Day's play marred by rain

Centurion: Northerns captain Mark Davis would have probably preferred at least three bowling points yesterday instead of the solitary one, but the rewards were always going to be of the frugal variety on a day's play marred by rain.

After all, winning the toss can be a blessing if Plan A works according to the script prepared in the team talk. When it doesn't, making on-the-field repairs to the initial scheme is also okay, and a single point is better than none in a SuperSport Series where points are to be carried over into the Super Eights in December.

When bad light carved a further nine overs out of a day where 52 were lost to rain and light, Border had, after a promising start, meandered to 133 for three at the early close. Brad White was undefeated on 31 in more than three and half hours of giving a good impression of Mr Plod or even Geoff Boycott.

It could have four wickets in the bag as Gerald Dros spilled an edged offering from White off Davis' bowling, and frankly the visitors total is perhaps a little flattering although there were, frankly too many four-balls delivered by the fast and swing men.

Davis did an effective patch-up job and deserved a wicket as well for his efforts. Then again, a slow pitch, a go-slow White and a mixed bowling effort from the Northerns attack also added to a day where the most notable event was Pete Botha's exhilarating half-century and a steady second spell from Steve Elworthy. Not that Greg Smith and David Townsend can be overlooked. They have bowled better this season yet there were occasions when they dropped the ball too short, or too full. Elworthy seemed to have a problem with his run up and delivery stride. It could have been his subconscious was trouble about a possible recurrence of his ankle injury. But with the rain about and the foot holds not being too firm in his opening spell, he was always going to have a rhythm problem.

Botha made the most of the short and wide stuff, too. Punishing anything with fluent style and grace and going for his shots: a mature, sensible display of power and timing which saw him race to a half-century off 66 balls. There was one over from Smith where he collected 19 off the left-arm fast man who retreated in some chagrin after his previous five had troubled both Border openers. In his sixth over Smith seemed to forget what he was meant to do went for three fours, a six and a single. Ouch! No wonder Davis pulled him out of the attack.

There were times though when White, seemed to be under instructions not to lose his wicket at any price. He had already run out Botha and just about cost Steve Pope his wicket as well. White also gave the impression he was more interested in posting his runs on the board by snail mail than the more orthodox method of run-scoring.