da luck： Border wicketkeeper Ian Mitchell featured in partnerships of 79 for theeighth wicket with Vasbert Drakes and 49 for the ninth with Geoff Love as hehelped plug a leak in the visitors’ ship and see them through to threebatting bonus points at the
Grant Shimmin15-Mar-2001Border wicketkeeper Ian Mitchell featured in partnerships of 79 for theeighth wicket with Vasbert Drakes and 49 for the ninth with Geoff Love as hehelped plug a leak in the visitors’ ship and see them through to threebatting bonus points at the North West Stadium on Thursday.Those points go some way to securing their place in next week’s five-dayfinal – virtually certain to be held at Newlands after Western Province alsograbbed four batting points on Thursday – and another couple for bowlingtomorrow, when North West resume on 16 without loss, will push them over theedge.Mitchell, who top-scored with 83 in two minutes short of four hours,anchored the visitors after they had slumped to 138 for seven, with lastweekend’s heroes, Garth Roe and Alfonso Thomas, taking three wickets each.That was despite 54 from captain Pieter Strydom, who had elected to batafter winning the toss, his third half-century in consecutive innings.When Drakes came in, Border were still 12 runs shy of their first point, butthe Barbadian dominated the stand with Mitchell with 53, ensuring the firsttwo, before Love, who finished unbeaten on 21, helped Mitchell take Borderpast the next milestone of 250.Burly opener Riaan Niewoudt started in typically aggressive fashion in thefive overs the home side faced, hitting a six as he made 10 off as manyballs before the close.