Boland clinch one wicket win

Boland clinched a one-wicket win over North West and with it a place in the Super Eight phase of the Supersport Series in Paarl on Monday.

Set 218 to win, Boland achieved the mark with just one-wicket in hand after a dogfight to the end.

It was the type of finish that makes the longer version of the game infinitely better than the limited overs circus. The match ebbed and flowed throughout the three and a half days.

Neither side could gain the clear advantage with just eight runs in it after the first innings' had been completed.

Even at the end, the result was in doubt with Boland number 11 Andrew Pringle having to fend off the charged up, snorting figure of West Indian paceman Mark Lavine.

Lavine removed Charl Langeveldt (20) and Neil Carter (0) with successive balls that turned the match as quickly as he bowls.

Boland were cruising to victory after a middle order stutter, only to see Lavine remove wickets eight and nine with just two runs needed for victory.

Pringle defended the final three balls of the over with confidence and finally Lavine, in his over-eagerness to bowl the tailender overstepped the mark and delivered a no-ball that tied up the scores.

In the next over Justin Ontong was able to guide a single away on the off-side to give his team the win and earn himself a share of the man of the match award.

He ended on 68 not out while Lavine finished up with match figures of 10 for 124. He and Ontong deserved the accolades.

There were other contributions throughout the match. Boland opener James Henderson scored a patient 86 in the first innings and his skipper Louis Koen laid the platform for the victory with 77 in the second innings.

For North West Craig Light notched-up his fifth career century with 101 and Alphonso Thomas continued his good batting form with 43 in the second innings to add to his 33 in the first and a century a week ago. He is a number ten batsman.

But the turning point may have come as early as the first day, when North West skipper Martin Venter's left-hand was broken by a Carter delivery.

At the time he had 44 and failed to bat again in the match. Had he done so, the outcome could have been different.

To slump to cliché. North West may have lost, but cricket was certainly the winner in this match. It rekindled a passion for the game that had been buried under the scandals that have rocked the sport this year.

Glen Hewitt's (stand-in skipper for North West) words may have been prophetic on Friday when he declared that 220 might be a good score. His side fell four-runs shy of that and who knows how valuable they may have been in the final analysis.