da bwin： Western Province continued to dominate the South African domestic season
da fezbet： Keith Lane09-Dec-2003
ScorecardWestern Province continued to dominate the South African domestic season. They beat Rest of South Africa XI by sixteen runs in the rain-affected Standard Bank Charity Shield match played at Newlands.Batting first Western Province scored 155 for 5 in an innings shortened to30 overs by intermittent rain. Graeme Smith (40) batted fluently, stroking someglorious straight drives, before he charged the bowling of AndrewHall and holed out to deep mid-off.Jacques Kallis played a little gem of an innings, with only one false shot, anedge through the vacant slip area. His 64 was full of grace and elegancewith some of the best cover drives seen at Newlands for quite some time.The bowling depth of South African cricket is a worry for the nationalselectors. On evidence of this match, save Makhaya Ntini andHall, there was little else to suggest that there is an heirapparent to the South African bowling throne. Monde Zondeki bowled at pace,Andre Nel tried to show some aggressiona and Lance Klusener showed signs of formwhile Robin Peterson did not set Newlands alight. A lack of discipline, lineand length, was the common thread.Further rain reduced the match to 24 overs leaving the Rest a target of 148.Jacques Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar failed, and apart from a short flurryfrom Hall and Mark Boucher it was once again left to Klusener to supply thegoods. Coming to the crease at 70 for 5 in the 16th over he did notdisappoint. Like the Klusener of old, he smashed three fours and three toweringsixes, reaching 40 in 25 balls, to get his team to within 16 runs of the target.Claude Henderson, awarded Man of the Match, took 3 for 27 and once again comes into reckoning for future national honours.The highlight of the evening must undoubtedly be the catch of the season andwhat might have been the turning point in the game. With two overs to go, and 26 runs needed Robin Peterson launched Smith to the deep mid wicket fence. NeilJohnson standing centimetres inside the rope stuck out an outstretched handand snatched the ball, now over the rope, out of the air.
