da spicy bet： North West, led by their find of the season, Alfonso Thomas, managed to makeBorder’s expected cruise to victory a fairly bumpy one on Sunday morning
MWP19-Mar-2001North West, led by their find of the season, Alfonso Thomas, managed to makeBorder’s expected cruise to victory a fairly bumpy one on Sunday morning.The afternoon was 10 minutes old when Border clinched the win, but they hadbeen made to sweat a little before getting home by 90 runs. Thomas and lastman in Francois van der Merwe were largely responsible for that as theyadded a bright 57 for the 10th wicket.For the former, who has been something of a not-out specialist this season,the day was one of personal triumph, even if it didn’t end in a North Westvictory. His second half-century of the campaign, to go with an unbeaten106, took his series aggregate to 512, surpassing by 10 the previous NorthWest record of 502, set by Andre van Deventer in 1992/3, although he hasbatted no higher than number eight.That was to prevent any negative impact on his bowling and his 28 wickets,including seven in this encounter, prove that he managed to get the balancejust right.North West had started 231 adrift on 78 for five, but a sixth-wicket standof 53 between Glen Hewitt (48) and Mark Lavine (34) held up Border beforeThomas and Van der Merwe, who made 24 off 35 balls, provided even strongerresistance.For Border, the victory means that, like Western Province, they also go intothis week’s final in top form as they seek to make it third time lucky.