Boje grabs give as Free State stay in charge

Nicky Boje took five for 67 and Dewald Pretorius four for 51 as Free State remained in control against Griqualand West in Kimberley. When bad light ended play nine balls early on the second day, Free State were five without loss in their second innings for a lead of 80 runs. The visitors totalled 352 in their first innings, to which Griquas replied with 277.

Griquas tended to lose wickets in pairs, and their problems began in the first hour when both Mickey Arthur and Grant Elliott were sent packing by Dewald Pretorius.

Then Martyn Gidley and Pieter Koortzen were dismissed within five overs of each other, followed three overs apart by Wendell Bossenger and Willie Dry.

Boje profited most handsomely from Griquas' shaky batting, and he took his wickets at two-and-a-half runs an over. In the absence of genuine turn and bounce, the left-arm spinner claimed most of his victims with flight and guile -and not a little help from the batsmen.

However, the most penetrative bowler on the day was Pretorius, who remained aggressive throughout and deserved his success.

Griquas' only noteworthy partnerships were the 54 Gidley and Dry shared for the third wicket, and the 64 Dry and Wendell Bossenger put on for the fifth.

The best of their batting came from the experienced Dry, whose 80 was struck off 157 balls and included 12 fours, and Jason Brooker, Finley's younger brother. Although in his first season of Supersport Series cricket, Brooker junior showed plenty of confidence in his attacking 71, the product of 105 deliveries of which he hit eight for four and two arching sixes, both off Boje.

Not surprisingly, Gerhardus Liebenberg, on one not out, and Boeta Dippenaar, who is on a pair, showed no such attacking intentions in the 3.3 overs they faced before the early close.