Border’s backs to the wall
The hosts need to score 157 more runs to make Northerns bat again
It was a difficult day for the Border semiprofessional cricket team as they ended day two of their CSA three-day encounter against Northerns well behind and in danger of losing the match.
After Northerns resumed their overnight innings on 326/9 in the morning, they added a further 25 runs to finish on 351 before centurion Ruan de Swardt was finally last man out for a superb 124 while Alfred Mothoa remained unbeaten on 19.
Basheer Walters with 3/61 was the pick of the bowlers, while Mkhululi Calana (2/35), Joshua Dodd (2/66) and Sithembile Langa (2/83) all chipped in.
Border were then shot out for 190 in their first innings and were four without loss in their second innings when play was called off for bad light during the final session.
In Border’s first innings regular wickets fell, while there was one noteworthy partnership which was not enough.
The hosts seemed to get off to a good start as openers Martin Walters and Bradley Williams put on 34 for the first wicket but once the stand was broken, it saw Border lose five wickets for 28 runs.
Williams was first to go for 18, bowled by De Swardt, while Walters followed him back to the pavillion for 10, just five balls later after being bowled by Tshepo Moreki.
The theme of batsmen being bowled then continued as Calana (2) saw his stumps rearranged by Eldred Hawken, while captain Jason Niemand was caught by wicketkeeper Rivaldo Moonsamy off De Swardt for 14 to change things up.
When Somila Seyibokwe was caught behind off the bowling of Hawken for a second ball duck just an over later, Border were in huge trouble at 62/5.
Marco Marais was then joined at the crease by Mncidisi Malika and they finally brought some fight to the Border innings.
They took the hosts past the hundred run mark before bringing up their 50 partnership and just when it looked like the two could kick on to big scores Marais was caught by Leus du Plooy off the bowling of Moreki for 42 to end a strong 79run stand.
Malika managed to bring up his half century before being bowled by De Swardt for 54, leaving Border on 166/7.
The tail however did not last long as Bamanya Xenxe fell for 16, Langa went for a duck and Dodd was the last man to fall for eight, with Walters unbeaten on six at the end.
De Swardt backed up his brilliant batting display by being the pick of the bowlers with 4/43, while Hawken and Moreki both backed him up with the same figures of 3/46.
Walters on one and Williams on two will now resume Border’s follow-on innings on Saturday morning, with the hosts needing to score 157 more runs to at least make Northerns bat again and the home team will need to be at the absolute top of their game if they are to save the match from this position.
The hosts seemed to get off to a good start as openers Martin Walters and Bradley Williams for Border put on 34 for the first wicket but the stand was broken