da betano casino： KwaZulu-Natal’s hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of theStandard Bank Cup are hanging by the slenderest of threads afteryesterday’s 17-run defeat against Border
da lvbet： Patrick Compton28-Feb-2000KwaZulu-Natal’s hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of theStandard Bank Cup are hanging by the slenderest of threads afteryesterday’s 17-run defeat against Border.The Dolphins will almost certainly have to win both theirremaining matches – no easy task – against Gauteng at home onFriday, and Eastern Province away on Sunday, if they are to sneakinto the semis.The home form of the Dolphins in this competition has beendisappointing, to say the least, with Dale Benkenstein’s menlosing their last two matches against Easterns and Border whenthey should have won both encounters. If the bowling let theDolphins down against Easterns, it was their much-vaunted battingthat failed them at Kingsmead yesterday. Having restricted Borderto a very gettable 221-7 on the flattest of tracks, the hometeam’s top order got themselves into all sorts of bother as theyquickly plunged to 50-4 in their reply. Admittedly, the Borderbowlers bowled well, particularly up front, with the excellentVasbert Drakes and Makhaya Ntini keeping a tight line and length.However too many batsmen got themselves out with Doug Watson,holing out to deep midwicket, and skipper Dale Benkenstein,rashly trying to drive his second ball over the top, particularlyguilty of giving it away. It was left to young Jon Kent to savethe Dolphins’s blushes with an excellent 71 in 86 balls (sixfours). He received useful help from Errol Stewart, EldineBaptiste and Ross Veenstra as the home team just about managed tomaintain the required run rate. Unfortunately, they lost wicketsfar too regularly in the process. Nevertheless, the fact thatthey got as close as they did, emphasised how comfortably victorycould have been achieved with a more sensible, measured approachearlier on.In that sense, the Border opening pair of Man of the Match PietBotha (55) and Justin Kreusch (59) showed how it should have beendone. The two, who were rarely troubled, put on 125 for the firstwicket, giving the visitors the perfect platform for a reasonabletotal . As it turned out, Border lost the plot a little afterthat start with only a half-century partnership between StevenPope and Tyrone Henderson enabling them to get past the 200-mark.One dispiriting note was struck by the decision of Jonty Rhodesto not make himself available for yesterday’s match. In the lightof his wife Kate giving birth to their first child last week, itwas understandable that he decided not to tour India, or, forthat matter, not to play in the Dolphins’s away matches againstNortherns and North West last week. But surely playing in a oneday match in Durban yesterday would not have upset his domesticarrangements? The Dolphins surely needed his experience andexpertise, and morale in the dressing-room could not have beenboosted by his absence.With Benkenstein – on national duty in India – unavailable forFriday’s must-win match against Gauteng and Sunday’s equallyvital away clash against Eastern Province, Rhodes needs to raisehis hand for his province this week.
