WP thrash Boland in 3 days

Western Province wrapped up their SuperSport Series match against Boland on the stroke of tea on the third day with victory by an innings and 20 runs.

Resuming on 189 for 8, Boland survived just 3 overs on a partly cloudy morning before Adams cleaned up the tail. HD Ackerman had no hesitation in enforcing the follow-on.

Alan Dawson produced another fine opening spell. Bowling straight and full, he yorked both openers, Henry Davids completing a pair, and had further reward in a long opening spell when Gerhard Strydom trod on his wicket attempting to play to leg.

Louis Wilkinson batted with some authority before being bowled by Claude Henderson and Vinod Kambli just looked to be getting into his stride when he provided Neil Johnson at first slip with a regulation catch. Any realistic hope Boland might have had of saving the match dwindled in the last over before lunch when Steve Palframan fell to Charl Willoughby, attempting to hook a ball which he should rather have left.

Willoughby struck again immediately after lunch when new batsman Jacques van Wyk was leg before without offering a shot. Willem du Toit assisted Con de Lange in raising the 100 before holing out in the covers, at which stage Boland required 115 to avoid the innings defeat with just 2 wickets in hand.

Charl Langeveldt dug himself in while de Lange played several attractive shots, being especially harsh on Paul Adams. The pair raised a face-saving 95 run partnership for the ninth wicket before Dawson atoned for an earlier miss with a good catch to dismiss Langeveldt.

De Lange had, in the meantime, raised his third fifty of the season with a powerful pull off Willoughby. The Boland left-arm spinner has had a marvellous season for a man who had not even reached 30 in a First Class match previously. Henry Williams, predictably, did not last long. Indeed, if Ashwell Prince had held on to a difficult chance, Boland would not have reached the relative respectability of 200.

WP earned 18.82 points to go to the top of Pool A. Prince edged out fellow centurion Gary Kirsten to take the Man of the Match award.