Drama at Paarl as 23 wickets tumble

Boland had no hesitation in sending Eastern Province in to bat first on an under-prepared bowler friendly pitch at Paarl. Pepler Sandri, with a career best 4 for 37, and Hillroy Paulse, with 3 for 43, took full advantage of the conditions bowling Eastern Province out for 91 as only four batsmen made it into double figures. The Boland joy was short lived as they came under the same pressure, bowled out for 81 with Lonwabo Tsotsobe taking the first four wickets to fall. For good measure he was also responsible for a run out. He finished the innings with 4 for 38 while Juan Theron wrapped up the tail for a career best 3 for 12. An improvement in the second innings saw Eastern Province close on 92 for 3. With 23 wickets falling on the first day one wonders what the powers that be will do?

Griqualand West took advantage of winning the toss at Kimberley scoring 326 for 9 before declaring against Gauteng. The evergreen Wendell Bossenger top scored with 66 but he was assisted by a 62 from debutante Christoffel de Jager and 54 from Alan Kruger. The Gauteng debutante, Saurab Chatterjee, made an impressive start to his first-class career taking 5 for 81 on a pitch more condusive to batting. At the close Gauteng had moved to 91 for 1.

After losing a wicket in the second over of the match Free State had recovered to 378 for 5, when they declared against Easterns, thanks to a 154 from Benjamin Hector and a maiden hundred from Divan van Wyk (106). Riel de Kock was also in the runs with 50 . No sooner had the declaration come that the light and weather caused the umpires call stumps.