Marco Marais Show propels Border into #AfricaT20 final

Marco Marais was in devastating form for Border on Sunday. Photo: www.bordercricket.co.za

Marco Marais was in devastating form for Border on Sunday. Photo: www.bordercricket.co.za

Published Sep 23, 2018

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EAST LONDON – Marco Marais continued with his sensational form as Border booked their ticket to a first Africa T20 Cup final after demolishing Easterns by seven wickets at Buffalo Park in East London on Sunday.

Phaphama Fojela and Basheer Walters also played pivotal roles by sharing five wickets as the home side chased down a 135-run victory target with 38 deliveries to spare.

Border will now meet Gauteng in Monday’s Heritage Day final after the Johannesburg side overcame North West in their earlier semi-final.

In a largely one-sided last-four affair, the home side lost the toss and were asked to bowl first, but it mattered little to their bowlers as they set them on their way with a clinical performance with the ball.

They restricted Easterns to just 134/9, as Fojela bagged 3/18 in an impressive four overs.

Together with Walters (2/15), they had Easterns in early trouble on 20/3, before captain Grant Thomson – the top-scorer with 53 (39 balls, 5x4, 1x6) – and Sizwe Masondo (34) began a recovery job that took them to 100.

But panic set in after the dismissal of the latter in the 14th over, and it disrupted the momentum, leaving the visiting tail struggling to bat out their 20 overs.

It was then the Marais show as Border wasted little time in racing to victory.

The opener, who scored two hundreds on the opening weekend of action, shared in a century stand with Gihahn Cloete (40) that came in under nine overs.

Marais blitzed 64 off 25 balls, which included seven sixes and two fours – the partnership paving the way for victory in 13.4 overs.

Well Done to Border for beating Easterns in the Semi-Final of the Africa T20. The final between Border and Gauteng will take place at 10am tomorrow at Buffalo Park. Entrance is free!

— Border Cricket (@Border_Cricket) September 23, 2018

#CSAnews Border to play Gauteng in Africa T20 Cup Final as Marais shines with the bat #AfricaT20 https://t.co/aL1u4QzAlhpic.twitter.com/Y5BAfZc39o

— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) September 23, 2018

African News Agency (ANA)

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