Western Province extend Standard Bank Cup lead

Western Province extended their lead in the Standard Bank Cup with a convincing win over Boland, while Easterns slipped back after Griqualand West pulled off a surprise win in Benoni.

Western Province 272 for 3 (Gibbs 98, Smith 71, Johnson 61*) beat Boland 140 (Strydom 35, Willoughby 3-29, Henderson 3-27) by 130 runs.
Scorecard

Once Western Province had amassed 272 for 3 in their allotted 45 overs, Boland had little hope of taking the Standard Bank Cup champions to the wire. Bowled out for 140 in 37 overs Boland had lost the game in the field with the national openers, Graeme Smith (71) and Herschelle Gibbs (98), putting on 132 in 24.3 overs. Gibbs failed to reach his hundred when coming down the pitch and splicing the drive to point.

Boland's morle was mometarily boosted when they got rid of Jacques Kallis for three, but once Neil Johnson (61*) and Ashwell Prince (35*) got together, the runs flowed off the bat.

For Western Province, Charl Willoughby and Claude Henderson picked up three wickets apiece.

Griqualand West 194 for 7 (Bosman 68*, Bossenger 43, Nel 3-26) beat Easterns 191 (Hall 58, Kruis 3-30, Gidley 3-36) by 3 wickets.
Scorecard

Joint leaders with Western Province at the start of the evening, Easterns slipped back by losing to Griqualand West in Benoni. Winning the toss and batting first, Easterns could only muster 191 for 9 when the overs ran out. A 59 from Andrew Hall and 30s from the two de Bruyns was never going to be enough.

Deon Kruis and Martin Gidley were the destroyers-in-chief, each taking three wickets.

Griqualand West, at 61 for 5, was in danger of being bowled out cheaply but thanks to an undefeated 68 from Loots Bosman and 43 from Wendell Bossenger, their captain, they managed to work their way to the target. In the end they won by three wickets. Andre Nel was in fine form for Easterns, taking 3 for 26 in his nine overs.