A COLLECTIVE bowling effort from the Border senior team propelled them into a commanding position on day one of their Cricket South Africa (CSA) Three-Day Challenge against Easterns at Buffalo Park yesterday.
Debutant Thandolwethu Mnyaka and Lundi Mbane picked up three wickets each to help Border restrict the visitors to 182 .
Mnyaka finished with first innings figures of 3/45 in nine overs while Mbane collected 3/35 in 17.3 overs. Also among the wickets were Darryl Brown, who took two for 44, and left-arm spinner Brandon Williams, who took his first wicket in first-class cricket, while Jerry Nqolo also claimed one.
Border ended the day on 19 without loss off 5.5 overs when rain stopped play. They will resume this morning with Bevan Bennett (12) and Burton de Wett (seven) at the crease. Border unsettled the visitors from the onset with Mnyaka clean-bowling Wesley Coulination for a duck.
It was soon 17/3 when Mbane and Mnyaka struck in quick succession, trapping JP Kok and Tumelo Bodibe lbw. With Border in charge up stepped Grant Thomson (92) and Shaun Liebisch (34) who brought respectability to the score . They put together a fourth wicket stand of 69 runs from 115 balls including 10 fours and a six.
Thomson eventually fell, bowled by Williams. Coming in at number eight, former Proteas fast bowler Marchant de Lange hit a quickfire 23 from 11 balls before showing what earned him his Test call up with the ball. In his first three overs De Lange, playing only in his second game after returning from a long-term injury, peppered the Border opening batsman with short balls and struck Bennett on the head when he ducked into a rising ball.
Unfortunately heavy rain sent the players scurrying back to the pavilion just before tea with 41 overs lost. Play continues at 9.30 this morning.
