Locals still in with a sniff
Three-day clash seems headed for an intriguing finish at Buffalo Park
An exciting final day is a distinct possibility for Border and South Western District in their CSA three-day competition clash at Buffalo Park on Saturday, with the visitors aiming to set Border a challenging chase to win the match.
After Border resumed day two on Friday morning with a slender one-run lead over SWD’s first innings with five wickets in hand, the hosts batted well to turn it into an 84-run lead by the time they were bowled all out.
SWD lost their top three, but reached 105/3 during the last session of play, just 21 runs ahead of Border when bad light chased the players off the field.
But with seven wickets in hand, including Obus Pienaar (17no) and Brendon Louw (22no) at the crease, they will be looking to give Border a stiff target to chase in their final innings.
In the morning session Mncedisi Malika and Malwande Zamo resumed Border’s innings on 169/5, but added just two runs before Zamo edged Hershell America behind to fall for 17.
Clayton Bosch then joined Malika and was the aggressor in a 45run stand, that also saw Malika reach his second first-class half century, before Bosch fell for a quick-fire 25-ball 26, caught off the bowling of Bradley de Villiers, with the score 216/7.
Phaphama Fojela (9) didn’t last long before being run out, and Basheer Walters (13no) hit a couple of fours in a 17-run partnership with Malika, before he fell to De Villiers for a career-best 61.
This left Sithembile Langa (1) to be the final wicket to fall, off the bowling of former Border spinner Tsepo Ndwandwa, with the hosts all out for 252, just before lunch.
SWD negotiated the couple of overs to the break without trouble on 11/0, before resuming in the afternoon.
The opening stand between openers Letlotlo Sesele and Marco de Kock was looking good,
SWD lost their top three, but reached 105/3 during the last session of play, just 21 runs ahead of Border
before Walters trapped Sesele leg-before for 19 to get the breakthrough at 39/1.
Bosch then struck in his second over, bowling De Kock for 21 as SWD slipped to 53/2.
Walters then picked up his second, Jean du Plessis (14) being caught by Martin Walters with the visitors still 11 runs shy of the Border score.
Louw joined Pienaar at the crease and they set off on a positive looking unbeaten 32-run stand when bad light saw the players trudge off.