da bet esporte： There was no shortage of incident on the first day of this match, althoughnothing could match the drama of the downward spiral that marked the end of theHighveld Strikers’ first innings
Grant Shimmin – MWP02-Mar-2001There was no shortage of incident on the first day of this match, althoughnothing could match the drama of the downward spiral that marked the end of theHighveld Strikers’ first innings.In a minor and somewhat meaningless competition for those teams which didn’treach the Super Eight phase of the Supersport Series, in which all threematches thus far have been drawn, a result seems inevitable after 17 wicketsfell on day one, unless the weather gods intervene.The home side, put in by Griquas captain Wendell Bossenger, had progressedrelatively uneventfully to 170 for four when the carnage started, withoff spinner Martyn Gidley getting a touch as Marthinus Otto drove onestraight down the pitch and running out Geoffrey Toyana, who was backing up,for 10.Two runs and a handful of overs later, the Strikers were back in the hut andGriquas’ paceman Zahir Abrahim had a devastating spell of five for two infive overs under his belt, including the scalps of Brendan Horan, NeilFusedale and Johnson Mafa, all bowled for ducks in the space of five balls,to end the innings.As undignified as that collapse was, though, Griquas didn’t fare muchbetter, with opener Gidley holding his end up while wickets tumbled aroundhim as the visitors were reduced to 93 for seven. Mafa took four for 22 in ahostile nine-over spell after tea from the Golf Course End, the same endfrom which Abrahim had earlier sown destruction.Abrahim continued his major contribution, however, helping Gidley arrest theslump as he hit Mafa out of the attack and at the close, he had 28 out of anunbroken stand of 33 with Gidley, who was on 56, leaving Griquas on 126 forseven, 46 behind.