17 more wickets fall as Strikers and Griquas hurry to conclusion

The race to achieve the first outright victory in this year's Supersport Shield competition was evenly poised on Saturday night, with a result guaranteed between the Highveld Strikers and Griquas, barring the weather taking a hand.

By the close of the second day, Griquas were 71 for four in pursuit of a victory target of 189, having recovered from a parlous 27 for four, thanks to an unbroken partnership of 44 between Grant Elliott (29) and captain Wendell Bossenger (16).

For the second day in a row, 17 wickets fell, although Griquas opener Martyn Gidley gave the lie to the pitch holding many devils when he carried his bat through the Griquas first innings, which finished on Saturday morning, with an unbeaten 73 out of a total of 160.

That innings, which left the visitors 12 short of the Strikers' first innings total of 172, was built around the 62-run eighth-wicket stand between Gidley and Zahir Abrahim, who was eventually trapped in front by pace-man Johnson Mafa for 42.

Mafa, who also picked up the scalp of Wayne Kidwell, finished with a career-best six for 62 as individual achievements continued to hold sway in a match featuring sub-par performances by many of the combatants.

The Strikers followed up their eventful first knock, in which the last six wickets fell for two runs, by going four runs better with 176 in their second, Nic Pothas top-scoring with 60. This time, crucially to their victory chances, the tail did wag, with Brendan Horan (20) and Neil Fusedale (20 not out) adding what may well prove to be a pivotal 38 for the ninth-wicket.