Province carry too many guns for Border

Western Province beat Border by 77-runs in their Supersport Series match at Buffalo Park in East London on Monday. The win moves Western Province to the top of the log in pool B with the 17 points they earned for victory.

After batting first in the match, the visitors were able to declare on Sunday and left the hosts needing 321 to win the match off 106 overs. It was a game declaration by HD Ackerman, but Border were unable to seriously give chase as they lost wickets at regular intervals.

Starting the day on three for one, Border progressed slowly to 31 in the first hour of play. Nightwatchman Geoff Love was the first scalp of the morning when he was caught by Herschelle Gibbs at cover point for 24, off the tiring left-arm seamer Charl Willoughby, who had given great effort in hot conditions in the morning.

The wicket appeared to lift his spirits and in his next over he had opener Craig Sugden caught by Alan Dawson for 11 tooth-achingly dull runs. It reduced the home side to 36 for three.

Steven Pope and Wayne Wiblin negotiated the next stage comfortably, but when Dawson returned to the attack with his aggressive right-arm seam he achieved a timely breakthrough. Pope mistimed a drive and was caught by Ashwell Prince in the covers for 22.

Wiblin was then clean bowled for 22 by South African international wrist-spinner Paul Adams, and Border were once again in the quagmire.

They survived without further loss until tea, but when Ian Mitchell and Vasbert Drakes resumed after the interval Western Province made the decisive move with the wickets of Drakes and Tyron Henderson in short succession.

Border, however, still had some fight left in them. Mitchell and number 11 Liam Graham embarrassed the top order with their application as they frustrated the visitors bowling with a 53-run stand.

With eight overs left in the day a draw that had seemed impossible after lunch looked like a possibility. Dawson had the final say however, when Graham eventually edged a ball to Ackerman at slip for a well played 19 that took over an hour.

Mitchell was not out on 46 to add to his first innings score of 61 while Willoughby was the pick of the bowlers with three for 57 in 20 overs.