Western Province get the Good Hope Challenge off to a winning start

Western Province got the Good Hope Challenge off to a winning start with a comfortable victory over Yorkshire. The difference between the home side at the end of their season and the pre-season Yorkshiremen was painfully evident as the home team outplayed their visitors in all aspects of the game.

The home side had an ideal start as Neil Johnson and Rashaad Magiet put on 140 for the first wicket off just 135 balls. Magiet scored an aggressive 50, but Johnson was superlative. He reached his 50 off just 38 balls, 40 runs coming from boundaries. Once they were separated, the innings lost its momentum and even Jonty Rhodes, playing by special invitation as preparation for the forthcoming ODI series in the West Indies, could not regain the earlier urgency. Scottish World Cup player Gavin Hamilton, after some heavy punishment in his first spell, picked up four wickets to keep the target manageable.

Yorkshire were never in the frame and fell behind the required rate from the start. Early wickets harldy helped their cause although McGrath may have been unlucky to be adjudged to have gloved a bouncer first ball up. Captain David Byas and ex-South African Under 19 player Micheal Lumb provided some resistance with a partnership of 81 off 89 balls, but, once parted, the required scoring rate was way beyond the remaining batsmen who perished in a desperate chase. Allan Dawson had an excellent return of 9-1-14-3 and even Ashwell Prince claimed his first wicket at senior level. The only consolation for the visitors was the fact that they managed to survive their 45 overs ... just.