EP move closer to SBC semis while Bears and Titans tie

Eastern Province kept alive their hopes of a Standard Bank Cup semifinal berth with seven-run victory over Boland on Sunday, but the Border Bears' hopes of making significant progress up the log table were thwarted when they tied with Northerns Titans in a Buffalo Park thriller.

Set 251 to win, the Titans arrived at the last over still needing 12 to win, but with captain Gerald Dros in wonderful form. They managed 11 of the 12, but Dros was run out off the penultimate ball of the match for 96 going for the winning run and Vasbert Drakes was equal to the challenge of denying Pierre Joubert a single for the scores to end all level.

Earlier, both Stephen Pope (98 not out) and Justin Kreusch (92) had battered the Titans attack as Border reached 250 for four in their 45 overs. As later events were to prove, though, it was just one run too few to give the home side full points.

In Paarl Boland left themselves too much to do in the later overs as the EP Jumbos defended 198 for six. Despite Louis Koen's 75 (scored off 130 deliveries), Boland were always chasing the game and they still required 54 to win as the match entered its final five overs. In the end, and on a low, slow pitch, the Boland batsmen were not up to the task.

For the Jumbos, James Bryant scored 75 off 93 balls to provide the core of the Titans innings.