Rhodes and Baptiste steer KwaZulu-Natal home

NATAL relied on the talents on veterans Eldine Baptiste and Jonty Rhodes to emerge victors by 28 runs from their match against Western Province at Kingsmead on Friday.

The home side totalled 216-9 before restricting Province to 188 for nine. Neil Johnson, with 48, and Ashwell Prince, the match's top-scorer with 76 not out, were unable to pull it out of the fire for Province. Baptiste, bowling his best for Natal for some time, finished with the impressive return of 9-3-17-3 and Rhodes added spectacular catches to dismiss Johnson and Andrew Puttick to his solid 42 off 45 balls scored when his team needed it most.

After a stuttering start to their innings, the Natal cause was given a new lease of life by a fifth-wicket stand of 53 off 52 balls between Rhodes and Ashraf Mall. They took the score from 55 for four to 108 before Mall steered a widish delivery from Graeme Smith into the safe hands of Herschelle Gibbs at backward point. He made a classy 40 in facing 67 balls and hit four boundaries in rendering fine support to the ever-keen Rhodes.

Rhodes mistimed a delivery from Claude Henderson and hit a return catch to the left-arm spinner. Province were earlier in command and with Roger Telemachus and Charl Willoughby making the early inroads they reduced Natal to 55 to four in the 19th over.

Rhodes and Mall did their bit to put that right, but then Goolam Bodi was adjudged run out for 22 and it was 184 for seven. With no third umpire on duty the decision stood although television replays showed Bodi to be clearly home.

The almost forgotten man of the innings was Errol Stewart, who in a supportive role scored 45 not out off 57 balls. After reaching 51 without loss Province stumbled to 52 for three as Jon Kent and Baptiste, who bowled Graeme Smith for one and then trapped HD Ackerman in front with his next ball, rattled the visitors' top order.

Thereafter Johnson lost his momentum and Rhodes took the vital catches to dismiss the Zimbabwean and Puttick before the total had reached 100. Half the side was out and the run rate had climbed to a staggering 8.3 per over. From there, only one team was going to win it - and they weren't wearing blue.