The Eastern Province Rural cricket team made it three in a row with a crashing 126-run win over Border Aloes in Alice on Saturday. This was round three of the Cricket South Africa Rural South section competition.
Border won the toss and sent EP in to bat. Openers Mohammed Sonday (59) and Thando Ngcete (12), gave their side a solid start with a 51-run first wicket partnership. Sonday and captain Brandon Handley (67), continued to pile on the runs with a quickfire 70 (72 balls) partnership for the third wicket. All-rounder Francois van Rooyen also contributed a much needed 39 towards the end, to ensure EP reached 226 (43.1 overs). Vuyo Hanabe took three wickets for 32 runs, Andile Ncapayi 2/40 and Sipho Have 2/40, proving to be the top bowlers for Border.
The opening bowler and speedster Van Rooyen, gave his side a perfect start, bowling with great pace and taking three of his first five wickets for only eight runs. Then the accurate left arm spinner Cameron Braans also came to the party and took 5/18 while Van Rooyen ended with 5/50. These two were the destroyers-in-chief for EP. Anele Nyenyeka (22) and Sipho Nabe (19), were Border’s best batsmen. Border managed a mere 100 runs all out in just 16.5 overs giving EP a comfortable victory.
