da winzada777： Steven Pope struck his third first-class century on Friday to take Border tothe brink of their third successive Supersport Series final as they movedinto a dominant position halfway through their encounter at Buffalo Park
MWP09-Mar-2001Steven Pope struck his third first-class century on Friday to take Border tothe brink of their third successive Supersport Series final as they movedinto a dominant position halfway through their encounter at Buffalo Park.At the close, Pope was unbeaten on a blemish-free 104, made off 209 ballsand including 13 boundaries, while Laden Gamiet had yet to score. That leftBorder on 235 for four in their second knock, 274 ahead after they hadbowled out Boland for 153 on Friday morning.After slumping from their precarious overnight 87 for five to 106 for nine,courtesy of a three-wicket blitz from Piet Botha, Boland had last man inHenry Williams, who smashed 33 off 28 balls, to thank for getting themwithin 39 runs of Border’s first innings total and ensuring they got onebatting bonus point, to leave the points race even on five each.By the close, though, matters were anything but even, with Border looking tobat the visitors out of the contest and succeeding thus far, thanks mainlyto Pope, who added 128 with skipper Pieter Strydom (63) for the fourthwicket.Should Border win, and it seems likely with Geoff Love, who took four for 26in the first innings, sure to prove even more effective as the game wearson, they would be virtually out of sight of the two teams looking toleapfrog them into the final, given that Easterns, who trailed them by threepoints going into the match, are fighting for their lives against NorthWest.That would give the men from East London the chance of making it third timelucky in the final, appropriately against Province, who outclassed them intheir first appearance in the showpiece match two seasons ago.