Gauteng snatch home semi-final from Northerns

Gauteng 156 for 8 (Bacher 90*) beat Border 164 for 8 (Pope 77*, Kruger 3-21) by 7 wickets (D/L Method)
Scorecard

Gauteng, needing the win and a bonus point to get the prized home semi-final spot, sent Border in to bat on what appeared to be a difficult pitch. Border managed 164 in 45 overs due to an undefeated 77 from Steven Pope. No one else came to grips with some excellent bowling, the overcast conditions, and the slow pitch.

Garnet Kruger took 3 for 21 in his nine overs and was well supported by all the bowlers with only Derek Crookes taking some stick, going for 18 runs in his final two overs.

With 11 overs bowled, and Gauteng at 39 for 2, the rain had the players off the field for 84 nervous minutes before play resumed with a revised target set at 152 off 39 overs. More importantly, to achieve the bonus point the runs had to be scored in 31.2 overs.

With wickets falling all around him Adam Bacher took it on his own shoulders to score a magnificent 90 off 91 balls, including 23 off his last seven balls, to take Gauteng to the win in 30.4 overs.

North West 144 for 4 beat KwaZulu-Natal 142 (Coetsee 3-39) by 6 wickets
Scorecard

North West comfortably beat a lacklustre KwaZulu-Natal by a healthy six wickets, and moved above Free State at the bottom of the table.

Batting first, Natal stuttered to 142, bowled out in 44 overs. Werner Coetsee, with a career best 3 for 29 was the pick of North West's bowlers.

In no great rush to chase the target, North West showed far more application, and cruised to a win in 31.5 overs to much appreciation and celebration from a small crowd.

Griqualand West 244 for 3 (Bosman 99*, Hector 65) beat Eastern Province 171 (Jacobs 62, Kruis 3-22) by 73 runs
Scorecard

Griqualand West, with something to prove, went after the Eastern Province bowling to score 244 for 3 in 45 overs, with Loods Bosman failing to score an impressive hundred by just one run. Running out of overs, his knock came off 57 balls after his 50 had come up in just 39 deliveries.

Eastern Province recovered to 114 for 4 after being 15 for 3, with Arno Jacobs (62) and James Bryant (37) restoring some pride. Four run-outs then caused their downfall and handed the game to Griquas as they were bowled out for 171. Deon Kruis, in what was probably his last game, ended with 3 for 22.

The win took Griqualand West, sponsored by De Beers, well above Free State in the table - a result worth its weight in diamonds.