Griqualand West force their way into Standard Bank Cup semi-finals

KwaZulu-Natal and Griqualand West, knowing that a Standard Bank Cup semi-final place was up for grabs, met in Pietermaritzburg with the prize a trip to Paarl to meet Boland. With the result in doubt till the last over, Griqualand West eventually won by one wicket.

Winning the toss and sending Natal in to bat Griqualand West must have believed that they were on the way to the Cape when the hosts collapsed to 104/8 after a rain-delayed start.

Johann Louw had the hosts reeling with the two early wickets of Ahmed Amla and Jon Kent and then later added the scalp of Errol Stewart.

When Charl Pietersen ran out Goolam Bodi and then bagged the prize wickets of Jonty Rhodes and Lance Klusener, all looked lost for the Dolphins.

Hashim Amla was joined by Nixon McLean who quickly restored some local faith scoring 24 off 19 balls and then Imran Khan making 17 valuable runs with Amla top scoring on 45.

The more fancied team had been bowled out for 171 in 37.5 overs.

Griqualand West made the worst possible start having four batsmen back in the pavilion for 23 runs after Ross Veenstra struck twice with McLean and Klusener striking once.

A 75-run partnership between Adrian McLaren and Wendell Bossenger brought Griquas right back into the game with Bossenger going to his second limited overs fifty and his highest score of 57. At 153/7 Griqualand West should have made it with comfort, but wickets falling left them at 164/9, eight runs short and 12 balls to come.

Zahir Abrahim drove the third last ball of the innings through the covers for four and Griqualand West was through to the semi-final.

At the Wanderers, Gauteng and Namibia did battle for the wooden spoon in Pool B with Gauteng winning by 72 runs.

Namibia ending their first season in the Standard Bank Cup tournament, in preparation for the World Cup, without a win and in danger of being the whipping boys of the that tournament.

Gauteng raced away to a good start with Marthinus Otto scoring his maiden limited overs hundred. Twenties from most of the middle order took the Strikers to 251/7 at the end of the 45 overs.

For once the Namibia bowling had let them down with Lenny Louw, the left arm orthodox spinner, once again the pick of the bowlers.

Namibia made their best start of the tournament to date. Jan Burger waltzed in with a quick 41 helping the score to 64/2 after the first ten overs.

With wickets falling every four to five overs things had to settle down and at 139/6 in the 35th over the game was all but lost.

Deon Kotze managed to get together a 43 to help Namibia to 179/9 when they ran out of overs.

Clive Eksteen the choice of the Gauteng bowlers with 3/26.