Dawson grabs handful of Diamonds

Alan Dawson took career-best figures of five for 13 as Western Province thrashed Griqualand West by 144 runs in a Standard Bank Cup match in Kimberley on Wednesday night

Griquas spluttered to 85 all out in 36.4 overs in reply to Province's 229 for seven.

Dawson's previous best was the five for 39 he took against Free State in 1994-95.

The home side's first three wickets crashed before they reached double figures, an achievement only four of their batsmen accomplished on the night.

Dawson wreaked his havoc by moving the ball appreciably off the seam on a pitch that had not offered the Griquas bowlers noticeable assistance.

Some of the credit for Dawson's success must go to left-armer Charl Willoughby, who shared the new ball with him and obtained steepling lift in taking one for 10 off seven overs.

Griquas, though, were their own worst enemies as they flashed expansively at deliveries pitched on or about off-stump. It was all over as a contest as early as the 11th over of their reply when Finley Brooker was caught in the slips off Roger Telemachus for one to make it 17 for five.

There was no coming back from that, not after Province had batted sensibly on a sluggish surface. Their hard work was done early on when Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten put on 119 for the first wicket before Kirsten was dismissed by part-time off-spinner Martyn Gidley for 51 in the 25th over.

Gibbs went three overs later for 71 off 77 balls with eight fours and a six.

Griquas' batting disaster was enthusiastically but all too temporarily forgotten by the fiercely one-eyed Kimberley crowd when Deon Kruis and Adri Swanepoel set about the bowling with the gusto that is the sole preserve of tailenders' everywhere.

However, Dawson had the last laugh when he caught Swanepoel off Neil Johnson to end the last-wicket stand at 42, by far the biggest partnership of an ignominious innings