da apostebet： Western Province grabbed all four bowling points on offer in their lastmatch of the Super Eight phase on Friday, ensuring they cannot possibly bestopped from hosting next week’s final and grabbing a 49-run first inningslead
Grant Shimmin – MWP16-Mar-2001Western Province grabbed all four bowling points on offer in their lastmatch of the Super Eight phase on Friday, ensuring they cannot possibly bestopped from hosting next week’s final and grabbing a 49-run first inningslead.Northerns did contribute indirectly to that, declaring at the fall of theninth wicket – Greg Smith for 15 – on 267, with Pierre Joubert left unbeatenon 35.In truth, though, the option of having a late dart at the visitors was agood one, although just 11 balls were possible, one more than in theNortherns first knock at the end of Thursday’s play, and again no runs weremade as the shadows lengthened.The Northerns innings was built around another fine effort by teenage openerJacques Rudolph, a man who played in the under-19 World Cup on home soilaged just 16.Rudolph, who has two first-class centuries this season, took his aggregatefor the Supersport Series to 638 before being caught at mid off by NeilJohnson off left-armer Charl Willoughby for 71. With one innings left inthe competition, assuming the match is not marred by rain, the confidentyoung left-hander needs 42 to give him an average of 40 in his first fullfirst-class season.Twenty of Rudolph’s last 21 runs came from boundaries, giving him 12 foursin all, but aside from him, none of the other Northerns batsmen stuck aroundlong enough to ever give them a chance of gaining a significant lead.Debutant Alviro Pietersen made 30, with six fours, in adding 71 for thefirst wicket with Rudolph, stand-in skipper Martin van Jaarsveld got 23 andthe vastly experienced Rudi Steyn 35, but none of them went on and it wasleft to Joubert, who made 96 in two innings against Eastern Provincelast week without being dismissed, to see the home side to a respectabletotal in tandem with the tailenders.