Graeme Smith scored a seamless 120 not out to put Western Province in the
box seat after the second day of the Supersport Series final against Border
at Newlands.
The home side were 229 for two when bad light ended play 6.2 overs early to
put them just 23 runs behind Border's first innings of 252.
Smith has been at the crease for almost six hours in which he has faced 279
balls and hit 13 fours and a six. With him on four not out was captain HD
Ackerman.
The elegant opener and Lloyd Ferreira sapped Border's morale in their
second-wicket stand of 166, which endured for more than three-and-a-half
hours before, in the fourth over before the close, Ferreira edged Vasbert
Drakes' first delivery with the new ball to be caught behind. His steady 81
came off 163 balls and included eight fours and three sixes.
The only other Province wicket to go down on the day fell two overs after
lunch, when Drakes had Andrew Puttick caught behind for 12 to make it 49 for
one.
But, until Ferreira went, that was Border's last sniff of success. It did
not help their cause that Smith was caught off a no-ball and survived a
fluffed stumping attempt by Ian Mitchell off Geoff Love.
Province, though, deserved their advantage, which they began to earn almost
immediately after Border resumed on 247 for seven.
The visitors were dismissed for the addition of just five runs a mere 11
deliveries into the day's play. Roger Telemachus dismissed Drakes before he
could add to his overnight score of 46 to end a stand of 77 scored with
Dumisa Makalima.
Two balls later Telemachus had Love caught behind on his way to figures of
four for 47, and four balls after that Tyron Henderson was on his way -
leaving Makalima not out on 42 and beginning Border's long day's journey
into semi-darkness.