Northerns end Natal's winning streak

Doug Watson's highest limited overs score proved in vain as Northerns beat Natal by four wickets with 10 balls to spare.

Natal totalled 230 for six, to which Northerns replied with 231 for six in 43.2 overs to end the home side's winning streak at four matches.

Man-of-the-match Watson scored 116 off 144 balls with eight fours and a six, surpassing the 102 not out he made against Free State in Bloemfontein in 1998-99.

He was given a life in the 20th over when, on 46 with the total 82 for one, Gerald Dros at extra cover somehow managed to drop the gentlest of catches off the bowling of Pierre Joubert.

However, that was the only charity Watson showed the visitors and the rest of his 116-ball innings was without blemish. It wasn't strewn with big hits but at no stage was Watson bogged down - he always seemed to know where his next run was coming from.

Would that some of his partners showed similar composure. Instead, Natal spiralled from 151 for two to 170 for five in the space of three overs to snuff out a genuine chance of posting a total in the region of 250. That undid the good work of the Natal top order, the best of which was a second-wicket stand of 64 between Watson and Wade Wingfield.

The home side recovered somewehat by way of a sixth-wicket effort of 55 shared by Watson and Errol Stewart, whose industrious unbeaten 31 came off 23 balls. The partnership was ended with the first ball of the 45th over, when Watson was spectacularly caught by a diving Dros at extra cover.

However, Natal promptly relinquished their recovered ground when Gary Gilder and Kent sent down opening spells of nought for 33 off five overs and nought for 35 off seven respectively.

Jon Bastow and Eldine Baptiste kept it admirably tight at the other end, but every other over there was no pressure on Northerns' top order and they were able to score freely as one short and wide delivery - interspersed with the odd friendly full toss or leg-side four-ball - followed another.

The pattern was repeated throughout the innings, with Bastow bowling a ragged second spell of four overs in which he took one for 29, as Natal found out the hard way that teams do not win when they bowl muck.

Johan Myburgh and Jacques Rudolph got Northerns off to a fine start with an opening stand that grew to 71 before Rudolph slapped his favourite cut shot straight at Jonty Rhodes at backward point in the 14th over.

Myburgh and Martin van Jaarsveld then took Northerns 52 runs closer to their target with enterprising batting. But Natal struck back by snapping up five wickets for 69 runs in 12 overs, several of them with considerable help from the batsmen.

Wingfield caused much excitement by bowling Van Jaarsveld off the bottom edge with his first ball of the match, and then dismissing Van Wyk and Allahudein Paleker with consecutive deliveries.

However, with Dirkie de Vos cool, calm and completely collected at number four for his unbeaten 36 - and Steve Elworthy bashing 27 not out off 15 balls - Northerns were not about to let this one go.