Western Province hold on to beat Easterns

Brilliant batting by Mike Rindel and Derek Crookes allied to a shambolic performance in the field by Western Province almost carried Easterns to an unlikely Standard Bank Cup victory at Newlands on Friday night.

The pair put on a provincial record 101 for the third wicket as they threatened to sweep past Province's 248 for four.

Crookes was in particularly fine form racing to his 50 at a run-a-ball with five fours and a six through the hands of midwicket off the bowling of Neil Johnson.

The former Zimbabwean all-rounder continued his recent experiment with off-spin and proved a nightmare for his captain. It was impossible to set a field as long hop followed full toss and Johnson's nine overs went for 59 runs.

But Province's decision to stack their side with batting left skipper HD Ackerman with nowhere to turn and, ironically, it was Johnson who accounted for both Rindel and Crookes.

The former was caught behind by Thami Tsolekile at the second attempt from a whipped-in, shorter off-spinner that bounced more than he might have expected. Rindel's 82 came from 100 balls and included seven fours and one six.

Crookes almost perished from gluttony against Johnson when he was offered a life shortly after Rindel's dismissal. He gave the charge to a wide full toss but Tsolekile fluffed the stumping with Crookes hopelessly out of his ground.

Johnson got his revenge when he trapped Crookes lbw sweeping for a sweetly made 73 from 72 balls.

The wicket tipped the balance back in Province's favour but enterprising and hard hit innings from Anthony Pollock (34 not out from 27 balls) and Albie Morkel (14 not out from 13) kept the momentum going.

Fourteen from Roger Telemachus's penultimate brought the requirement down from 35 off 18 to a more manageable 21 from 12 but Alan Dawson decided the match.

The seamer produced a miserly final over costing just five runs to finish with the outstanding figures of the match (9-0-26-0) and leave 16 required from the final over. Easterns could manage only half of that.

Johnson's efforts with the bat were far more in keeping with the ability of an international cricketer.

His 111 came from 129 balls and included 16 fours and a six. He shared a 142 run partnership with Graeme Smith (47) in 157 balls - the first 50 of which all came in boundaries (11 fours and one six).

He was finally stumped by Dylan Jennings of the bowling of Crookes but the momentum was maintained by HD Ackerman (41 not out) and Ashwell Prince (28) who both scored at better than a run-a-ball.

The win keeps alive Province's dwindling hopes of reaching the play-offs although they know they will have to win their four remaining matches to do it.