da blaze casino： The Eastern Province Jumbos went to the top ofthe Standard Bank Cup log with a thrilling six-run win over the Border Bearsat Buffalo Park on Wednesday night
Marcus Prior – MWP19-Oct-2000The Eastern Province Jumbos went to the top ofthe Standard Bank Cup log with a thrilling six-run win over the Border Bearsat Buffalo Park on Wednesday night.It was a victory which looked for muchof the game as though it would go the other way, as Border appeared to havejudged their tough run-chase perfectly. Once again, though, their frailtyunder pressure eventually told.Chasing a daunting target of 261, Border appeared to have laid thefoundations for vicotory as they reached 228 for four, with less than arun-a-ball required over the closing overs. But a couple of dubious shots,an unlucky run out and Mornantau Hayward’s slower ball proved decisive forEP, as Border lost their last six wickets for just 22 runs.Three timesHayward picked up wickets with his well-disguised slower ball, although hesaved himself some acute embarrassment after putting down two caught andbowled chances in the same over.It was a waste of some fine batting higher up the order from openersLaden Gamiet and Ian Mitchell who saw off the impressive Mfuneko Ngam andMeyrick Pringle before taking apart the rest of the EP attack in a stand of85.Gamiet’s demise for 57 only cleared the stage for Craig Sugden whose 84looked to have put Border on the brink of victory. But when he was part of amiddle-order collapse which featured a duck for Mark Boucher, the gameturned decisively in EP’s favour.With seven runs needed off eight balls,Makhaya Ntini skied Hayward to bring down the curtain on a compelling game.Earlier, man-of-the-match Carl Bradfield struck a fine 91 as EP builtwhat turned out to be a winning total after being put into bat by theirhosts. That the score was eventually as imposing as it was was also theresponsibility of the veteran Dave Callaghan, who struck an unbeaten 37 offjust 17 balls as the overs ran out.Callaghan and Justin Kemp combined totake 19 off the penultimate over from the otherwise impeccable West Indianpaceman Vasbert Drakes.