have discussed.”
This past weekend Border were brushed aside by neighbours Eastern Province in both their three-day and one-day matches in Port Elizabeth after their poor form with the bat once again came back to haunt them.
In the three-day match Border were bowled out for scores of 194 and 261 in their first and second innings respectively.
In the first innings Jason Niemand (37), Mkhululi Calana (34), Somila Seyibokwe (34) and Marco Marais (20) all got starts but couldn’t convert to a big score, while in the second innings Marais (47) and Calana (35) got starts again and Mncedisi Malika top-scored with 55.
But it was left to the bottom three batters, Phaphama Fojela (51), Basheer Walters (16no) and Sithembile Langa (16) to force EP to bat again.
EP’s first innings of 371/9 declared had put them firmly in the driving seat and, although they found themselves in a spot of bother at 31/4 in the second chasing a low score, they recovered to ease to 85/4 and a comfortable six-wicket win.
“It is just our application. In the three-day some of the guys managed to get starts, but they couldn’t kick on and get a big score which was disappointing,” said Plaatjes.
“We had a chat on Sunday after the one-day and we sat down to map the way forward on how we would like to approach our batting innings and the responsibilities of the top order.
“I think it is key that one of them has to get a big score in the first innings to help us get 300, which I feel is what we have to target batting first.
“I am happy with our bowlers. I felt we were unlucky against EP on a number of occasions in the game and they really gave us a small chance on the final day.
“But they have been top notch this season and I want them to just continue doing what they are doing.”
In the one-day match Border were skittled for just 66 and EP cruised to a 10-wicket victory.
“The one-day was a disaster,” said Plaatjes.
“It was a crucial toss to win because it was a shortened game and the wicket had been under cover for long, so when they took the covers off 10 minutes before the start of play there was a lot of moisture and the ball did a lot.
“People might think that it was a dismal performance, but there is a reason for that. We didn’t throw our wickets away. It was good bowling and it was a very difficult surface.”
Border will now hope to bounce back with a positive performance in their three-day friendly with Limpopo, which would give them good preparation for their next official match against North West at Buffalo Park in two weeks time.
“We are such a talented young team, just very inexperienced in the batting department, where some have played a few games. So we need to find that balance to map our way forward,” said Plaatjes.
“That will be our goal moving forward.”